Sin of Reveal. Chapter 10.
~}I{~
The wave washed over Paris like a sonic boom.
For those who couldn't sense these kinds of things, could feel a sudden chill of negativity run down their spines. For those who could sense these things…
"What the F-!" Kim exclaimed in dismay and shock as he wrapped his arms around himself as he shuttered in uneasiness, eyes wide in fear as he did.
The others in the Miracugroup (teachers included) were doing the same actions. All wondering what in the actual hell that they all felt at the same time.
However, the Otherworldly Beings and Jason Blood knew exactly what that wave was about and made a beeline to the windows to see if they could pinpoint where the origin of that wave was.
It didn't take long before they figured that out… The billowing smog coming from a distance away from the school building was pretty hard to miss, in all honesty… Wait… Oh shit! That was the Miasma Cluster!
The entities told the Miraculous Heroes to transform, now.
Of course, the Heroes did.
Once that was done, the embodiment of Wrath, Chastity, and Patience teleported everyone to the location of the Miasma Cluster.
}{
Chat Noir didn't know what happened!
He was talking to Trixx to get answers one moment, and then the next the building was suddenly giving off such a nasty feeling and covered in a dark purplish-black haze.
Wait a second!
Oh! Shit! This had to be the Miasma Cluster they were looking for!
"Oh, no!" Trixx squeaked out in distress when he realised what happened, backing away as far from the cluster as much as he could. The Kwami knew there was a lot of Miasma trapped in the basement of the building but he didn't know it was THAT bad. Trixx couldn't help but whimper out, "No… Alya's going to be destroyed if she stays in there…"
Chat Noir looked back down at the little, orange sprite in disbelief when he asked, "Wait? What was Alya doing in THAT building?" He pointed at the structure in question when saying the word 'that'. Chat Noir then asked, "And why did she go in rather than informing the rest of the group about it?"
Tears welled up in Trixx's eyes again when he got out in distress and despair, "She didn't know it was there! Alya was lured and forced into the building against her will!" The Kwami got angry when he got out as tears fell down his cheeks, "But that Lila lied to her and then killed her! And Kathryn!"
Chat Noir has never felt all of his organs simultaneously become cold in a matter of seconds.
But before the black-clad hero could say anything, his reminder went off. Instead of sending a pic, he sent a text to his bodyguard to come to the GPS tag location and that he's found where the girls are. Chat Noir looked at the Kwami when he asked, "Can you come with me while I wait on the others? I need to be in a more visible area?"
Trixx shook his head sadly when he explained his situation. His Miraculous was pinned under Alya's body and couldn't get to it, and he was already at the edge of his range.
Chat Noir reluctantly understands before telling the fox-like Kwami that he'll find a way to get the girls and the Fox Miraculous out. He then rushed out of the alleyway to, hopefully, contact the others.
To everyone's surprise, the entire Miracugroup reunited across from the Miasma-contaminated building.
"Chat? What are you doing here?" Ladybug got out in shock when she saw him.
The black clad hero rushed over to them and told them all what he was doing, why he was doing it, and what he learned from Trixx.
To say that the groups' reaction to learning this information was like Chat Noir was an understatement. Although… Their emotions were a lot more varied in rage and dismay.
As much as Satan loved the wrath coming from the group, now wasn't the time to enjoy this meal. Now it was for trying to get Asmodeus out of that Miasma Cluster! Somehow…
Jason Blood let out a low growl when he got out, "THAT is way too much Miasma… Even with a Sin being involved…" He couldn't believe that the Miasma was now visible to normal people! Completely visible to their eyes! That NEVER happens unless there was literally a crack in the boundary between Hell and the Mortal Plain! Jason's eyes glowed a bit when he hissed out, "There has to be something else going on with the Summoning Circle if the regular mortals can see the Miasma!" He then noticed something odd, or rather someone, when he vocalised, "Huh?"
The next thing everyone knew, there was some kind of white barrier being erected around the Miasma leaking building, trapping the toxic gas inside. For some reason, there were black music notes of different shapes and sizes dancing along the surface of this barrier.
Of course, the Miracugroup had no clue what was going on, and ended up focusing on the only person who was actually close to the barrier. A man who was oddly familiar to three of the members of the Miracugroup.
Carapase's jaw dropped when Roi Singe asked in a baffled tone as he pointed to the man, "Isn't that…?" Ladybug quickly shushed him before anything else could be said. The others of this group were confused by this. Made sense, they didn't know who this guy was even though he looked oddly familiar somehow.
Jason Blood jogged up to the man near the barrier when he stated, "I can't say I'm surprised you had to step in, Magi Guardian Jazz."
The man's visor gleamed darkly in the light before he told the redheaded man, "Given the situation and what Ah've been hearin', Ah would've had ta." He nodded his head at the building in question, "However, the amount of Miasma Ah'm feelin' and seein' is a helluva lot more than it should be fur Over-Summonings."
Jason nodded in agreement when he stated, "I'm not surprised you noticed too… But as far as we were aware, all that's been going on was the over-Summoning…"
A frown appeared on the visor-wearing man's, Jazz's, lips at those words when he mused in a disdain tone, "Then either the Over-Summoner is doin' more shit than tha Summonings or there's something else goin' on in there." He thumbed the building as the barrier let out a strange song. Jazz's attention was on the main entrance of the building when he stated, "Good, muh barrier found the people who were inspecting it, and they're all surprisingly still alive."
"Let us take care of those individuals," Azrael stated as they, Satan, and Urial moved forward.
Jazz bowed at the three entities when he stated respectively, "As yah wish."
With that, Azrael took out a flute from somewhere before they played a rather strange note that seemed to echo from everywhere yet nowhere. Uriel went into action as soon as she saw the hazmatted people appearing at the barrier, using her chains to move and hold these people safely and place them comfortably away from the building. Satan was quick to look over the inspectors, somewhat glad that these hazmat suits managed to protect the people inside from the bulk of the Miasma onslaught.
}{
The strange note continued to echo throughout the city of Paris, catching the attention of any Angel and Demon who heard and felt it. Seeming to understand what was going on, every native-born being from Heaven and Hell stopped what they were doing and took off and flew right towards the Miasma infested building.
}{
The sound wasn't just heard in Paris…
The five other Heavenly Virtues and the Deadly Sins heard the sound, and knew where to go to aid in this issue and to find their missing sibling.
}{
Satan held up a familiar orange foxtail necklace as the sound of an excited Kwami was heard.
Everyone turned to see a small orange blur moving towards the Miracugroup. Trixx practically wailed in relief as he launched himself into Ladybug's chest. Of course, the red-clad hero tried to comfort the little being best she could.
Raguel took the Fox Miraculous from Satan and brought it to the red-clad hero. Ladybug held up a shaky hand to accept the item as she let the Kwami cry.
Ladybug couldn't help but stare at the Fox Miraculous… The item in hand that shouldn't have been in her possession right now…
Carapace took that Miraculous from the red-clad hero, who didn't protest at this. The green-clad hero held the item up to get a better look at it. Carapace clenched the Fox Miraculous before he held it to his chest as he lowered his head, letting his hood fall forward.
The rest of the group was a mix of emotions as the facts just hit them… Thank goodness Hawkmoth was already dealt with. Trixx's cries slowly levelled to a couple of hiccups.
Jason Blood couldn't blame the children for their current states. But his emotions had to come second in a situation like this… Jason turned his attention to the Magi Guardian when he asked, "I know your barrier removed everyone who was still alive from the building, but why weren't you able to get Asmodeus out?"
Jazz's visor glinted darkly in the light before he stated, "Not a lottah things can hide from one of muh 'Search Barriers'. And unless Lord Asmodeus is dead, which Ah very much doubt, whatever they're trapped in is either cancelling out muh 'Search' or is completely keeping them inside." He looked at the Miasma-infested building inside the barrier when he added, "Ah wonder if it is tha latter and it's also expellin' a lottah Miasma."
Soon enough, the area was overwhelmed with Angels and Demons.
The three Entities gave all of them one order, "Save these mortals afflicted by the Miasma."
With that, these beings went to work, mostly shrinking down to the size of cute chibi plushies. Satan backed away from these mortals to give the Angels and Demons room to work.
The next thing to happen was Wang Fu skidding to a halt on his trusty bike near the Miracugroup. Panting, the Guardian of the Miraculous got out frantically, "Is everyone here to help clear the cluster?!" He then looked at the Miasma-infested building. Horrified, Wang Fu got out in disbelief, "Oh… Dear God… It's… It's worse than I thought… How?"
No one had an answer to that.
}{
The latest news flash was about the Miasma-infested building. All speculating a gas leak, but the biggest thing to happen were the Angels and Demons saving the building investigators and removing the Miasma from them… And then the arrival of the other Sins and Virtues.
}{
Of course, everyone talked about going in to free Asmodeus from the prison they were trapped in and retrieve the bodies of the dead. For obvious reasons, the Miraculous Heroes were told to stay put for this. The Entities told these children to help the Paramedics with the misama-affected mortals.
Carapace couldn't help but get out in an uncharacteristically upset tone, "But! Alya's still in there! I want to get her out before!" Roi Singe placed a hand on the turtle-themed hero to try to calm him down. Trixx floated over to Carapace and sat on his shoulder and nuzzled his cheek.
Jason was eerily calm when he stated when he told the teens, "Trust me… I feel your pain, but don't worry. We will find them and get them out." His eyes seemed to glow red at those last words.
That somewhat scared the Miracugroup.
Given Raguel had the ability to 'Break Unjust Contracts', he would have to go into the Miasma-infested building. But given how much of the stuff was in there, they would have to get to Asmodeus as fast as possible to destroy the 'contract' keeping them there. Jason offered to go in, to help guid the Archangel of Justice through the Miasma.
Jazz would make an opening in his barrier for them, however… "Ah won't be able to keep it open fur long and given tha amount of Miasma in there, Ah can't let yah stay in there fur more than ten minutes," the visor wearing man stated seriously. A gleam crossed the glass of the visor when Jazz added, "Even if tha two of yah can handle it."
Raguel let out a hum before he told Jason, "Given the circumstances, it would be best to let Him take the lead on this."
The redheaded man narrowed his eyes before he let out a sigh and reluctantly said, "That might be for the best…" He took a few steps away from the others until he stood alone in a small area. Jason Blood took a breath before he started chanting, "Gone, gone, the form of man." Sparks of flames started appearing around him as he continued, closing his eyes as he did, "Free the prince forever damned." The sparks became flames as Jason continued, "Free the might from fleshly mire." The flames grew bigger as they started encircling Jason as he continued, "Boil the blood in heart of fire." Now the flames started engulfing the redheaded man. Jason's now completely blood red eyes shot open when he continued as the fire covered his body, "Gone gone the form of man, rise the Demon…"
The fire had now covered the redheaded man's body completely by this point. An inferno swirling around that spot like a mini vortex.
Suddenly, the flames exploded out to reveal a tall muscular humanoid-demon creature with orangey-yellow skin, had small demonic horns that poke out of his temples, complete blood red eyes, and webbed ears that were pointed at the tip, he was wearing a silvery armour that had a decorated red cloth covering his chest and pelvis area, paired with a tattered blue cloak, and was kept in place by a silver utility belt that somewhat resembled the one that Batman usually wears, the decor on the red cloth was nothing too complex, just simple yellow lines that were in the pattern of fire, the armour on the limbs were nice and solid, specifically designed for combat, in the place of Jason Blood. This creature then shouted in a demonic voice, "Etrigan!"
The fire died to a few faint sparks when this demon let out a low growl when he stated darkly, "Two children and a Lord of Hell in dire straits. They must be retrieved to avoid such a tragic fate." He then took a step towards the front entrance to the Miasma-infested building with Raguel following.
Jazz cautiously opened a hole in the barrier closest to the building door. of course, Miasma bellowed out as soon as possible. Both the Demon and the Angel hurried through the barrier before it closed.
Now all that was left to do was wait… An uncomfortable wait…
Well… At least they could check to see how the people in the hazmat were doing, while the Virtues and Sins watched the entrance of the building… And talk to Jazz regarding… Well… Everything… Yeah, the Miracugroup had things to keep them occupied during this 'wait'.
}{ Inside the Miasma-Infested Building }{
"I cannot sense anything but Miasma…" Raguel stated as he tried to focus on the source of the smog in question, but that was in vain due to the sheer amount of it. Thankfully, the Archangel had his Holy shield to keep the Miasma from affecting him. Raguel sniffed the air, only to get the unpleasant smell of the Miasma before he finally asked, "Etrigan, can you pinpoint where all this Miasma is coming from?"
The Demon, Etrigan, let out a thoughtful hum as he looked around the immediate area. He could see that there were thicker streams coming from the basement, and only the basement… Etrigan narrowed his eyes when he stated in a serious tone, "Below ground is where we need to be, but is Lord Asmodeus the only source of the Miasma that I can see?"
Raguel let out a low hum before he asked, "Is there really that much?" When the demon responded yes, the Archangel frowned before stating, "That's strange… Lord Asmodeus is the only one who has been constantly summoned, so there shouldn't be this much Miasma… Unless…. There's something more to this issue than we know…"
Etrigan let out a growl before he made his way to the basement, making his steps unusually louder than he normally would.
Raguel turned his attention to the noise before he followed.
When they got to the stairs, Etrigan narrowed his eyes at the open door to the basement at the bottom of the stairway. The demon started on his way down when he stated, "Descend with caution with each step, for the next task is for you to prep." Almost stomping down the stairs.
Raguel's cane shifted into a sword before he too descended the stairs.
Asmodeus heard the noise, opened their eyes slowly, and then weakly looked up in the direction of the sound with their head that was closest to it. They were surprised by the beings that he saw coming into view. "Etty… Raggy… Is… Is that… That really you?" Asmodeus got out weakly, not completely trusting their eyes.
Raguel made a beeline, or as much as a beeline as possible with the obstacles in the way, towards the Lord of Lust when he stated, "It is Lord Asmodeus." His sword made a strange metallic yet electric sound when it made contact with the barrier keeping the entity trapped.
Etrigan, on the other hand, made his way to the two decomposing bodies lying near the barrier. The demon knelt next to the younger of the two and gently scooped her up. The girl's head hung to the side in an unnatural way as this happened. Etrigan stared at the small body for a few seconds before holding her close to his chest as he moved her to rest in his left arm. The demon then moved to haul Alya's body into his right arm, trying to be a little gentle with her.
Raguel's sword started glowing white when he told the Entity of Lust, "Lord Asmodeus, I would advise you to move away from the side of the contract barrier I am standing in front of."
Asmodeus shifted weakly when they stated, "It's… Fine… I'm not… In the way…" It was true, the Lord of Lust was leaning on the side parallel to the one the Angel of Justice was in front of.
Raguel nodded as he stated, "Understood." With that, he raised his sword over his head and then brought it down onto the red barrier.
}{ Outside the Building }{
While the investigators started coming to as the Angels and Demons kept a cautious eye on them, the Miracugroup 'talked' with this Jazz… Somewhat.
Ladybug, Roi Singe, and Carapace weren't too sure how to talk to the visor-wearing man without compromising their Identities!
Wang Fu did do most of the talking, but Jazz seemed to already know… Everything! While the guy wasn't direct with his 'I know answers', he dropped a few lines that told the Miraculous Holders that they caught that told them that he knew who they were. Jazz then stated in a bit of a gushing tone, "Muh niece does designin', and, not ta brag, but she's pretty good at it. Maybe she can make a few redesigns of yahr outfits if yah want ta." Despite the visor that covered his eyes, everyone could somehow tell that he was staring at Ladybug as he spoke that line.
Oh… Boy he definitely knew… At least he's not dropping any names… But…
Yeah, it might be a good idea to talk to Jazz after everything is over, out of the Hero personas.
Under normal circumstances, Wang Fu would've been panicking at the idea of a random person somehow knowing the identities of the Miraculous Holders, but… This person was the Magi Guardian of France, and it's technically normal for him to know these kinds of things. That and given recent events well, now that Hawkmoth isn't an issue anymore… It should be fine.
However, before anyone could ask Jazz any more questions, the Magi Guardian's attention snapped to his barrier and moved his arms like he was signalling someone to move out of the way. The next thing everyone knew, both Raguel and the Demon were almost shoved out of the building and through the barrier. The Angel looked like he was having a rather nasty coughing fit while Etrigan made his way to the gathering of ambulances with the two girls in his arms.
Aside from the coughing, everyone was too quiet.
Marques arrived on scene to see exactly what everyone else was seeing in disbelief. He was positively horrified when he saw some demon carrying the eerily familiar clothing on a decomposing body in his arms. Of course, he wanted to go save her, but when he saw Chat Noir, and he him, and the expression the teen wore… So Marques didn't act on his thoughts and only moved towards the group of teenage heroes. To give them some kind of support in this… Horrible turn of events…
Etrigan walked up to one of the free stretchers. He took in a deep breath before he moved his right arm to lay the older girl on the stretcher, as gently as he could with just that arm.
Alya's form was slid onto the stretcher without much issue and only her right arm fell limply over the edge when it got too close.
Etrigan narrowed his eyes at the gapping injury that was most likely the cause of death on the teenager. The open gash on Alya's neck that was from one side to the other… Etrigan then looked at the blogger's arms and hands, both of which were void of unnatural injuries… The Demon narrowed his eyes at this as he moved away from the stretcher, ignoring the paramedics asking about the other girl in the Demon's arms.
The nearby Angels and Demons quietly stopped the paramedics. When the human medics looked at the otherworldly beings, all of whom shook their heads. The paramedics glanced at each other before looking at the demon.
That was when everyone realised that the coughing finally stopped.
The Miraculous Heroes cautiously turned their attention towards the Angel of Justice.
A dark aura surrounded Raguel when he got out in a menacing tone, "As if the Over-Summoner couldn't get any worse! Not only has she used tape to draw the Summoning Circle! But she also compounded the illegal contract!" His form started shifting into something… A lot more monstrous… Raguel's wings splitted into thirds with the centre set of wings being the largest of the set as the smaller ones wrapped around his shoulders and waist. His limbs elongated while gaining an extra joint before splitting into two. His human eyes that saw nothing vanished from his face as a ribbon started sprouting from where those empty sockets were and wrapped around him as archaic symbols appeared on the ribbon. Raguel then started growing larger as he snapped angrily, "THEY ARE UNJUSTLY DESTROYING THE BALANCE'!"
Of course, everyone took a couple of steps back at this sight, except for Satan and Azrael. Both of whom ran towards the morphing Angel.
Once the Lord of Wrath and the Virtue of Patience stood in front of the angry Archangel, Satan stated in as calming of a tone as he could, "Understandable! And will face her due punishment once she is apprehended!"
That was when Azrael added in a soothing and calming tone, "Agreed, but… Freeing Asmodeus and fixing this Miasma Cluster are the higher priorities!" They took a deep breath when they stated calmly, "These must be dealt with first, and I have the perfect individual in mind to help capture the Over-Summoner." Those last words seem to come out in more of a serious and cold tone, which, of course, interested Satan.
Things were eerily quiet for a long ten seconds before Raguel finally said in a distorted voice, "I understand, Lord Satan, Lord Azrael." And with that, the Archangel of Justice started shifting back to his 'human' form.
Once things were mostly back to normal, form-wise at least, Etrigan took a few steps forward when he stated, "The only good that came of this dive, are the children retrieved and why the Miasma doth thrive." The Demon clenched the little girl in his arms closer at the word 'children'.
Now calmer, Raguel added, "The more than idiotic Over-Summoner was essentially doing everything that is highly discouraged when creating and doing for a Summoning!"
Satan growled when he got out, "You mentioned 'written in tape' and 'compounding', so I can assume that these were what this Over-Summoner had been doing?"
Both Raguel and Etrigan nodded at these words.
That was when Michael, Virtue of Charity, vocalised bitterly, "Well, THAT would explain the over-abundance of Miasma despite it being one confirmed source." He scowled when he added, "This mortal actually ignored the instructions and Ozzie!"
Mamon, Lord of Greed, had a matching scowl when he snapped in an angry tone, "What in the bowels of hell did this Over-Summoner want so badly? Which I have to clarify, is NOT worth messing with the Balance or risking Ozzie's health and Ring!"
Oh, did THAT make the human mortals think… If the Embodiment of Greed was saying that it wasn't worth it, then THAT was majorly serious!
Raguel took in a deep breath before he stated, "Agreed, and from what Lord Asmodeus told Etrigan and I, the Over-Summoner essentially used tape so she didn't have to re-draw the Summoning Circle and used that Summoning Circle for the contracts before the illegal one and afterwards." He tightened his grip on his sword at the latter part of his words.
Gabriel, Virtue of Diligence, let out a shocked gasp when she stated in disbelief, "Oh, dear Father! No wonder the Miasma got so bad so fast!"
Lucifer, Lord of Pride, looked at his Heavenly counterpart when he stated in an irritated tone, "Oh, this soul is going to be spending a LONG time in my Ring."
Raphael, Virtue of Humility, glanced at Satan when he stated, "I would suggest that you let Rage and Ozzie at the Over-Summoner first, Lucy." the Lord of Pride was oddly too willing to agree to that.
The two-headed serpent looked at each other when they jinxed, "We do Not pity that soul."
Ramiel, Virtue of Kindness, looked at her counterpart when she told them in a serious tone, "Reed, Levi, given the situation, even I can't suggest a 'kinder' alternative or ask to show mercy on that soul."
Oh! Shit! If the Virtue of Kindness isn't advocating her representation for this… Oh… Yike… Lila was way more deader than dead… The Miracugroup had no remorse for wanting that to happen now.
Belphegor, Lord of Sloth, glanced at the Miasma-infested building when they pointed out, "Uh, Over-Summoner aside, THAT is going to be tricky and difficult to eradicate… And the fact that it's inside a populated city… It's objectively worse."
Good point…
Azrael placed a hand on their chin as they looked at Raguel, the only one of them who could break the illegal contract and get through the Miasma safely. The Embodiment of Patience thought over the facts as they glanced at the Miasma-infested building. Azrael narrowed their eyes at what they were seeing, knowing full well that it was going to take a lot of effort to destroy all that and then heal the area afterwards.
Wait…
Azrael's attention was on the Miracugroup, more specifically, Ladybug and Chat Noir. Then they looked at Raguel. That was when an idea came to Azrael's mind when they got out calmly, "I think I have a plan that could get Ozzie out while destroying the Miasma Cluster and how to fix everything afterwards." They closed their eyes when they added, "But it would involve the Miraculous."
Then all the present Virtues and Sins turned their attention towards the Miraculous Holders, much to their confusion.
Etrigan managed to figure out what the plan could be as he held the child in his arms closer.
}{
Of course, Mrs Rossi was too busy with making sure she and Lila were settling in their temporary housings to even bother checking the latest news about the incopodency of Ladybug and Chat Noir. It made the mother wonder why Paris allowed these two to run rampant.
}{
"You want us to WHAT?!" Both Chat Noir and Ladybug exclaimed in utter shock when they heard what the Virtue of Patience had told them. Of course, the rest of the Miraculous Holders were just as shocked at this.
Azrael was calm when they repeated, "We need you to combine with Raguel to help destroy the barrier keeping Asmodeus trapped and cleanse the building of the Miasma."
Of course, both the Ladybug and Black cat Holders' immediate response were, "HOW?"
Raguel stepped forward when he stated, "To put it simply, I will become your main weapon, multiplying the effectiveness of your Signature Abilities, adding a Holy Attribute, gives you a rather massive immunity boost to hazards, and immunity to sub-effects." He held up his sword when he added, "This is considered a 'Holy Fusion', and even if I am doing this through the Miraculous, it won't last long." Raguel thought about that for a few seconds before he stated, "Given your current energy status, I would estimate it would last 20-25 minutes with just one use of your special Abilities."
That did sound fair, but…
"Do… Do we need to de-transform to combine?" Ladybug asked wearily. It made sense she would ask this, even more so given the current audience. Along with the Tvi field reporters… Yeah, can't blame Ladybug for worrying.
Raguel shook his head when he stated, "No need." His sword started to glow when he added, "Simply touch my weapon with yours and say 'Holy Fusion' out loud." Raguel held his sword towards Chat Noir when he stated, "Given that Lord Asmodeus is the higher priority, freeing them from the 'illegal contract' comes first."
Chat Noir looked between the sword and Raguel when he asked in bewilderment and concern, "How can I do that?"
Raguel went right to the point as he explained, "Simply use your Cataclysm as you normally would, but channel it through my sword while focusing on the one who caused this whole event."
Chat Noir lowered his gaze when he grumbled out, "Can't say that'll be hard…" He grabbed his staff, extended it long enough to be the same length as the sword.
Before Raguel could comment on Chat Noir's words, the black-clad hero's staff made contact with the sword when he said aloud, "Holy Fusion!"
With that, Raguel turned into an orb of white light and sank into the sword he held, of which, combined with chat Noir staff within a blink of an eye. And This wasn't the least of the 'changes'.
The moment Chat Noir had the sword in his hand, his outfit started changing. The somewhat skin-tight black leather started becoming more armour-like. This new armour was thicker yet it barely weighed a thing and oddly flexible. The suit gained shoulder guards that were wide enough around said joint so it could allow for more motion while protecting it, arm guards that gave the illusion of more muscles, gauntlets with cat-like claws on the tips of the fingers, thick padding over his chest, pelves guard that had neon green paw prints that wrapped around the design, the black leather tail-strap morphed into a black tail made of chains, knee guards, and armoured boots with cat paw trends on the souls. Neon green and gold accents then trailed over the armour to break the parts and black up in an aesthetic way. Chat's mask started expanding and shifting until it was a black cat-themed paladin helmet that only exposed his green eyes and mouth. The helmet was also accented by neon green and gold, however the gold accents were only on the 'ears' while the neon green was on the rest of the helmet.
What was unexpected were the small, black feathered wings that sprouted from Chat Noir's back. These wings were barely half the length of the teens arms, and it was clear that they wouldn't be able to lift the black-clad hero off of the ground that much.
Of course, Chat Noir had to look himself over in fascination. He was a bit thrown off by the wings, and was a little weirded out that he could feel them move. Of course, he did try to use them, but lacked the control, coordination, and strength to use to the fullest.
Of course, the other Miraculous Holders were fascinated by Chat Noir's Paladin look, but there wasn't much time to admire this.
Raguel's voice came from the sword when he stated, "We shouldn't linger any longer. We have to destroy the illegal contract before Asmodeus loses too much energy."
Chat Noir couldn't help but get out sheepishly, "Yeah, sorry." He let out a confused hum before asking, "Where should I go in the building?"
Etrigan moved until he stood in front of the black-clad hero, which somewhat startled him. The Demon then stated in a strangely emotionless tone, "Etrigan will lead the way… Do not terry, that's all to say," He turned his back to the teen before walking towards the main entrance of the Miasma-infested building.
Chat Noir noticed the blonde and red haired child in the Demon's arm, unmoving. The black-clad hero couldn't help but say wearily, "Uhh… Maybe you should leave…" He wasn't sure how to say it.
Etrigan glared over his shoulder and let out a low, deep growl.
Chat Noir held up his hands in a defensive manner when he meekly got out, "Or not!"
Etrigan narrowed his blood red eyes before he turned his attention towards the barrier blocking the way.
Chat Noir was a little self-conscious about… That… But knew he had a task to complete… Chat Noir looked at his friends for one last motivator. Marques gave him a small smile and a thumbs up as the Miraculous Heroes gave him some vocal motivations. Chat Noir smiled back at them before he followed the Demon.
Magi Guardian Jazz opened the barrier at the entrance, Miasma bellowed out as soon as it could.
Both Etrigan and Chat Noir rushed past the barrier before it closed behind them.
"Arg! Gross! This stinks!" Chat Noir got out in disgust as he covered his nose with his free hand. He looked around the area, which was covered in a thick purplish-black haze. The teen could only make out some outline of the objects inside the building.
Raguel's voice came through his sword when he stated, "To the non-natives of Hell, Miasma can easily disoriate the senses and cause physical health issues if you breathe it in for a long while. Given the current amount, it's no surprise that a lot of the residents fell ill so quickly."
This uneased chat as he tried to keep up with the Demon when the Angel's voice added, "You currently have my holy shield, which will protect you from the Miasma so long as you remain fused to me." Oh, did that relieve the Black Cat Hero.
Chat glanced at the sword when he asked, "So… I just have to think about destroying Lila with my ability on the thing keeping Lord Asmodeus trapped? And it will destroy the Miasma too?"
Raguel's voice was matter of fact when he replied, "Correct. But probably only half of the Miasma."
Chat Noir couldn't help but grumble out bitterly, "That's not going to be hard…"
Raguel was quiet as they came to the stairs to the basement. Etrigan descended first.
Chat Noir noticed the odd silence of the Angel when he got out in a self-conscious tone, "Sorry, Raguel, I didn't mean to have negative thoughts with your powers…"
When they got to the stairs, Raguel stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "There is nothing wrong with your response towards the Over-Summoner. Given her deeds to Hell, others, and you, your reaction and emotions are justifiable."
As he walked down the stairs, Chat Noir gave the sword a puzzled look, not completely understanding the words that were used.
Asmodeus weakly lifted their heads to see who was coming. They saw Etrigan again, and… "Oh? Plagg's little Holder… You look… Like a knight…" The Lord of Lust got out weakly before chuckling and adding softly, "How… Cute…"
Etrigan stood by the stairs as Chat Noir continued until he was standing in front of the red barrier. The teen was horrified by the… Dull colouring of the Lord of Lust's plumage… It was a stark contrast to the bright and vibrant outfits and colours had the last time they were seen.
Chat Noir placed a hand on the red barrier when he got out in bewilderment, "How… How could… Lila do this? To anyone?!" A tear fell down his left cheek.
"Ah…" Asmodeus got out weakly before saying in disdain, "So her name was… Lila… Satan… Satan better… Leave her… Intact for me… To torture…" They were too low on energy to do much of anything right now.
Chat Noir tightened his grip on the sword he held before he stated seriously, "Last time you asked me what I desired, I wasn't sure what I did outside what my parents wanted for me… But now…" He moved so he could properly hold the sword when he stated, "I want to protect Paris and those who are close to me from any threat! And I want to free you!"
The sword started glowing black as it cackled with chaotic energy.
Asmodeus glanced at the Black Cat Holder and smiled on all of their lips when they said, "Ah… Good… Now you're acting on Your desires…"
Chat Noir raised the sword as he vividly imagined Lila being in pain from her body being slowly rotting away. Then he shouted, "CATACLYSM!" and brought the sword down on the red barrier as hard as he could.
And this time, the contract shattered! And half of the Miasma that infested the building dissipated.
}{ Outside the Building }{
Magi Guardian Jazz's barrier made an oddly pleasant song. Immediately, he commanded the barrier to get Etrigan, Chat Noir, and Asmodeus out.
Within a few seconds, those three were outside the barrier. Half of the Miasma was gone but the other half of the stuff was still lingering. But at least it wasn't as bad. Yeah, it was still bad that there was still Miasma, but it was better than before.
Etrigan was holding Asmodeus' left with his free right while Chat Noir supported the Lord of Lust on the other's side with his left.
Of course, the Virtues and the other Sins moved to retrieve their weakened sibling. Uriel wrapped her now visible wings around her counterpart. They then kept Asmodeus to the side, and kept the mortals away.
The next thing to happen was Raguel de-fusing from Chat Noir. The Black Cat Hero was back to his usual outfit while Raguel reformed. The Archangel then took a seat at the nearest bench to recharge. Chat Noir felt lightheaded and had to lean against a streetlight so he could keep his balance. Of course, the other Miraculous Heroes were by his side, asking if he was alright. As Roi Singe gave the black-clad hero an energy bar.
It took a while but once things have settled a little, next was talk about clearing the Miasma. However, that would have to wait until Raguel rested up.
In the meanwhile…
Etrigan looked for a clear space, one where there weren't a lot of people gathering but close enough to the ambulances. He carefully placed Kathryn on the ground, on her stomach and trying to keep her head straight. Etrigan stood up and started backing away when he stated softly, "Now that the battle's fought and won…" After five paces, he continued, "Jason Blood with me is done…"
In yet another vortex of an inferno, Etrigan was bathed in fire. Once that dissipated a second later, Jason Blood was standing in the Demon's place.
The redheaded man stared at his daughter in dismay, more than horrified that another child did such a deed. After a few seconds, Jason finally uttered out, "Kathryn…"
As soon as that name was spoken, the sound of bones cracking filled the air in the immediate area. Everyone nearby turned to the noise to see Kathryn's head moving a little. Then her body started twitching as the cracking sound continued.
Suddenly, wings burst out from Kathryn's back. The wing on the right was just like a raven's while the one on the left was a pure white bat wing. Of course, the back of her shirt was obliterated. Her limbs elongated, as well as her fingers and toes. Kathryn's eyes shot open with the left being pure red while her right being pure blue. Her canines sharpened as her mouth grew wider. She then let out a hacking noise before she vomited out this nasty-looking purplish-black sludge.
Of course, this freaked the other mortals out while the Angels and Demons went into action. The Angels tried to purify the area while the Demons collected the 'sludge' into these orbs.
However, Jason Blood calmly walked towards his daughter. Once he was close enough, he knelt next to her, gently rubbed her back, and said with a soft expression, "It's okay, I know it doesn't feel good, but you need to get the Miasma out."
As one Angel poured a cup of water that felt oddly soothing even at a distance. Kathryn looked at her dad, nodded, and then vomited out more of the sludge. Jason just stayed there, soothing his daughter through this… Purging…
The Angel with the cup of soothing water handed it to the redheaded man when they stated calmly, "She needs to drink this slowly, it'll help with getting all of the Miasma out of her body."
Jason nodded as he took the cup and gently coaxed his daughter to take some sips of the water. Kathryn did, only to throw-up more of that sludge. However, it wasn't as thick as it was before.
Rinse and repeat a few more time, but Kathryn was able to drink more of the water before she ended up vomiting out that sludge, of which, became more watery and thinner. By the time the child finished off the water, the only thing that was forced out was a weak purplish-black mist.
One that was done, Kathryn slowly morphed back to 'normal' as she leaned into her father's embrace, falling asleep out of exhaustion. Jason held his daughter close with one arm as he conjured up a plushie of the Pokemon Darkrai. The redheaded men gingerly tucked the plushie under the child's arm, who hugged it close out of an unconscious instinct.
Jason carefully lifted his daughter up and brought her to one of the free stretchers, then laid her on it to sleep.
Of course, the paramedics were a mixture of shock, confusion, and a little horror at what they had witnessed. Well, no one could blame them! Especially the other mortals, who were just as shocked as the paramedics.
Jason Blood noticed the expressions and stated with a sigh, "It's a long story, but all you need to know is that she's my daughter." And that was it as he walked over to Raguel.
The Archangel of Justice was still low on energy. This meant that they couldn't start the next part of their plan… However…
Asmodeus needed Lust, but… There wasn't much in the area due to the… Recent revelation… And with all power in the Ring of Lust down… None of the natives from the Ring of Lust could transport any. Liquid Lust to the Mortal Plain…
And due to the systems used in Hell to transport the essences of the Sins throughout the Rings and the other Plains… There was literally no way any of the other Demons from the other Rings could bring Lord Asmodeus the Liquid Lust they needed… And the Summonings centres couldn't transport any energy that didn't aline with the Ring they are from…
Oh… This was BAD!
There was no way to get the Liquid Lust out of Hell and Asmodeus was too weak to return to Hell…
Shit! This was the worst paradox that could happen!
Ladybug couldn't help but ask, "Isn't there anyone in Hell that could carry Liquid Lust?"
Rapheal explained that the Demons from each of the Rings could only transport the sin types from their native Rings, and the summon centres only correspond to the Ring they are located in.
Lucifer did add that even if it was possible, given the current issue, his Ring would have to be the one where the transport would have to come from for faster results.
Jason Blood snapped his fingers in realisation when he suggested, "If the Demons from the Ring of Pride can't transport Liquid Lust to the Mortal Plain… Then, maybe you should try using a Sinner?" He waved a hand when he added in a 'hold on there' manner before he said, "I know they aren't allowed to leave Hell for obvious reasons, but if we narrow the Pride Sinners down to the ones who can carry Liquid Lust and that understands the risks involved, then that might work."
Lucifer thought about that for a bit as he weighed the risk and reward for this plan. One to maybe a handful of souls and at least four vials of Liquid Lust for Asmodeus to get enough energy and power to at least return to Hell so they can start with fixing the Ring of Lust… Yeah, that was worth the risk. Besides, Lucifer had more than enough souls under his rule and he knew that Asmodeus stockpiled hundreds of vials of Liquid Lust.
So the Lord of Pride made a quick call on his Hellphone.
}{ About an Hour Later in Hell (Roughly Five Minutes on the Mortal Plain) }{
The Hellborns gathered the Sinners who fit the criteria needed for this task in Pentagram City within the Pride Ring.
Of course, these Sinners "Volunteered" for this, especially after learning about the possible 'Reward' if they can manage to pass a few 'tests'.
Of course, the bulk of the Sinners laughed at the rather simple task of holding a deep, vibrant blue vial, but the Sinners who knew better… They were a lot more weary of this 'test'.
There were six vials of Liquid Lust that the Lust Demons had on hand to use for this test. Of course, they had more but those were on route. So the Sinners were 'tested' six at a time.
As soon as the first of the six Sinners were given the vials of Liquid Lust, the Sinners were practically yanked to the ground by the vial. Of course, these Sinners asked if 'this was a joke', but the Lust Demons explained that that was how concentrated essences worked. Liquid Lust are a lot easier for Lust Demons to carry but are incredibly heavy for others, and this corresponds with the other concentrated essences and their respective Demons.
Well… That did make some sense, but… Ah, right, not really much of a choice for these Sinners right now, Plus… If they could get through these 'tests' then the 'Reward' was well worth it.
But after seven rounds of six Sinners at a time, none were able to hold a vile of Liquid Lust for more than a second… Things were not looking good… Until…
"Huh? Wait! You're actually holding it!" one of the last demons exclaimed in shock. This earned the attention from the other Lust Demons.
True, the Sinner struggled to hold the single vial of Liquid Lust with both hands, but he was holding it! And what was even more of a surprise was the slender man-esque physique he had.
}{ Back on the Mortal Plain }{
Jason Blood was using simple white chalk to draw the new Summoning Circle with his left hand on the black paved road that was blocked off for the issue. He kept referencing the floating image from Hell that depicted the exact image he was drawing.
At the same time, Ricky was talking to the building's owner regarding 'Kassyddee Fortune'. Of course, she didn't know who this teen was, until she was shown a picture of Lila Rossi. Phantasma told the Seeker this before asking where he got the name 'Kassyddee Fortune' from. Ricky's response was plain and simple when he replied, "Straight from this teen's mouth."
Kavod moved his head to look between the Seeker and the building owner. He somewhat tilted his head to the side as he looked at Phantasma.
The woman in blue folded her arms when she stated, "I honestly don't know why she gave you that name… But then again, that child never seems to want to take responsibility for anything that goes wrong but will take the credit when things go right…" She shrugged when she added, "It's become an open joke among the other residents and I know they've tried to tell Cecelia about this, as well as me."
That was when Damocles had to ask her about that. To which Phantasma replied that Cecelia Rossi seemed to think everyone was being silly and joking for some reason, but since no one had any solid proof to show Mrs Rossi her daughter's behaviour.
Damocles stroked his beard when he asked Phantasma about how often the Rossis' travelled for her job because Lila was missing a lot of school. Of course, the building owner replied in confusion, "What travels? The Rossis have never left the unit they've rented from me since they've moved here."
The Dupont teachers looked at each other at those rather interesting words.
Jazz seemed to appear out of nowhere next to the group when he asked Phantasma if she had Mrs Rossi's contact information. The building owner did, and was willing to call her. Jazz asked her to do that, if only so the Dupont staff could inform her about her daughter's actual schooling. Phantasma did just that, and she made sure to word it so Cecelia would come back to the building, without Lila.
The last line of the chalk Summoning Circle was made as Jason Blood stated, "Alright, Time to test this out… Hopefully it'll work…"
Lucifer stood next to the redheaded man as he nodded and stated, "Agreed." He manifested three Blood Crystals and tossed them into this Summoning Circle.
}{ Back in Hell }{
A lanky, spider-like demon with dark gray skin and four lime green eyes, wearing all-black clothing, with a pitch black cloak that covers most of his body, at the front of his cloak is a large black spider with lime green stripes on its eight legs, as well as lime green eyes and lime green on its back, when he moved his right arm his cloak opened and revealed that the interior of his cloak is lime green with a spider web pattern and four red spider legs extending across the cloak, and was wearing a distinctive big black top hat with a light grey patch at the front, along with a gray skull and a lime green-and-maroon-striped feather on the right side let out a grunt as the Lust Demons slid the vials of Liquid Lust into a pack designed to carry these bottles. Sure, they were heavy for him, but he was managing to carry them without too much trouble.
Once the pack had the four vials of Liquid Lust safely tucked in it, the Pride Demons guided this tall Sinner towards the Summoning Rooms of the Summoning Centre. They were going to use the one that Lord Lucifer told them to use for this summon. The Sinner took a deep breath before he took a step into the room, probably the first Sinner to do so. He listened very carefully to what the Pride Demons went over what he was to do. Soon enough, the Sinner carefully stepped onto a Summoning Circle identical to the one Jason Blood drew in the Mortal Plain. It started to glow purple.
The Pride Demons manning the controls that looked similar to the ones that are used in a space station's mission control went into action.
"Energy flow is optimal!"
"The Circle is connected to the Mortal Plain!"
"Monitoring is confirmed!"
"Lord Lucifer has used Blood Crystals to confirm the summon!"
One of the Pride Demons looked at the Sinner when they asked him, "Are you ready for the Summon, Zestial?"
The Sinner gave a firm nod at those words, somewhat gripping the straps of the vile holding pack as he did.
"Acknowledged!"
The Pride Demons then readied the summon when one stated, "Alright, ready to summon to the Mortal Plain in… Three… Two… One…"
Then the room was bathed in a purple light.
}{
The Summoning Circle drawn on the pavement started glowing purple. The white chalk turned a deep shade of purple as the symbols started rotating within the Summoning Circle. Purple mist emitted from the drawing. The glow started to fade as a silhouette appeared within the mist.
After a few seconds the mist started clearing. Zestial slowly opened his green eyes to see both Lucifer and Jason Blood appearing through the fading mist. The Sinner looked down at the Summoning Circle before he checked the two vials of Liquid Lust in the front pouches on the pack he wore, letting out a breath of relief that they were intact.
That was when Lucifer ordered the nearby Lust Demons to collect the Liquid Lust and bring it to Asmodeus. These demons did so without hesitation.
Minding Zestial's space, the Lust Demons took the vials of Liquid Lust out of the pack and then made a beeline to their Lord. The Sinner couldn't help but look around the immediate area in a mixture of fascination and disbelief. Sunlight got in Zestial's eyes before he used his right hand to block that to see what it was, only to see a blue sky with fluffy white clouds leisurely moving by. The Sinner was stunned at this… Strangely gentle colours in the sky above… It was… Beautiful…
"Zestial, is it?" Lucifer stated, getting the Sinner's attention on him.
The slender-framed being nodded when he said in a soft tone, "Tis, my Lord."
The Lord of Pride let out a low hum when he stated in a regal tone, "Since everything worked out as planned and you managed to fulfill this part, you will be handsomely rewarded." Lucifer looked over at the Lust Demons giving Asmodeus one of the vials of Liquid Lust as the Virtues and the other Sins backed away from those vials. The Lord of Pride couldn't help but add in more of a worried tone than he would ever admit, "But do be aware that I will have to wait until everything settles before I give you that…"
Zestial followed the line of sight before he stated, "Tis understandable, my Lord." That was when the Sinner noticed the redheaded man next to the Lord of Pride. It took a few seconds before he remembered who the guy was, and vice versa.
Jason and Zestial stared at each other for an awkward ten seconds before they glanced away.
Soon enough, the Summoning ended and the Sinner was safely sent back to Hell.
}{
Cecelia was relieved when Phanny told her that the gas leak had been found and was being fixed, but was confused when she asked her to come back to the building, or the space across from the building. Phanny told Cecelia that the investigators she hired wanted to ask the residents some more questions, just to cover the basis.
That was completely fine with Cecelia, she can do some grocery shopping afterwards. Plus, there was no need to bring Lila along for this. The mother figured Lila could rest from the sudden move while she did these errands.
Cecelia told Lila that she was going to get a few things for dinner. The teen happily told her mother okay and that she'll see her later. Then Cecelia left.
As soon as the door closed, Lila pulled out her mother's stolen phone to fabricate an email so she can have another week off of school.
Cecelia did feel bad about deceiving her daughter about what she was doing, but since she was going shopping after this interview, she wasn't actually lying to Lila.
}{
Asmodeus downed all four vials of Liquid Lust before they could stand on their own without aid. Their plumage was still pretty dull, but they now had enough energy that they could return to Hell. However, they might not be able to leave Hell for a while…
Between repairing, stabilising the Ring of Lust and recovering from this event… It made sense… Yeah, it was bad and it shouldn't have happened, but it made sense.
Uriel hugged her counterpart in a gentle hug. Asmodeus returned the gesture. Slowly, the other Sins and Virtues joined in the group hug. It was strange to see, yet… It felt right for some reason. It was pretty sweet.
For some reason, Anabella Bee felt… Something after seeing that moment. She now had a desire to… Hug her siblings when she returns home.
A few minutes later, Raguel was recovered enough to fuse with Ladybug.
Like before, Raguel held his sword out and waited for the red-clad hero to act.
Ladybug held out her yo-yo until she touched the sword with it and then said out loud, "Holy Fusion!"
Like before, Raguel turned into a ball of light, sank into the sword, and said sword materialised in Ladybug's hand. Then the red-clad Hero's outfit started to change much like Chat Noir's.
Ladybug's skintight suit started changing into an armour. It wasn't as bulky as the one Chat Noir had, but it was just as light and durable. The colours remained the same red with the black ladybird spots. The shoulder guards had more of a loose dome shape that resembled the shell of the ladybird wings. The chest plate was also shaped like the shell of the ladybird but it was clearly used for defence yet was comfortable. The midriff had armour, but it was completely black like the body of a ladybird. The pelvis guard felt more like a skirt made of red chain mail with a few black chains sculpted in the shape of poke-a-dots. The leg guards and boots were red with black poke-a-dots with the souls and edges of the boots were gold. The arm guards bulked-up Ladybug's arms yet it didn't take away from the sleek forms of her muscles. The gauntletts' base colour was red with black poke-a-dots but the palms were gold. Much like Chat Noir, the helmet only exposed Ladybug's blue eyes and mouth, and it was shaped and coloured similar to a ladybird but with cute little golden antennae. Ladybug's twin tails grew longer, curled at two points, before it stopped at her knees as it was shining like the Milky Way on a cloudless night. And, of course, a pair of small, red feathered wings that were half the length of her arms sprouted from her back. The wings did have a few black feathers scattered randomly on the surface.
"Oh! Wow!" Ladybug got out as she looked herself over, like Chat Noir, she felt the wings and wanted to test them out, but also like Chat Noir, she was uncoordinated with them and they were also undersized for flying.
Raguel's voice came through the sword when he stated, "To utilise this 'Miraculous Cure' to the fullest, you need to hold my sword up as high as you can and say out loud "Miraculous Holy Cure" while you think about the cause of the issue you wish to fix."
Ladybug frowned when she got out bitterly, "So I have to think about Lila to fix everything?"
Raguel's voice stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Unfortunately, but it is a logical mechanic. However, you only have to do it once."
Ladybug stared at the sword in her right hand for a few seconds before she finally stated, "If that's what it takes to undo the shit she's done, so be it."
Channelling her inner He-Man/She-Ra, the red-clad Hero held the sword in the air as she pictured Lila smirking and shouted louder than needed, "Miraculous Holy Cure!"
As soon as those words were spoken, the sword started to glow pink and the light flowed out of it in ribbon-like waves.
Much like the ladybirds from the Miraculous Cure, these ribbons fixed everything and eradicated the rest of the lingering Miasma. The waves also washed over the city of Paris, purifying any damage that had been caused by Lila.
}{
For some reason, Lila felt an unpleasant chill run down her spine. Instead of figuring out where that came from, she turned on the heater before she checked her cell phone for any texts from her gullible sheeps.
Lila scowled at this before she thought bitterly, 'Damn, no one has texted me about Satan completing my tasks!' So she sent a 'Hi, how's everything?' text to her now best pawn, Rose. Lila smirked as she sent the text, 'That dimwitted pink puff will be more than happy to tell me what I need.'
}{
"ALYA! OH GOD! OH GOD!" Oh… The Césaires are here… They must have seen their middle daughter on the newscast… And came running to the scene…
The Miracugroup couldn't blame them…
Marlena, Otis, Nora, Etta, and Ella were crowding around the stretcher Alya was laying on… Trying in vain to wake her up…
The Miracugroup didn't know what to do… Carapace just couldn't watch the family's distress. All their hearts ached for them.
Raguel de-fused from Ladybug, and like last time, sat down on the bench to recharge. Similar to Chat Noir, she became lightheaded and had to lean against something to keep her balance, namely, Ryuka at the moment. The Dragon Holder didn't seem to mind this.
Marlena cradled her middle child close as she and the rest of her family cried.
Carapace wearily moved closer to the Césaires, not sure what to do but wanting to do something. Trixx was in the same boat, already wanting to say 'screw the identity rule'! The little fox Kwami timidly grip the fabric of the Turtle Holder's hood.
"Arg… I'm trying'to sleep… So keep it down…" said a soft, groggy voice came from the Césaires family. Then everything went quiet as Alya seemed to rocked her head to the side, the gaping wound on her throat was no longer there and her skin was surprisingly lacking decay.
Mariana was quick to check her middle child, as did Otis. Alya's eyes slowly opened her eyes halfway when she got out groggily, "Stop… Being so loud…" The blogger then fell asleep, her body gently moving to the rhythm of breathing.
Relief washed over Césaires like a wave as they crowded around the middle daughter in a hug.
Of course, Carapace and Trixx were stunned.
And, of course, this baffled the rest of the mortals in the area. They all saw that the blogger was dead with her neck slashed open not even 30 minutes ago, but now…
What happened?!
Confused and a little dazed, Ladybug got out in disbelief, "How? What? I thought I could only purify the crap Lila did?" Ryuka managed to keep the other red-clad Hero on her feet.
Still sitting on the bench, Raguel stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "No, the Miraculous Holy Cure undid all of the damage that the Over-Summoner had inflicted." He nodded his head towards the relieved Césaires family when he stated, "The Over-Summoner did kill your friend, therefore, she was brought back by the Miraculous Holy Cure."
Ryuka was confused when she asked, "Does that mean that the Holy upgrade can bring back the dead?"
Raguel tilted his head to the side in a slightly amused way when he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "That all depends on the situation of the event and the wording of the in regards to the cure."
The Dragon Holder was confused by those roundabout words. However, Ladybug seemed to understand when she got out in disbelief, "Wait?! When you told me to think about Lila to undo all the 'damage she's done'! That includes deaths, doesn't it?"
Raguel smirked when he stated, "Demons aren't the only ones who like exploiting loopholes every once and a while."
That was a surprise… Not an unwanted thing, but still a surprise nonetheless.
The Monkey Holder glanced at the Césaires, glad that Alya was back and okay. But… Roi Singe clenched his fist when he got out in anger, "I still can't believe Lila killed Alya!" Pegasus placed a hand on the taller teen's arms. The Monkey Holder had to snap in anger, "What the hell was Lila thinking?! Alya trusted her! And she!" He bangs his fist on a nearby wall.
After a few seconds of silence, a woman's voice was heard saying in shock, "What! what is going on here?" All turned to see Cecelia Rossi, looking just as shocked and bewildered as she sounded. The woman kept looking from the Angels to the Demons to the still being treated investigators. The expression on her face practically screamed, 'what did I stumble across?!'
Phantasma made a beeline towards Mrs Rossi when she got out in a serious tone as she waved an arm, "Cecelia!" Ricky followed her.
This got the newcomer's attention before she asked her building's owner, "Phanny! What happened? What's all This?" She waved at the scene in front of her.
Phantasma took a deep breath beforeShe stated in a calm, professional tone, "Well, let's just say that the suspected gas leak was a lot worse than everyone expected." She let out a relieved sigh before she added, "But it was fixed." Phantasma looked worriedly at Mrs Rossi when she Said, "However… The how the 'leak' happened is the main issue…"
Cecelia was confused when she asked, "How?" She then noticed the man from earlier, the one who was looking for the missing girl and boy, and asked, "Um… Did you get caught up in this too, sir?"
Ricky's lips pressed in a line when he stated, "That is an understatement. Tha girls Ah was lookin' for were found dead in the basement of tha building yah live in Ms Fortune." Phantasma gave the seeker a confused look at that last part.
Cecelia was utterly flabbergasted in shock when she got out, "WHAT?! THAT'S TERRIBLE!" She then realised what the man called her before she got out in confusion, "Wait? What did you call me?"
"Mrs Fortune?" Ricky 'corrected' politely, which still confused Phantasma. The Seeker then added with a tilt of the head in 'confusion' when he Stated, "Yahr daughter, Kassyddee, told me that her surname is 'Fortune'. Is that not yahr Surname?"
Baffled, Cecelia got out in confusion, trying to make sense of what's going on, "I-I don't know who you've been talking to… But my daughter's name isn't Cassidy and our surname isn't Fortune."
Ricky manifested an orb with an image of Lila Rossi when he stated, "This teen is tha one who told meh her name was 'Kassyddee Fortune'. Do yah know her?"
Dumbfounded, Cecelia stared wide eyed at the display of magic and then got out in shock, "That's my Lila!" She shook her head before she got out in dismay, "But! There is no way my daughter would lie about who she is!"
Ricky tapped the orb, and it played the entire interaction between him and Lila earlier today.
Cecelia's jaw dropped at what she was seeing and hearing.
Hammering the facts in, Ricky stated in a stern tone, "From what Ah've been told…" He manifested the photo of Alya to show the woman when he added in that same tone, "This teen, Alya, was in tha same class as yah daughter. But as yah heard, Lila told me that she was in a different class and only knew Alya in the hallways." Ricky's tone was unchanging when he asked seriously, "Can yah think of a reason yah daughter would lie about her relation to Alya and about who she is?"
Cecelia was at a loss. A complete and utter loss as to… This! That was when she remembered what this man had said earlier and asked in a baffled tone, "Wait! Please don't tell me that you believe that my Lila! That Lila!" Oh! she couldn't say it.
Ricky dissipated the image of Alia when he stated seriously, "Unfortunately, we don't 'believe', we know. And we have two witnesses who saw the deed." He looked over at the stretchers when he added, "However, yah have ta give one of them some time ta rest."
Cecelia just couldn't understand… THIS! ALL THIS!
That feeling got even worse when she felt something looming over her, both figuratively and literally.
Satan stared down at the woman with eyes a lit with malice, which of course, scared the living daylights out of her. However, The Lord of wrath lowered the 'Heat' as he raised a brow at what he was looking at.
This woman's soul leaned towards the qualities that would allow her to access Heaven after her time on the Mortal Plain was up… That was strange given that her daughter was, well, essentially rotten enough to have guaranteed time in Hell…
Also…
"Huh? This woman doesn't resemble the Over-Summoner at all," Asmodeus stated when they looked over Cecelia Rossi. Sure the physically looked like the annoying being who imprisoned them, but the energy radiating from her was nothing like the Over-Summoner.
Satan looked at the Lord of Lust when he asked, "Are you sure?"
Asmodeus folded their arms when they stated flatly, "Do you really think I would make such a mistake after having to deal with that rotten Over-Summoner?"
Satan did have to admit that the other had a very valid point.
Cecelia had to ask in a befuddled tone, "What!? What are you talking about?!"
Azrael interrupted the moment by saying, "While you do that, I'll be sending an Agent to retrieve the Over-Summoner." They held their flute in the playing position when they added, "Because the last thing we need is for this event to happen again." Azrael then blew into the flute, and played a strangely eerie song.
For some reason, Chat Noir felt one neck of a chill go down his spine at the sound coming from the flute. He then felt the overwhelming presence of something predatory from above and was quick to snap his attention to the rooftops. The other Miraculous Holders seemed to follow as they did the same thing.
There, standing on top of the building that was the closest to where Azrael was standing was a tall figure in black with long silver hair that moved in the soft breeze. The figure then leapt off of the building and landed almost quietly next to the Embodiment of Patience.
The figure was of a tall, thin man of uncertain age. His most noticeable feature is his long silver hair that goes down to his hips and is cut at the front into bangs which obscure his eyes, which were green and had the vibe of someone who has easily killed many people without a care. His face is somewhat gaunt, with visible cheekbones and a triangular dark patch below each eye. He wears a black fedora with a grayish-white hatband. His outfit is a knee length, notched lapel, black trenchcoat with the collar upturned to obscure part of his face and a loose white turtleneck underneath. He wears black trousers and black dress shoes. He was wearing a pair of black gloves. He knelt in front of Azrael when he asked in a somewhat deep, cold, and hard voice, "You called upon me, Lord Azrael?"
The Embodiment of Patience nodded, flute vanishing from their hands, and stated in a calm tone, "Indeed, I did, Silver." Azrael folded their arms when they stated in that same tone, "There is a soul I want you to hunt down and bring to Tartarus."
A smirk crossed this silver-haired man's lips when he got out in an eager tone, "Oh? I take it this soul has been causing a lot of trouble."
Azrael was cold when they stated, "Trouble doesn't even begin to describe the deeds of the Over-Summoner."
Oh, did that catch the silver-haired man's attention as his head shot up to look the Virtue in the eyes when he asked in shock, "The one who has idiotically been Summoning Lord Asmodeus nonstop and ignoring their words?!" When Azrael nodded, Silver was still in shock when he asked, "And the Over-Summoner has been identified?"
The Virtue of Patience's eyes glowed red as they stared at the other. Silver's eyes then glowed red when Azrael stated in that unchanged tone, "This is the Over-Summoner. She is your target."
The silver-haired man raised a brow when he asked in confusion, "A little… Young to have…caused…" The red glow in his eyes faded when he added in a more sure tone, "Not that I actually care about her age, of course. It's just rather bizarre…" Silver then stood up as he folded his arms and stated, "That aside, I'm not complaining if it means I get a chance to 'Hunt Down' someone." Although he seemed to be expecting something to counter his words.
Cecelia could feel her stomach drop at what she heard.
Azrael seemed to smile when they stated, "I figured you would be fine with this task. But as you know, I do have a few rules that you must adhere to."
Silver rolled his eyes at this in an 'I figured as much' manner.
Azrael was oddly calm when they stated, palms brought together in front of their stomach, "Given the nature of this event, we need the Over-Summoner brought to Tartarus alive." Silver nodded, already expecting that order. With that same tone and expression, Azrael then stated, "As usual, I don't want you hurting bystanders." Again silver nodded. Then things were quiet as Kavod trotted up to them before sitting down between them.
Silver raised a brow when he asked inconfusion, "Uh, aren't you going to tell me the other restrictions?"
Oh, did that tell the Miracugroup a few things that they didn't need to know…
Azrael's expression and tone didn't change when they stated, "Well, I do suppose you should try to keep the damage to the environment to a minimum."
Things were quiet yet again before Silver got out in an uncertain tone, "Okay… Any more restrictions?"
Azrael remained the same when they stated, "I believe that should be all."
Silver was officially baffled when he got out in shock, "Wait? Just those three?!"
The Miraculous Heroes glanced at each other as they wondered what those words really meant.
A cold smile crossed Azrael's lips when they stated in that same calm tone, "Yes, just those three." Their eyes glowed red when they added, "Here's the reason for those orders."
Silver's cold green eyes glowed red, apparently receiving the information. Of course, he was taken aback by what he had learned. Slowly, a sinister smirk spread across Silver's face as an evil gleam sparkled in his eyes.
Yikes! He looked downright scary!
Silver was almost giddy with excitement when he got out in almost a sinister joy, "Oh, so that's why~. Hehehe! This is going to be so much fun!" Wait! Did he have those claws before?
Azrael glanced at Kavod when they stated, "I will be counting on you to make sure he doesn't go overboard." The dog-shaped being nodded at that.
"Hey!" Silver retorted, somewhat snapping back to normal.
Kavod gave the long-haired man a flat expression. Silver's cheeks turned a nice shade of pink as he avoided the gaze of the dog-shaped being.
Hmm, that felt like a dynamic to the Miracugroup.
Azrael's eyes glowed red again when they added, "Here are some forms for you to use if you wish to be particularly creative."
Again, Silver's eyes glowed red as he 'received' these powers. The long-haired man raised a brow at the 'forms' he was given and asked as the glow faded, "Uh… Excuse me if I'm being rude but, the… Uh, 'targets' of the Over-Summoner… Are they…" Silver didn't seem to want to finish that sentence. Whether it be for some morality or just general surprise was a mystery to the Miracugroup.
Azrael understood the uneasiness from the other when they stated in a serious tone, "Yes, they are also teenagers. And, yes, she wanted to make the girl 'suffer a great deal' and essentially make the boy a will-less, obedient love slave to wait on her every whim." You could practically hear the disdain in the Virtue of Patience voice when they spoke that second sentence.
"Ew," was Silver's immediate response to that as Kavod shuttered in uneasiness. The long-haired man couldn't help but add, "Then I can assume that you're fine with me inflicting pain on the Over-Summoner, right?" The way Silver spoke, it was as if he was testing the waters on what he was allowed to do.
Oh, did Cecelia go pale at… All this…
Azrael was clear when they stated calmly, "As long as you bring her in alive and nowhere close to dying, you may do as you wish to her."
Oh… Was THAT scary as hell!
Wait?
Why is Azrael wearing red? Weren't they wearing green just seconds ago?
Azrael's forest green shirt was now mellow red, their emerald green vest was now ruby red, the forest green slacks were also mellow red, the emerald green boots were also ruby red, then their jade green hair had turned jade red, and lastly, their jade green eyes turned jade red.
Ladybug couldn't help but think, 'Oh… Something tells me that the change to their colour palette isn't a fashion choice…' She felt better and was able to sense the… Rather potent energy coming from the Virtue of Patience.
Azrael brushed their hair with their right hand and let it hang off their palm when they stated, "Silver, Kavod, both of you must start on this task now, but as long as the Over-Summoner is brought to Tartarus in the end, you may take your time and have your fun."
Oh! The aura from Silver and Kavod was even scarier than before! And what was scarier was the fact that the Miracugroup didn't feel bad about this aura being directed at Lila… Well she did deserve it after everything she did.
But…
Why were these two under a Virtue when the long-haired one seemed so sadistic?! There had to be a reason behind that!
That was when Ladybug noticed Azrael's shadow and her eyes went wide. Chat Noir noticed his partner's expression and followed her gaze before he shared the same look. The other Miraculous Holders followed suit and were also taken aback at what they were seeing.
Both Silver and Kavod gave Azrael a bow before they vanished from immediate sight. With those two gone, the shadow only stood out more.
The way Azrael posed themself, even with their hair, caused the shadow casted to look like a silhouette of a Grim Reaper holding a scythe. Suddenly, a pair of red eyes shot open on the shadow where its head Would be, and Azrael's eyes were glowing that same shade of blood red.
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To be continued.
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Gale-Dragon: What? Did you all really think that I was going to keep Alya and Kathryn dead? That's dark even for me. Besides, I already had Kathryn's part for a while and I am happy to finally incorporate it into this story !
And as for Lila…
Let the game of cat, dog, and liar begin! In the next chapter !
And some further explanations regarding some of the lore mentioned in this chapter.
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