How clear, how lovely bright,
How beautiful to sight
Those beams of morning play;
How heaven laughs out with glee
Where, like a bird set free,
Up from the eastern sea
Soars the delightful day.
To-day I shall be strong,
No more shall yield to wrong,
Shall squander life no more;
Days lost, I know not how,
I shall retrieve them now;
Now I shall keep the vow
I never kept before.
Ensanguining the skies
How heavily it dies
Into the west away;
Past touch and sight and sound
Not further to be found,
How hopeless under ground
Falls the remorseful day.
Not recommended for people under 14-years old. Distrubing images, frightening scenes, suggestive reference, flashy images and violent contents. You have been warned. We are not responsible for any negative reaction.
???: How horrible... I haven't estimate the scale of destruction...
With her gaze scanning between the burning fire that swallowed Celestia's body for good, a young woman with a pair of pink eyes. She stood in front of several clowns behind her. Those clowns were all wearing mask, and so did the young girl. Her mask was composed by two layers. One layer was a black plastic mask, and another... was in fact, her own skin. If you see her clearly, her face looked like rubber, hinting that it was just another mask to hide her true form.
???: Oh, I hate it so much when I have to take form as my younger appearance, but things seems not going well because of the blood of that Firenza Junior. If it wasn't for Michael Langdon, I would probably went on hiding and continue to live as a hermit... but now, I need to find my sister and my beloved....
The girl didn't finished. She then sighed when all of a sudden, some flashback occured inside her mind. Burning streets and houses, aggresive soldiers and police... Then, she opened her eyes as soon as her mind wandered to a place outside of the town inside her mind... and it laid on a sign which now turned into a rubble of twisted metal lying beside smothering ashes. Although, some words can still be visible.
???: Sleepy Hollow... my home...
Clown: Uh, Ringmistress...
The girl, whom one of the many clowns referred as the Ringmistress, turned her back to look at the situation. She saw a masked clown with green hair running towards her.
Ringmistress: What is it, Alfonso? Is people in the town being evacuated to the safety zone of Arzonia Family?
The Ringmistress crossed her arms like a calm and sophisticated young lady. The clown named Alfonso stood in front of her while trying to catch his breath.
Alfonso: Ringmistress, the evacuation is still ongoing, but we managed to save 1,000 people from the explosion. When Catholic Rebels asked who we are, we immediately ran away.
The Ringmistress nodded in a complimenting smile. Suddenly, she heard a scream not far away, and she turned her head to the right side. Then, she saw a young girl in her own age being pushed down from the edge of the roof by a soldier of KnightWalker Family. The Ringmistress' smile disappeared, and she immediately rushed to the edge as well, with a panicked face.
Ringmistress: NO!
The Ringmistress immediately grabbed a chalk from her own pocket and drew a straight line in the air - which really turned into a straight white thread which connected to the sky. The Ringmistress then grabbed the thread and leaped to the girl, extending her arm.
Ringmistress: I got you!
The Ringmistress successfully grabbed the arm of the girl and they landed safely on the ground, near Katya and the Witch Cult. However, the girl already passed out because of her shock.
Katya: Who is that?
The Ringmistress gently put the girl in her arm on the ground, and she swiftly looked at the building above her. Her clowns already subdued that soldier of the KnightWalker Family.
Ringmistress: کارت خوب بود! او را زنده نگه دار، پسران! من باید مجسمه موم جدید خود را برای ساخت موزه جدید خود بسازم. (Persian: Nice work! Keep him alive, boys! I need to make him a new wax statue to furnish my new museum.)
With a sadistic streak forming between her gaze, the Ringmistress spoke in Persian language to her clowns, which all of them seemed to understand with no confusion at all. Then, the Ringmistress turned her head away to the Witch Cult members coming towards her, as the clowns took the KnightWalker soldier away.
Katya: Persian?
Surprised, Katya was curious about the girl's Persian language, and she never saw this girl before. The Ringmistress gently pressed the edge of her hat. Her hat was in French style like a mustkeer.
Ringmistress: Well, I have a family member who has Persian and French blood, and people often called him "the Persian". I guess the concept of language itself is one the most fantastic materials for the Heaven's artitian. Well, don't you think so, Mad Moiselle, that the art has many forms to go?
"....................................."
The Ringmistress spoke in a vintage French accent as if she was from a medieval French aristocrat family, but it souned very polite. It was almost like singing since she spoke each sentence which ended in rhymes.
Noticing this so-called Ringmistress was speaking in rhymes, as if she was singing. Katya widened her eyes in curiosity. Then, she noticed that the Ringmistress mentioned "art". She the looked at the clowns who had just coming down the building with their prisoner. Valnir, on the other hand, seemed to be curious about this young lady,
Katya: So you're an artist, aren't you? Those clowns are your goons?
Ringmistress: That's right... or maybe I'll be more glad if you say they're my family, after all. However, I'm now a running artist without a home, wandering around and helping people out from this hellish pit of doom. This should never be called as beauty, as long as there is still tragedy.
Katya and Gaius looked at each other with drops of sweat... No doubt that some of the legendary artists are quirky and weird people, like Salvador Dalí. Speaking in rhymes as if it was her own habit, the Ringmistress then looked around with sadness. She saw smoke and fire all around, and sighed in grief. Even so, she had to make up a smile on her face, which made things even harsher.
Ringmistress: Swearing my fealty to an old secret council of magic, I once had many friends, but the outcome eventually turned tragic. Now, they went into hiding after our town was destroyed and our existence were exposed, probably because of some certain circumstances like burnt toast... Now, we're a group of fugitive circus to fight against the KnightWalker Alliance. I now only have my circus left, and my adoptive sister and my boyfriend both went missing... I'm now looking for all of my friends.
Valnir: Where did you come from?
The Ringmistress closed her eyes as she pressed her mask harder. As the girl's smile faded, Katya noticed that the entire face of Ringmistress was a mask made of rubber. She attempted to ask about the mask, but she immediately held back when the Ringmistress gave her answer.
The Ringmistress: The town of Sleepy Hollow, New York, the United States...
Shinya: Very rarely do we see you come out and fight, Guinevere, but you did a great job. You stalled the pace of Witch Cult and allowed us to retreat. His Holiness will be pleased.
Shinya looked up into the sky and the smoke that filled it. The smoke was from a large censer in a shape of a beast. It was in the shape of Suanni (狻猊), a mythical beast that is one of the nine spawns of Chinese dragons. The beast named Suanni has a symbolization of king of beasts. In China, its shape was often used for the censer and decoration of Buddhism temple.
Guinevere: Don't thank me. Thank Kouko. She made Mother Superior to release me from my long time of solitude and training. Without her help, I guess we'll all become decorations for Helene Hawthorn's museum.
Guinevere then raised her sword and glared at the smoke. Inside her vision, the smoke started to gather, forming the face of Helene. In a fit of rage, Guinevere cut off the smoke in half.
Guinevere: I thought the Order of Flourish had gone completely quiet, since we never heard from them ever since the purge inside Sleepy Hollow... but it's not for Helene. Recently, some soldiers from the KnightWalker Family, Novosic Kingdom, Godom Empire as well as the New USSR disappeared without a trace, and now I know where they go.
While speaking, Guinevere put down her sword and took a deep, deep breath.
Guinevere: They were turned into art by that Helene Hawthorn, thus leaving absolutely no bodies behind. She differs from any other foes I encountered before... Instead of mutilating her enemies or gunning them down, she turned them into art. Her method that combined war with art, as well as that obsession... made her seems utterly dangerous. It also makes me feel sick.
Kouko then took a look at the censer beside her. It kept releasing smoke from its mouth, and it made the whole temple much more foggy. She then turned to Guinevere and looked at her in worry.
Kouko: You mentioned yourself, Guinevere, that Helene Hawthorn is a host to Supreme Croatoan Form, and she is Highly Merged. It can be quite a problem for us since we're yet to create the Supreme Croatoan Virus for our own army... yet to.
Angrily, Guinevere bit her lips and closed her eyes. She began to recall all of those fight she had with Helene, dealing with that abstract art of Supreme Croatoan. It wasn't really a good experience fighting against a former mage of the Order of Flourish.
Guinevere: Don't worry. I know her weak point. Remember what Mother Superior said? The host of Supreme Croatoan Virus needs the Blackness to enhance their power. Therefore, they can consume some certain amount of the Blackness without being fully infected, since the Supreme Croatoan Virus had consumed and transformed them into energy. However, if they consume too much of the Blackness, then the Blackness would devour the Supreme Croatoan instead, turning them into Black Demons...
Guinevere spoke in a serious and calm tone. She seemed to know well how Supreme Croatoan Virus works, but it cannot hide a confident grin on her face.
Guinevere: The Holy Artifacts are another solution. Croatoan Virus is a demoNic virus after all, and holy spells and artifacts can really deal some damage to her. Therefore, guys, it's not too late to deal with Helene...
- Guinevere: ... and I know exactly how do we need to do to turn the table.
Shinya: You mean, we use Firenza Junior's blood to deal with her? We just used a syringe on Biagio Busoni and turned him into a savage monster, and now there're only five syringe left. We can't use more if we're fruitless in mass producing Supreme Croatoan...
Shinya seemed worried about Guinevere's plans, but Guinevere didn't seem to panic. She only gave a grin of confidence to Shinya.
Guinevere: Wait, Shinya, you... I thought you mentioned "Biagio Busoni".
Shinya crossed her arms and stared at Guinevere.
Shinya: Because I did.
Guinevere then rolled her eyes and then, as if there was a light bulb illuminated on her head, Guinevere smiled in relief.
Kouko: What is it, Guinevere?
Guinevere: I have a plan to kill two birds in one stone, unless Helene is restrained herself enough to buy it. I'll send Biagio Busoni, in his demonic form, into the wild, and I'll make Helene injure Biagio... It's almost impossible for Helene to use her magic without injuring him first... Are you listening, Nio Hashiri!?
Paused all of a sudden, Guinevere then took a bit of glance at Nio Hashiri not far away, who was typing a message which said "Everyone ignores me today" to someone known as "Hyena". The message was yet to send out since it was yet to finished.
Guinevere: "Hyena"? How interesting.
Feeling utterly helpless, Guinevere can't help herself from chuckling and decided to leave. However, prior to Guinevere could do such, Nio's vision swept on the grinning face of Guinevere. Then, Nio turned back to face her phone and typed the following words below...
Nio: (message) "Worse, you are grinning right beside me with little to no reason, Guinevere, you hideous Hyena."
Shocked, Guinevere can't believe her eyes when she saw Nio typed those above. Stopped grinning, she immediately stared at the phone number to the person who would received Nio's message.
Guinevere: (think) * MY phone number!? *
With her face swelled up and heated up, turning as red as a tomato, Guinevere immediately took a deep breath and shouted out.
Guinevere: NIO! YOU DARE TO CALL ME A FRIGGING HYENA!?
Nio was so shocked that she dropped the phone in her hand, but she quickly bowed down to catch it. She took five seconds in desperation to catch her phone, but she eventually fetched it.
Nio: Ahh... What the hell...
Nio held the phone in her hand when she almost crouched on the ground. Sighed in relief, Nio looked at Guinevere in an angry glare.
Nio: Shoot, Guinevere! You scared the heck out of me! It's never funny!
Guinevere merely crossed her arm in dissatisfaction and anger. She kept stepping the floor lightly in a face of impatience.
Guinevere: Speak for yourself, Nio. We're now having a serious meeting for any solutions in case that Helene Hawthorn come to us along with Arzonia and her allies! Now, Celestia is gone and Esther is imprisoned, no thanks to you or your petty plans!
Nio let out a cough and tipped her toes. Guinevere was noticeably taller than Nio, so the latter had to tip toes to look straight into her eyes. However, Nio can't stand still while in tipped toes, so she immediately carried a wooden box. She stepped on the box and stood in front of Guinevere, face to face. Guinevere just looked at her in a dead fish eye.
Nio: That's more like it!
Guinevere: Having a Napoleon Complex, huh?
Guinevere scoffed with a grin. Like any other members with the name of Arzonia, including Maria, Guinevere is fond of sarcasm and is really good at it. Her words make everyone laughed out loud except for Nio. Nio shook her head and bit her lips.
Nio: Dammit! Stop making fun of me! Anyway, I instigated the plan and made Esther destroy Kiev! I made the Arzonia Family into London to save Abel, but I lied about the location. It'll make their efforts in finding Abel fruitless. What else did you do, Guinevere? You were just there to take care of the Witch Cult and Helene Hawthorn, but you let them escaped! Listen, I don't care about your further plans, but never forget that I gave you a chance to get into the city! Therefore, even you don't show gratitute to my efforts, at least show it your respect.
Guinevere then chuckled and swayed her head in a casual manner, but then her face turned more and more menacing.
Guinevere: Well, well, well, I forgot about our best MVP today! However... at least if I were you, I'll kill the parents of Carl Robinson myself... instead of forcing Maria Arzonia to do the job. I'll be more careful on the corpses. That's how Carl escaped... He hid himself inside corpses and went away. Look at what that brought us.
Guinevere then walked closer towards Nio, as her face turned more and more menacing. Her tip of nose touched Nio's tip of nose, and Nio suddenly shivered in fear. She felt Guinevere breathed cold air out of her sinister, harsh and callous tone. Shinya and Kouko seemed to be disturbed by Guinevere. In fact, in spite of not being savage as Nio, Guinevere is arguably more dangerous and devious.
Guinevere: Unlike those three petty and hateful bastards who only cares about money, I have standards. They are criminals, but I'm not. I'm a fundamentalist. If you make me to destroy that town's population, I'll be glad to do so, but you invited them to burn down a whole town... That's what pissed me off.
Guinevere then stepped back from Nio, and Nio seemed to relent, but Guinevere still retained her disturbing face full of callousness.
Guinevere: I can do it alone, and it doesn't need fire. I'll kill them all quietly and neatly... and no one in their will discover what will happen until the next dawn. People will lie inside a quiet ghost town of dead silence, so quiet that you can even hear the sound of needle dropping on the ground... I won't give them a chance to speak their final word, and I don't want to take pride in it. Taking too much enjoyment and pride in a murder would be a waste of time, Nio, don't you think? If I were you, I'll take down Abel Nightroad so that no one would ever noticed, and we can still have both Celestia and Esther inside our thumb. Don't you think?
Nio then nodded in a face of fear. At this moment, Guinevere finally relented and sighed with a smile.
Nio: Okay, I admit that you'll do better than me if you're in charge of it.
Guinevere smiled and lifted her head in compliment.
Guinevere: Therefore, you conclusion?
Nio then let out a grin and chuckle.
Nio: Very well, guys... If we win this war, all credits shall go to me since I messed those men up and drives them into a trap!
Hearing Nio's words and was shocked, Guinevere's smile faded and immediately face-palmed in sheer frustration, like what Maria would usually do. She thought Nio would be more modest after Guinevere threatened her.
Guinevere: Ah, so disappointing...
Nio: Let's be more realistic, pal. You might do better than me, but remember, mud is mud. I destroyed the city, not you, Guinevere. Your sister will be butchered by you. That's the only privilege I give you as a reward.
Offended, Guinevere clenched her fists and looked at Nio with death glare, as if she wanted to rip Nio apart in any minute. Other Langdon Orphans looked at each other with dead fish eyes as soon as they heard Nio's sinister and prideful proclamation, and they looked at Nio again, who let out a mischievous grin.
Nio: Now, why don't we get into practice right now? Who will take the credit if we win?
Crossing her arms, Nio smiled at her colleagues and anticipated their answer. However, much to her big surprise, they only answered her in a weak voice.
Orphans: Nio...
Hearing such a weak voice, Nio was confused and dissatisfied, and therefore, she turned into an angry tone.
Nio: Such a weak voice...
Feeling utterly ignored and humiliated, Nio almost immediately bursted into a low bellow.
Nio: Then, who shall take the blame if we lost the war?
Much to Nio's shock, now all of the other Orphans - including Guinevere - turned their head to Nio, glaring at her and shouting out in fury.
Orphans: NIO!!!
Shocked, Nio stumbled back because of such a loud roar, but soon she regained her composure, and she peered at other Orphans maliciously. She pressed the anger inside her.
Nio: All righty, I guess I'll teach you a lesson... as soon as this battle is over!
Seth: Oh, man, the United Kingdom seemed far worse ever since that coup raised by that deposed Princess Carissa. What the Hell had happened in here?
Looking at the streets with rubbish and ashes all the way on the street, while holding a little sparrow on her finger, Seth looked at the entire scene in dismay. Beside her, Maria closed her eyes and sighed.
Maria: Esther...
Maria then slammed her fist fiercely against the wall in rage, and her eyes was nearly popped out due to sheer rage. She then smashed her phone against the ground, although it is strong enough to withstand such a force.
Maria: That little creep Nio... Don't make me meet her face to face! Or I'll tear her apart with my bare hands!
For the very first time, Matt heard Maria outright declare that she'll tear some human apart, but it's still justified as Matt knew that Nio was behind almost everything in the past that influenced the current time of Carl's life... and he possibly would blame Maria for it. That made her torn.
First, Nio made Carl's friends brutalized and burnt down by hiring the notorious Arzonia Brothers and other gangsters from Mafusa Gang. Second, she was responsible for the death of Carl's parents, since she was the client of Arzonia Brothers, who forced Maria to kill Carl's parents. Third, because of the second reason, Carl had shown contempt and distrust to Maria, which was manipulated by Nio to making everyone betraying her. The lucky thing was, nearly everyone knew that Maria was actually a pawn.
Soon, Maria calmed herself down successfully. Even so, another kind of problem started to occur. Maria was now drenched completely in guilt and sadness. She once wished that the boy, who turned out to be Carl, to live happily ever after, since she couldn't do anything to help him.
Maria: Carl... I'll save you from the current situations... Justice may be late, but it'll never be absent... If I can't save you...
A drop of began to stream down from Maria's cheeks. She leaned towards the wall beside her and started to mumble in despair. Sumireko, Matt, Acqua and Magilou all went to comfort her, as she was still mumbling.
Maria: If I can't save you... At least, I want to...
Maria then started to mumble something in a visage full of regrets, but it was apparent that she was trying to hold back her tears. It was not a loud cry. For now, Maria was trying to control her own feelings as she knew she had to maintain calm to the entire situation.
Sumireko: Maria, as long as we tell Carl about the entire truth of his parents' murder, he'll know it and he'll forgive you.
With sorrow, Maria sighed and didn't answer, but she then heard a strange noise behind her and immediately turned back.
Maria: Ah, Yuri Barnes and others must be here.
Maria pulled herself together as she looked at the portal, before she saw a woman with blue hair walked out of the room. It was Katya, the leader of the Witch Cult. She was mildly surprised when she saw this woman, as she never saw this woman before. However, her institution told her that this must be one with the mysterious Witch Cult, with one of those people as Gaius Phoenix, the one she already met in Switzerland. She then silently watched people come out one by one after Katya, but she was surprised when she saw Esther coming out of the portal, with Ivy following her.
Maria: E-Esther?
Maria immediately went to Yuri Barnes, but she kept her eyes on Esther. She was worried that Esther was still in her berserk state, but fortunately, she was fine for now. Esther avoided eye contact with Maria, feared and ashamed.
Maria: Yuri, what happened?
Yuri stopped and turned back to Esther, looking at her as Esther lowed down her head in shame. Her face was covered in pinkish hue because of all of the shame inside her because of her own conscience.
Yuri: It's a long story to tell.
Yuri then told Maria about what happened in the base of Russian Resistance Headquarters as well as all those crimes Nio made Esther to do. He also told the Water Spirit that Noelle is currently possessed that can manipulate the Water of Life. As Yuri was saying, Maria was so surprised that she looked at Noelle, who spoke nothing but smiling at her.
Maria: The Water of Life. Esther's atonement.
Maria fell into thoughts for a little bit, but then, when she saw Katya, Valnir and Gaius standing beside Yuri, she immediately widened her eyes. She was so concerned with Esther that she forgot there were new guys in the house.
Maria: Oh, where're my manners? You must be the people from the Witch Cult. I heard you from Mr. Gaius Phoenix there. Nice to meet you all. My name is Maria Arzonia. Thank you for saving my dear friend Patriach Krans' life, and I won't forget it.
Taking off her gloves, Maria extended her hands and was about to shake hands with Katya. As soon as she saw Maria's hands, Katya looked at Maria with her eyes widened. What she saw was a scarred hand with scars left with scorch, indicating that how much ordeals this girl had endured. However, the scars then disappeared and Maria's skin was just like normal humans.
Katya: (think) * ............. Was it just me? *
What surprised Katya was not just that. There's also the way Maria greeted people she first met. She never expected that Maria was so blunt but polite, as she once thought she was some haughty human who jeers on magicians. She then shook Maria's hand with a surprised face.
Katya: Um, yes, my name is Katya, and I'm here to represent the group that seals this alliance for now. This is Gaius Phoenix, and you know him. This is Valnir...
As Katya making introductions to Maria, Maria went to Valnir and Gaius and shook their hands warmly, like a child meeting new friends.
Maria: How do you do? How do you do?
People looked at Maria's cheerful look from the other side. Now, they were safe as they were near Buckingham Palace. Seth then looked at the sky in 45 degrees, with a sigh on her face as she watched birds flying in the blue sky. Who knows if this blue sky would be covered by ashes of war one day?
Seth: I hope Matt is all right. We can call the Church of England and Scotland Yard, warning them about Melancholia's threat. I hope they can help us.
For now, Matt used Seth's motorcycle to St. George's Cathedral as soon as possible. He was asking the Church of England to give reinforcements. Now, he's the only one in Catholic Rebels that have the direct connections with the Church of England. Seth then closed her eyes and thought about all those days when she, Abel and Cain are children.
Maria: What? Melancholia is more than 2,000 years old!?
All of a sudden, Maria let out a loud scream due to surprise, which shocked Acqua, Aureolus, Vento, Magilou, Sumireko, Adam, Eva and Krans beside her. Seth was shocked as well, so shocked that she immediately snapped out of her memories. Now, Maria was conversing with Katya, when the latter told her what Celestia informed them all. Since they already knew the truth, Esther, Yuri, Ivy, Misha, Tres, Villian and the Witch Cult seemed not that surprised, but they still gulped when they thought about Melancholia's true age.
Maria: That's... incomprehensible...
Maria looked around and widened her eyes in horror, before she stepped back in order to calm herself down. She imagined Melancholia might be just a middle-aged woman in a young woman's face, judging by her demeanor and the way she talked. She never expected that Melancholia was 2,000 years old.
Gaius: Older than any of us here.
Gaius does make a point there. As we already knew from some information, Gaius Phoenix is a man who lives very long, more than 1,000 years old till now. Therefore, he's the oldest person who is presented in the current place, but even that span of life lost to Melancholia. Maria then took a deep breath before she continued to look at Katya. Katya's face was stern. She wasn't joking at all.
Maria: Krans and Gaius told us that... that... that Melancholia is working with a powerful and ancient demon to bring Firenza Junior's blood terror. A demon king, that is believed to be the source of all evil, works with Melancholia for some kind of reason...
Katya closed her eyes in her stern face, but then she was more relented.
Katya: No just working. According to Celestia, they knew each other, and Melancholia knew about the demon king's true face as well, hinting that they met face to face once and are companions. I sensed no lies in Celestia's words. She must want to threaten us when she revealed so.
Valnir, who remained silent till now, began to speak He walked to Maria and opened his eyes with a face of seriousness and menance. He seemed displeased and reluctant to make the Witch Cult joined such a mess, which was supposed to be handled by Arzonia Family.
Valnir: Well, Ms. Arzonia, forgive me with my blunt attitude, but you've just attack a hornet hive. Now, we're all involved into such trouble because of such a revalation.
The Witch Cult members are good people, indeed. However, they can act arrogant at times and only focus on their own problems. They felt like being meddled when the Arzonia Family and Russian Resistance made them to join the cause of fighting against Michael Langdon and his forces inside the currently possessed Catholic Church, which they believed not to be their own business.
Maria: I'm sorry to let you involved into this, Mr. Valnir, and everyone from the Witch Cult. I have little to no knowledge of your existence until now. However, since now the reason behind Melancholia's actions with that demon leader you fought against was revealed, I guess she has a lot more secrets hiding inside her. She knows something that we don't know, which makes her a lot more dangerous.
Valnir: Not at all. I guess this is a classic win-win situation. We help you and we help ourselves. After this battle, I guess we'll part our ways.
Valnir made a compromise for a reason. In spite of the Witch Cult's conservative nature, which will make them all refuse to work with Arzonia, the revelation of Melancholia's true age and her relationships with that demon king... whom they called as the Astaroth King... made them felt obliged to help out. If Melancholia wasn't stopped by them, then the whole world will be swallowed by the force they're fighting against... through Melancholia and Michael's plans.
Maria: Don't worry. When Melancholia and her forces are down, I and my group will handle Michael, while you deal with those demon forces. I believe there's some relations, and I'll seek it out. For now, we're on the same boat. That's why we asked you for help.
Letting out a sigh, Katya let out a helpless smile. Judging by her nature, she won't accept such a invitation for a partnership, but now since Melancholia was related to Astaroth King's cause, no matter what the reason is, she felt obliged to stop it.
Katya: If Melancholia really lives that long, she must know about the Witch Cult's existence, and I believe we'll be the next targets of hers... even if we don't involve with her.
As they were talking, Princess Villian was seen with Esther, as she were asking Esther about something. Esther's words made Villian utterly surprised, and she immediately turned back to look at Maria.
Villian: Maria!
Maria and Katya immediately turned their head to Villian, as the latter walked towards them, with a paper in their hand.
Villian: Esther told us everything. She said that Nio told her about Cain Knightlord - also known as Cain Nightroad and Aleister Crowley - are now heading towards the "London's lion tooth", alongside Carl... and she didn't know what it means.
Maria, Katya and Villian all looked at each other with bewilderment, while Matt and others all approached them with curiosity. Maria was surprised that she heard the name Carl, but the she and others were overwhelmed by the riddle's confusion.
Matt: Has anyone says "lion"?
People all looked at Esther, who stood not far away alone, with a depressed expression on her face.
Esther: Nio told me that it'll be Cain's next move. I don't know where it is.
???: It is Parliament.
All of a sudden, everyone heard the voice of a woman talking, but it was not someone she knew. It was a deep and matured voice. Maria turned to Ivy, who shook her head, meaning it wasn't her.
???: Here, right behind you guys.
Everyone heard the voice again and turned back. They saw a black-haired woman with ivory skin and red lips. The woman was wearing a pair glasses and dressed in a dark black royal dress, looking at Maria with a smile.
???: I'm a bit of disappointed, Arzonia, but let's not talk about it now. The lion's tooth is the heart of Parliament... Palace of Westminster. I guess you don't know about England's symbol after all.
Maria was very surprised to see this woman, but what was more surprising was that she was able to figure out the riddle very fast.
Maria: England's symbol... It's a lion.
Maria widened her eyes and then slapped her own forehead with a sigh. People around her, with the exception of Villian, all looked at this black-haired woman with curiosity.
Maria: Ah, dang it! Parliament! The Palace of Winchester! I should have realize it sooner!
Villian: Maria, it's still not too late.
With a sigh, Villian approached the black-haired woman and smiled at her. It was apparent that they knew each other all along.
Villian: Long time no see, Rimea.
Rimea smiled at Villian as the latter opened her arms and hugged deeply with her elder sister.
Rimea: Well, sister, I guess that's, um, quite enough...
Rimea then separated with Villian and looked at the guests in front of her. Maria stepped forward and bowed at the eldest princess with respect.
Maria: Your Highness, allow me to introduce myself...
Rimea: There's no need, Ms. Arzonia. For half of London, you're hero; for the other half, your infamy has proceeds you. Archbishop Laura ordered us to keep an eye on you.
Rimea interrupted Maria and narrowed her gaze, as she started to look at Maria with some sort of hostility and menace.
Maria: Uh?
Rimea then gave a confused look to Acqua of the Back, who was also standing on the side of Arzonia's Family. Acqua didn't show any confusion, unlike Maria. It was apparent that she wasn't satisfied.
Rimea: William Orwell... No, Acqua of the Back, I suppose?
As Rimea raised her hand, a man with brown hair and blue armor walked out with several redcoat guards of Buckingham Palace. It was the Knight Leader. He once participated Carissa's coup during the previous English Civil War, but he ended up defeated by Acqua and defected to the side of regents and Anglican Church.
Knight Leader: Long time no see, old friend. I wondered how and why you would assist some woman... who nearly burned you at stake.
The Knight Leader kept a friendly smile when he asked Acqua some questions, but people were all astonished and looked at Maria, before they looked at Acqua. Neither of them spoke a single word, but Maria was clenching her fists. She was quivering.
Villian: There's nothing to do with her, sister!
Villian quickly reacted by rushing towards Maria, and she stood in front of her in shock.
Villian: As we later investigated, Arzonia was under the control of Eckidina KnightWalker, who forced her to become a Cyborg! She didn't do this in her free will! Besides, she saved us all in the end!
Rimea shook her head and sighed. She didn't show any change of her attitude, though. She then pushed her glasses and peered at Maria with alert, as if the latter was some kind of monster.
Rimea: Villian, you're immature. I regret to tell you that even though I forgive her, many Londoners still condemns her as a killer. She's not a Protestant, after all. Besides, I need to tell you that not everyone is oblivious from Carl's tragedy. I heard him crying in the dark and start cursing the girl named Maria Arzonia who killed his parents out of cold blood. I kept silent on this since I don't want to hurt him.
Rimea's words made people all reacted in surprise, Before Rimea could finish, Esther suddenly stepped out and widened her gaze.
Esther: No! It's not like that!
Esther raised her voice and tried to defend Maria, but when she stepped out, the Knight Leader was apalled and immediately raised his arm. Two towering guards walked out and blocked Esther's way. There's no way to make her progress. Rimea then walked passed by the guards and went much closer to Esther. Maria was shocked and went one step forward, but Vento blocked her way. She looked at Maria and shook her head. Stopped, Maria gulped and glared at Rimea, as the latter began to stare at Esther, as if she was some kind of monster.
Rimea: Esther Blanchett? And this is...
Rimea then scanned everyone in front of her until her vision laid on the sight of Sumireko Hanabusa, who was standing right behind Maria, defending her. Rimea then let out a sacarstic grin and applauded, much to everyone's surprise.
Rimea: Sumireko Hanabusa... Hmm, one more crime you have committed, Arzonia... Colluding with Langdon Orphans.... Arzonia, you really impressed me for being such a double agent. Your punishment will be severe. I can't believe that Matt Butcher would invite a helper who should receive death penalty!
Rimea's words was so hurting that it immediately caused the rage outbursted from the side of Maria. Valnir raised his staff at Rimea's arrogant attitude, while Adam and Eva prepare to do so as well. Katya immediately blocked them, but it was too late. Rimea sniffed in dissatisfaction and made a fingersnap. Several guards had come out of the palace and surrounded Maria and her group instantly.
Valnir: You little...
Villian: Sister, no!
Villian immediately stepped in front of Esther and faced her elder sister. She was holding a gun in her hand, and tears began to roll down from her cheek.
Rimea: Sister, what do you think you're doing? YOU JUST BROUGHT REGICIDE IN FRONT OF OUR COURTYARD!
Villian: Before you draw conclusions, take a look! She needs our help!
Rimea: What?
Alerted by Villian's words, Rimea then turned to Esther, who looked at the ground, but Rimea could see Esther's eyes, which were surrounded by black veins. Esther closed her eyes and started to mumber something in pain.
Esther: No... I mustn't... mustn't...
Rimea was confused by Esther's conditions, and she looked at Villian.
Rimea: She doesn't seem quite well. What happened?
Before Villian could reply, Katya looked at Villian and started to speak in a calm voice.
Katya: Your Highness, calm down. I know that this is a time of danger, but listen to us. Carl Robinson was captured by Michael Langdon, who used the former's accursed blood to create deadly weapons, which Melancholia - his most trusted minion - would use to against this city. I know what kind of substance it is, and now Esther is infected by the blood twice.
Katya then looked at Gaius Phoenix. Gaius then stepped forward and finished Katya's words.
Gaius: Nio Hashiri used her as a puppet, but she defected to our side. As for what you said about Carl Robinson's parents, it was all the schemes of Nio and Arzonia Brothers. Maria was coerced. It's our words of honor.
Maria then covered her face in a smile of gratitude. She was unexpected that Gaius and Katya, two people she never knew before, would erase such a misunderstanding for her.
Gaius: This is true. Cardinal Antonio Borgia had gave in all the information to us, and as far as we know, they'll choose London as their place to attack, since it was the home of Carl Robinson, who was now filled with hatred and thirst for retribution. We need to find a cure while fighting against Melancholia's enemies. If you arrest them, then that's what our true enemies want.
Rimea and the Knight Leader kept silent when they were listening to Gaius' words, and Gaius then closed his eyes and sighed.
Gaius: We saw the consequences in Kiev with our own eyes. If you don't take actions, what happened on Russian Orthodox Church would happen on the Church of England as well, maybe even worse. We're the Witch Cult. We know this very well.
The term Witch Cult made Rimea immediately rose her eyebrows. She then took a deep breath, as if she was impressed all of a sudden. Then, clenching her teeth, Rimea then shook her head in dismay and raised her hand.
Rimea: Dismissed.
The Knight Leader bowed and stepped back, along with his guards, though he still looked at Maria with hospitality. Putting her gun down, Villian was relieved when the confrontation was over.
Esther: That was close...
Esther had a painful expression on her face. It was apparent that how hard she tried to push the murder instinct inside her down beneath her mind.
Villian: I hope you don't mind, Maria. My sister is a good woman. She's just... rather unsocial.
Maria nodded in a calm face. She still had a bad feeling, but for now, everything seemed fine. Rimea then narrowed her gaze and bit her lips. She then changed the topic to avoid embarrassment.
Rimea: Villian, you need to go to St. George's Cathedral. Without your permission, even Matt Butcher cannot reach the Archbishop. Did you forget? He's so stupid trying to reach her alone. You guard her to the place. I'll follow you later on, sister.
The Knight Leader then turned back and went to Villian, who followed them out of the courtyard. Villian had to follow them, but when she passed by Maria, she whispered to her.
Villian: Good luck, everyone...
Maria smiled at Villian a little bit, but when she faced Rimea, she immediately turned serious once more.
Rimea: Listen, I don't care who you are or how you got the Witch Cult to backup your story, Maria, but if you dare to use this battle for your own personal slaughter and gain, you'll be arrested for treason. Do you understand me?
Perplexed, Maria was not impressed by Rimea's words, and she looked at the eldest princess without any fear.
Maria: I just work in the name of God and his apostles, and now I have my own plan to prove I mean no harm. I know them, but I don't know you.
Rimea narrowed her gaze again.
Rimea: You'll know.
Borgia: Finally...
Deep inside the Parliament's underground chamber near the sewers, the conspiracy made by Langdon Orphans, of which is full of lethal consequences is about to start. Dressed up as another person, Cardinal Antonio Borgia could not hide his grin when he looked at the Firenza Blood Bomb.
Borgia: There's another bomb hiding inside the city, and if this failed, the other bomb will be inactivated and there'll be no escape. Ah, well, Cain Nightroad will be pleased.
Borgia covered his mouth to cover a sadistic grin on his face. Just then, he heard someone entering the chamber. It was Cain Nightroad, leading the group of Langdon Orphans and inquisitors from Catholic Church, before Carl Robinson - now having his hair fully white and his face more callous - entered the chamber.
Borgia: Look who we have here.
Sister Paula and Duo Iqus pushed an injured and weakened Cardinal Sforza and entered the chamber angrily. She almost fell on the ground when the two inquisitors stopped while holding the insulted Cardinal aggressively. Sforza lifted her head and saw Borgia right in front of her.
Sforza: You... two-faced jackel.
Sforza glared at Borgia, who gleefully crossed his arm. He chose to ignore her and smiled at Cain, nodded. Cain then walked forward in a calm face.
Cain: The day of judgment has come to Earth, and to the United Kingdom as a whole.
Now, Cain was facing many aristocrats from the House of Lords, as well as some soldiers. They were captured and tied up, as they stared at the vampire in horror.
Cain: Four years ago, a terrible... no, a catastrophic event happened on a young man and crushed his life. Group Captain Robinson and his wife were murdered in cold blood, by the current leader of Catholic Rebels, who was once a former Mafusa Gang member, and the said young man who witnesses this is their adoptive son, whom they saw as their own boy. This isn't the end. More than one month ago, an unforgivable crime was committed, on the same young man no less. You chose to ignore the first one, and then you instigated the second. The Robinson Family's darkness and despair - along with Firenza Curse's awakening - should be pinned on the House of Lords and those soldiers who ignored young Robinson's situation. You all should take this blame.
As Cain finished with a very callous face, a man from the House of Lord immediately tried to object, much to his surprise.
Aristocrat 1: Captain Robinson tried to stand against the House of Lord and endorse the election for our seats in Parliament. He also threatened to expose our former deal with the KnightWalker Family as well. We cannot see him breaking our tradition and shatter our order. We chose to leave this case alone since he paid the price. As for Carl Robinson, we'll be ashamed if he would be held as a national hero fighting off Carissa and her force. We cannot risk our name to be tainted by such a nobody...
When the aristocrat tried to keep his calm and explain... or more accurately, justify the House of Lords' actions, a tall man walked out of the darkness, standing beside Cain. It was Carl, much to the aristocrats' horror. Carl walked towards the prisoners, now fully out of shadows and revealed his new appearance.
Carl: What about my mother? She did nothing wrong to you, I swear.
In contrast to his former aggressive self, Carl now became more callous and emotionless. His eyes was no longer orange. Instead, they became pale blue. He now wore a large black trenchcoat, long enough to cover his towering build. All of the chained aristocrats were astonished when they recognized Carl's face and his deep voice like a bass.
Aristocrat 1: Why is Carl Robinson here?
Cain: He has come to pass the judgment.
Cain peered at the aristocrat and made the others fell into silence. That aristocrat then fed up with it and showed an irritated expression. Sforza peered at Carl and widened her gaze, being shocked by Carl's presence as well as assisting Carl for some reason.
Aristocrat 1: Enough of this. You're the leader of Langdon Orphans, Cain Knightroad, and it's you who contacted us. You made us to tell you where Carissa is, so that you could send Terra of the Left to brainwash her. You're the bridge between us and the KnightWalkers, and you also made us to assure that horrible Michael Langdon won't be exposed when he bombed Eurotunnel. We helped you to lure Fiamma of the Right into your trap... No one disputes that. However, you absent yourself from London for two months at the time. Decisions had to be made. The House of Lords stands by its actions.
Facing such a threat, neither Cain or Carl showed fright. They didn't even flinch. He the turned to Carl, speaking in a calm voice.
Cain: These men ruined your life, Carl. You knelt in the fire that night in the ruined town. You cried in despair after you were insulted due to such a heinous betrayal. You should make your resolution. Let blood repay blood. Give the order.
Carl looked at the prisoners in front of him, as they reacted in fear and horror. Carl watched as all of a sudden, his mind was brought back at the night in the fire, four years ago, when he saw people running in fear during the catastrophe.
Carl: ........................
Carl kept silent for five seconds, but Cain didn't want to wait that long. He stared at Carl. Carl nodded and clapped his hands in a sullen face. Several Langdon Orphan agents with masks walked out from the darkness, all standing behind the prisoners. The prisoners all reacted in horror and shock.
Carl: Proceed.
With Carl's order arriving, all of the agents, as if they were robots with programmed actions, followed the order and raised their axes. They aimed at the throat of every prisoners in front of them, axing their heads. The heads soon rolled on the ground in one split second.In spite of this, Cain wasn't impressed, not one bit.
Sforza: Carl...
Carl: Their heads is useless, because they have no brains to tell them... what truly is right.
Carl mumbled and ignored Sforza, trying to cool himself down. Sforza was left in shock. Cain peered at Carl in some disappointment, and Sforza couldn't believe what she had saw.
Cain: You hesitated.
Ashamed, Carl lowered his head and grabbed his chest, speaking in a bitter voice.
Carl: Next time I won't. I promise.
Disappointed, Carl merely stared at the corpse and pressed his own heart. He felt emptiness in his heart. He felt nothing over executing those people who framed him, since he found it meaningless. Nothing would change his life back to the right route, and there's nothing more to worry. He then stared at the face of Antonio Borgia, who used his blood as a chemical weapon.
Carl: Well, I need to make sure of everything one last time. You'll make use of my blood to cause bombing in my own city, but how can we be sure that the situation is settled once we finished cleansing scums in this city?
Borgia delightfully clapped his hand and chuckled. He stared at the bomb and grinned.
Borgia: *chuckling* Well, I expect you would say that. We already map out the redress. This bomb would only get detonated in a controllable scale, so not everyone in this city would be infected. Second, we already made up cure out of holy water, so that we shall purify it once we take care of this city good enough. The survivors would regain their sense and regret their sins - their sins of betraying their own savior, a hero to their city.
Before Borgia could ever finish, Carl stepped forward and face him with immense wrath, silencing the cardinal almost immediately. He could feel anger from Carl stemming from his eyes. The entire mood became uncomfortable for nearly everyone.
Carl: Don't call me a "hero", Cardinal. I'm now sick of it. I tried to prove myself when I took down Carissa, but then what did I got? No honor, no respect, no friendship, only betrayal and got replaced. Therefore, I rather choose not to. Carl Robinson is dead now. There's merely Firenza Junior, a demon who aimed to tear down old order and build it anew.
A moment of uneasy silence took hold of the whole limited space, and everyone except Cain held back their tongue when they felt menace as Carl's rage became more and more intensified. No one saw such an emotionless and serious person ever before. In spite of this, Cain merely petted his shoulder and shook his head. Carl sighed and immediately drew back, calming himself down.
Carl: I agree with the rest of your point, though. So, after we took care of this world and broke its old order, you'll let me leave alone, right? Now, I want nothing but solitude since God and its creation turned back on me.
Cain: I can assure you, yes, but still you'll always be my own hero. You'll help us to pull down this pantheon of corruption, and we shall never forget.
Cain smiled at first, but then his eyes narrowed and sharpened negatively. He saw Esther Blanchett from far away running towards them.
Cain: Now, what is your next plan?
Carl: After our next step is achieved, I shall defend anyone from getting towards our base and wipe out anyone who oppose me.
Cain: Yes, and what else did I told you?
Carl's face then twisted with resentment as he started to notice Esther as well, but his face remained callous and he answered Cain's question anyway.
Carl: Maria Arzonia is the enemy.
Cain: Then, what must you do to her at first?
- Carl: I MUST LET HER SUFFER!
Matt: So... you're here to tell us that you figured the whereabouts of Sforza and Carl out? You're a host of the Supreme Croatoan Virus? You're the leader of clowns who saved most of us during that rampage, including my sister? Why didn't you say so, Ms. Hawthorn?
Matt eventually figured out that Helene Helene then opened her palms and swayed her palm in dismay.
Helene: You tell me. You never asked.
Helene then covered her face in dismay, while the rest of the people looked at each other. Those clowns surrounded them held no weapons, and they didn't seem threatening.
Villian: So she's the Ringmistress whom Katya and the Witch Cult met...
Helene closed her eyes and felt sad. She started to remembered the days when she was hugged by the man she loved. The man looked so much like her late mother, and he is a warm-hearted man who guided her from her solitude.
Helene: Yes, I am. I'm also one of those who supported the Supreme Croatoan Virus' creation. We wanted to seek a new way out to fight against Moloch and seek immortality, so that humans will go on a better way... Now, I realized how disastrous our error brought.
Helene immediately summoned a enormous canvas which floated on the air. She then summoned a palette with paints of 24 different colors on it. She then started to paint her own story as she began to tell her story to everyone.
Helene: I'm born disfigured and I have to cover my face with my mask. A serial killer killed my mother, and I lived in a miserable state with only art, my circus, my colleagues and rats as my friends. Until on my 18th birthday, I met him... the first man I've ever fall in love with! After some struggle, we won each other's heart. Then, I found my father... as well as my protectors who avenged my mother... After that, I have my beloved family and friends as well. However, now I have nothing again, just these clowns. They're my family, they're now all I have... I'm eager in finding the rest of my friends, so that I can find my life back. Helene tries to find them with her ability. Unfortunately, I'm not the strongest Supreme Croatoan in our organization.
Helene then raised her head once again and looked at the Church of England members, before she focused on the painting once again. She then painted on the canvas while she was speaking her sad words. The long canvas was now filled with mural styled story, like those found in Egyptian temples. The painting started with a crying child with a mask, to a loving couple, and to a young woman fighting against Moloch's forces during the Period of Tribulations. It eventually ended in a self-portrait of an adult Helene, hunting down the KnightWalkers on her way.
Helene: Therefore, Helene has to find them on foot. It inevitably made me saw what the KnightWalker did... They destroyed so much beauty with their war. Nevertheless, as I sink deeper and deeper in this whirlpool of war, the secret and origin story behind my power... as well my Supreme Croatoan friends' power. I don't care those sheer nonsense by Global Pact Defense. I only want truth... That's why I joined this war. Besides, Helene wants to turn these monstrosities into memorial sites... and seek out the truth behind the Order's error. Then, I crossed path with you guys. The end.
After finishing her painting and telling her story in a sad tone, Helene sighed and raised her hand. Her brush and pallet the vanished in puffs of smoke.
Helene: Guys, you...
Matt: You... you drew a mural with your story!? Even while you're speaking!?
Helene turned back and saw everyone being appalled by what Helene drew... a huge mural floating on the sky. She then can't help in her quirky rhymes in her dialogues.
Helene: Please don't be so terrified at me! I'm not telling a horror story!
Seeing Matt's astonishing face, Helene face-palmed in a pure feelings of embarrassment, and all the clowns around Matt and others dropped on the ground in dismay one by one.
Helene: Well, Helene guesses that's enough...
Helene coughed and regained her composure once again. She then made a finger snap, with two of the clowns stood up and leaped on the wall, rushing onto the balcony. They literally "stood" on the wall, on the opposite side of the canvas. They grabbed the mural and carried it away, while literally running on the wall onto the ground, just like many martial artists in some Chinese Kung Fu movies.
Helene: I'll make them to carry it to my secret base... Well, I'm sorry that I missed the point, but now I'm here to tell you that I'm here to help you. If you don't trust in Helene, you just follow Helene, and I'll let you find the Witch Cult. They can prove my innocence...
Villian: Just tell me a way to break in or I'll--!!!
Before Helene could finish, Villian immediately raised her pistol at Helene, but Matt immediately held her back, pointing at the clowns surrounding them. Villian sensed anger from the clowns and had to stop.
Villian: You talk pretty, but you just need to tell us a way to get in. I bet that Langdon Orphans had blocked every passages. They would set guards in every exits!
Helene then put her hand on her chin and started to think in dismay.
Helene: Yes, that's a problem... They must have guard every exit. Much less do we break in, there's no guarantee that we would escape the place unscathed...
Helene then started to think it over, but then, when she started to think about the word, "exit"...
Helene: Exit... Exit...
All of a sudden, Helene's head immediately lit up and started to let out a string of strange laugh, which sounded like bells... or barbells hitting the ground.
Helene: Hmm... Ping-pong-ping-pong-ping-ponghahaha! Helene assume we...
Before Helene could finish her words, Matt was startled by her laugh like everyone else beside him (aside from the clowns) immediately reacted in shock.
Matt: IS THAT THE WAY YOU LAUGH!?
Helene: Hic!!!
Due to Matt's words, Helene's strange laugh and proclamation ended up in an awkward hiccup. She went silent for a moment before she narrowed her gaze.
Helene: Oui, and so what!?
Matt: Your laugh is so idiotic! It made me terrified!
Helene quickly narrowed her gaze in anger, but before she could react, the clowns beside Matt immediately leaped at him and dragged Matt away.
Alfonso: The only idiot here we see is you, Corporal Butcher!
Bubbly: Don't ye ever tease the Ringmistress!
The clowns then punched Matt as a punishment, while the princesses, Stiyl and Laura watched. Laura giggled, while all others showed dead fish eyes. Helene's anger faded and watched as Matt pleadging for mercy, raising his trembling hand from the dust.
Matt: AHH! AHH! STOP! I'M SORRY!!!
Amused, Helene casually stretched her arms at the sky and yawned.
Helene: Ahh... Now I feel much better. Since he did it the first time, I choose to forgive him, certainly. Now, where was I?
Villian: "Helene assumes we", you said.
Helene: Ah, yes.
The clowns stopped beat Matt, who could barely get up. Rimea immediately helped Matt to get up in a helpless face. Villian reacted to Matt's feelings in dismay, with a drop of sweat and a pair of dead fish eyes peering at Helene. Helene then sighed and became much more serious.
- Helene: However, Helene - I mean... (serious tone) * I * assume that...
Maria: C-Carl?
Maria only intended to handicapped Carl enough to buy herself time and save her friends from Langdon's death squad. However, she never anticipated such outcome. Now, Carl became nothing but a dead body without his head.
Maria: Your head...
Barring the dead silence, the most bizarre thing in the scene became more apparent since the blood of Carl never flow or spray out of his body. The ground was free of blood stains, as if there was no one got killed in such place, or as if Carl was bloodless.
Maria: ...............................
Maria watched as the body stumbled towards her in dead silence. She subconsciously pushed Carl's body, but it still stumbled before her. Then, the blood finally spilled from Carl's broken neck, the red and black blood...
Maria: I... I... I...
Maria then pulled her hand out of Carl's corpse, before she started at her bloodied hand, trembled as she saw blackish-red blood staining her palms...
Maria: I killed him... I promised to his parents that I'll spare him but I still... kill him...
Shinya: UNFORGIVABLE! YOU MURDERED HIM! A NEW LANGDON ORPHAN!
Shinya saw Carl being beheaded, and she shouted out in rage and shock. However, as soon as Cain saw Shinya was about to march on towards Maria, he blocked her way by raising his arm.
Cain: Wait... The next act is about to be staged.
Shinya: Hmm?
Maria trembled so hard that she looked closer in her hand. Her veins started pumping as the blood on her hand got exposed into the air and turned black. Adam and Eva widened their gaze as they saw Maria kept shivering.
Maria: I killed someone whom I tried to save... I... I...
- Maria: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Screeching in horror, sadness and guilt, Maria started to nail her face, leaving it scratches and traces of Carl's blood on her pale skin. All of her recent trauma conga line pressurized so much that finally, there was a breakdown.
Esther: MARIA!
Esther shouted in shock as she saw Maria screaming, completely helpless due to accidentally killing Carl. The real guards of Langdon Orphans marched on towards Maria, but all of her friends immediately lined up in front of them, blocking them off. Cain watched as they defended Maria in pure resillence and tenacity.
Cain: Pathetic.
Maria heard Cain's words and glared at him, angry and perplexed.
Maria: What on Earth do you mean!?
Cain immediately teleported himself from his formal position, finally taking the problems with his own hand as soon as Maria went into a state of depression. As she sensed the vampire approaching her, Maria raised her staff and tried to take defense immediately. However, Cain pushed her away and grabbed Carl's head.
Cain: Feeling depressed? Feeling guilty for over not being able to save his soul? I saved his soul on your stead.
Cain gritted maliciously as he swung the head of Carl right in front of Maria, and Maria bit her lips, furrowing her eyebrows and looking into his sharpened eyes in rage.
Maria: So YOU are Cain Nightroad...
Cain: Believe me, Arzonia, I can bring him back, but at first, let's play some fun tricks.
Maria heard Cain's cold words and reacted in shock. How could it be fun when people get their head chopped off? In spite of this, Maria's attention drew away when she saw the head of Carl suddenly decayed, with its flesh turned into dusts, and only a skull was left.
Maria: Bring him back? How?
Cain: Well, perhaps it's not what you NEED, but it's what you DESERVE.
Chuckled, Cain then made a finger snap, then, in just one second, everything suddenly went silent. Matt and Sumireko blinked their eyes as they saw Cain's troops suddenly stopped their motion.
Yuri: What is this? Some purple potato made a finger snap and we're about to die?
Sumireko: Hush....................
Gulped, Sumeriko silently sneered at Yuri for his crude humor, but then, nothing happened... until Cain let out a wicked grin.
Cain: You're about to find out.
As soon as Cain finished his talk, everyone saw Langdon Orphans stepped back as Carl's body suddenly moved... before he lifted up himself like a man waking up from his slumber.
Sumireko: INCOMING!
Carl's headless body suddenly stood up right before he picked up an axe beside him, one of the dropped axes that was used to behead the aristocrats, and throwing it at the Langdon Orphans.
Yuri: Watch out!
Yuri immediately casted a spell and summoned blue shield, defending the Catholic Rebels from the flying axe. The axe hit the shield and was blocked away, but then, Carl catched its handle with one single hand, like catching a bullet. Then, as the smoke dissipated, people now saw Carl, but not all of him.
Maria struggled herself to stand up while gazing upon the revived Carl, but his head was severed. The now-headless Carl crawled himself from the ground and stood up, holding a sword at Maria.
Shinya: This is...
Shinya was shocked to see that Carl, without his head, now held his sword against Maria and others. Cain held his skull right into his hand, with the head glowing in deep red.
Cain: Exterminate them.
As soon as Cain casted his order, Carl raised his axe and threw it at Catholic Rebels, but before the axe could ever reached Yuri Barnes' neck.
Maria: DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!!!
Eva: BEAT THEM!!!
Summoning a shield, Maria tried so hard to defend her companions from the spinning axe, pushing so hard in order to repel the axe, before all of a sudden, the shield itself started to chip. A fragment blasted away and cut Maria's skin, as she started to bleed.
Maria: Heavenly Souls... Come and rescue us... We are here to need your help...
Maria pushed against the axe so hard that she started to step back, all the while she casted a spell to summon holy spirit troops... a spell that every Spirit Guide could used, including Sister Mary Eunice who used it during the rescue mission to save Katarina Couteau and August Corbin from an old prison.
Maria: Heavenly Souls... Come and rescue us... We are here to need your help... Come on, come on, come on......
Maria casted the spell once more. However, nobody had arrived at the scene. Finally, the shield reached its breaking point and exploded, repelling the axe back to the headless Carl while Maria got blasted away, but Adam and Yuri managed to hold her lest she blasted herself at the wall behind her.
Maria: NO WAY...
Gasping at the air, Maria was not shocked over the broken shield, but was shocked over her current state. She was supposed to be a Spirit Guide, but why the other spirits refused her request?
Maria: Fine, old-fashioned ways.
Maria decided to put her confusion aside and focused on Carl. In the meantime, Carl caught his axe with bare hand, hardly ever get hurt by it. Seizing the hiatus even if it's for a split second to make this unstoppable and headless monstrosity relented, Yuri then turned his head and saw Cain holding Carl's skull. Its flesh already rot away once he was beheaded.
Yuri: The skull... We must get the skull in time so that Cain shall have no control over Carl, and Carl shall either regain his sense or rest in peace. Either way, it'll release him from suffering.
Whist still gasping, Yuri worryingly looked at Maria, but she gazed upon him and nodded. For Maria, she was guilty about beheading Carl after what she done to him bore too much pain upon him, but she had no choice. If she cannot save Carl's soul, at least she'll release Carl from his suffering, just like once she did to herself after regaining back to her senses as a KnightWalker Cyborg.
Maria: I believe in your judgment. Here's the crest to summon the Chain Viper. Do it.
Maria then gave the Chain Viper crest to Yuri. It needed to be explained that with Duchess Asran's help, Maria managed to store the Chain Viper inside a crest and would be summoned at any moment needed. With determination, Yuri immediately stood in front of Maria and opened his spell book. Others moved on to defend a weakened Maria from Langdon Orphans and their troops.
Yuri: DON'T MOVE!
Casting the spell, Yuri summoned a pair of chain that tried to tie up Cain, but Carl immediately saw this - even though without his head let alone his eyes - and immediately blocked Cain from the chains. Maria took a deep breath and turned to Adam.
Maria: Now if you excuse me...
Adam nodded and stepped aside. Maria immediately leaped forward, as Cain and Carl struggled with Yuri. Cain was still holding Carl's skull tight enough.
Maria: Begone!
Maria transformed her staff into a fiery sword and stabbed through the body of Cain. Cain widened his eyes as soon as he saw his body
Maria: NOW! MAGILOU! THE SKULL!
Magilou was busy fighting with Papal Knights at the moments, but still, she witnessed how Carl had been beheaded and now transformed into something like a Headless Horseman-esque undead. However, as soon as Maria gave her orders, Magilou stopped toying and beating up with Papal Knights and started to leaped to Cain, but not before leaping towards midair and stepping into a man's face.
Magilou: TAKE THAT!!!
Magilou raised her spell book... and knocked down the skull from Cain's hand, with its backbone. The skull was knocked down and started to roll down the ground. The headless Carl immediately crouched and Yuri managed to tie him up in chains. Seizing the chance without one second to lose, Maria then gazed into Eva, who had just finished blasting the enemies.
Maria: Eva! Get it! By the way, don't make Carl get his head back! Not yet!
Eva: Aye, aye, Captain!
Eva immediately replied with a charge towards Cain. Yuri picked up the head and started to throw it at Eva, and Eva bounced forward and catched the skull, like a baseball player would try hard to do so that she could catch the ball right in time, quick and clean and fair. As Eva catched the head, Maria smiled in some sort of embarrassment, because Eva just called her "Captain" before she proceeded with the mission.
Maria: Nice work, but it's just... Please don't call me "Captain"...
Maria so far had no intension to make Carl get his head back. She might be merciful, but she was never stupid. Carl was currently still hostile, either with his head or not. If Carl managed to get his head back, and if he was fully revived afterwards, he would still act hostile towards her and her Catholic Rebels, putting everyone with danger.
Cain: Borgia! The bomb! Where's--
Cain turned his head to see Borgia... only to find him disappeared without the trace, leaving the bomb with no defense since Catholic Rebels repelled everyone from the spot, leaving Cain as the only one defending the bomb.
Maria: It's only a matter of time before we can get him. For now, it's YOUR turn!
Sensing the table was turning once more, Maria smiled confidently and pulled her fiery sword out of Cain's body. Cain crouched and looked at his would slowly regenerated, but before he could do so, Maria pressed a button that was tied on her belt. Then, a green portal emerged and a skinny little girl with green aristocratic dress popped out from it, giving Cain a kick.
Seth: Remember me, brother? We meet again after such a long time, Cain.
The headless Carl turned his head... or his headless torso... towards Cain and found him getting cornered by both Maria and Seth, who ambushed Cain. Seth already seized the chance and started to duel with Cain, and Cain still being able to hold back her attack even if he wasn't fully healed.
Maria: I already made several signals to tell my hidden force to take move! I tell you this. I haven't show my Family's full force yet! Our men had already permeated into this city, and we'll sure to have reinforcement from the Church of Protestants! Admit it, you lost your war even before it could ever begin!
Maria then waved her fiery sword and fought Cain along with Cain, who was still able to hold them down even if he was injured, alone and cursing Antonio Borgia for deserting the area. Cain raised his sword and started to slash Maria's neck, but Maria then raised her staff to defend herself and gave a wink at Seth.
Maria: Now!
Seth nodded her head. Tricking Cain's attack to miss her, Seth immediately transformed into her vampiristic form and raised her staff, a spikey staff that was enhanced with magic, powerful enough to break the shield and dismantle the bomb, which now had merely 30 seconds towards detonation.
Shinya: I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, BUT YOU CANNOT MOVE FURTHER!
Shinya saw Seth flying towards the shield of the bomb and tried to stop her. However, she deflected when she sensed someone knocking her. With a confident smirk, Sumireko leaped amidst the chaos and knocked down Shinya. Shinya turned around and tried to fought again, but Sumireko blocked Shinya's way again.
Sumireko: Over my dead body!
Sumireko and Shinya started to fought against each other.
Shinya: YOU TURNCOAT!
While they were fighting, several flashbacks of Sumireko's painful memories came back to light, and she started to remember all the pain she endured when she was converted into a Cyborg not long after Pope Michael officially joined the KnightWalker Alliance. Now, her best friend Mahiru Banba was also transformed into a Cyborg and kept her wicked dual personality active. She would never let the tragedy happen once more.
Seth: Down!
Now, transforming into her vampire form, Seth already reached the bomb and started to clash its sheild with her spiked staff again and again, charging it up with full power. Carl struggled himself to stand up but he was still kept in chains that he could barely move. The shield then started to crack before it completely shattered.
Maria: (think) * Finally, after so much distress I've been through... *
Maria sighed in relief when she saw Seth succeeded in this operation, but Cain was shocked to hear glass shattering. He tried to maintain his calmness, but it was still humiliating that his traitorous sibling managed to get the best of him. Seth turned around and faced her angry brother
Seth: Finally, we can meet face to face, brother.
Cain: Seth! What're you doing!?
Perplexed, Cain tried to balance himself between fighting Maria and questioning Seth's actions.
Cain: Have you ever forget what human did to our clan!? I was trying to save this world... and now you worked with a group of heathens?
Enraged, Cain's teeth transformed into fangs and his hair began to become spiky. Several pairs of wings emerged from his back and his eyes turned crimson. Maria saw Cain's vampire form for the very first time and was shocked, even more shocked when she had saw the vampire form of Seth, but she tried hard not to let her own guard down. However, Cain eventually overpowered Maria and kicked her abdomen. He stepped back as his wounds fully healed/
Seth: This is a mere partnership. I never officially joined them and I have no interest in whatever they were building, but if you tried to target an entire race to attack, there'll be no difference between the two! So, open your eyes, brother! Not every human deserves punishment!
Seth just stood by and watch when Maria became much more troubled in hand-in-hand combat with Seth. Cain angrily pushed aside Maria, who was trying to gain her upper hand. He then turned around to face Seth.
Cain: You're no sister of mine! You're a traitor of my family! Our parents shall feel ashamed of you!
Cain rushed towards Seth, but then a sword flashed at him. He immediately clapped his palms and held the sword between his bare hands. Much to his shock and anger, the person who blocked his way was none other than Esther, who killed several Langdon Orphan mooks and blocked Cain's way.
Esther: TELL ME HOW TO CURE ME AND CARL! AND TELL ME WHERE IS ABEL! OR I'LL CUT OFF YOUR HEAD, TOO... AND I WON'T BE SHOCKED FOR THAT!
Cain: Esther! You... you... What did that useless brother of mine put inside your head!?
Seeing Esther's determination to stop him was enough for Cain to clench his fists and shivered his rage, seeing the Pope and Mother Superior's most beloved Langdon Orphan had turned against him. Esther then turned her head to Seth angrily as the latter started to dismantle the bomb as quick as she can.
Esther: AND YOU! Why did you stand by and watch when Arzonia was in danger? Ain't she on your side!?
Seth angrily ripped the container with Firenza Blood from the bomb and gritted her teeth in sheer annoyance.
Seth: My dear, she became much more annoying when Carl's blood corrupted her... Well, Arzonia, are you all right?
Seth turned around and immediately went forward, trying to assist Maria to stand up, but Maria got herself up and waved her hand. Maria firmly walked towards Carl though she was now shambling.
Maria: No, I'm good. The entire plan is a distraction. Our only plot is the bomb and the whereabouts of Abel. Since Cain refused to say so, fine then, we'll find him by ourselves. With more Firenza Blood, we can have more samples to figure out its nature and find the cure! Now, it's the endgame.
Seth nodded and flew towards Maria, giving her the container with the black blood inside it. Maria smiled and took the container from her.
Maria: Thanks, Seth.
Seth: Don't thank me. I don't like to owe someone debts.
Seth blushed and felt uneasy as Maria thanked her with a gentle smile. Other Catholic Rebel members received the signal and gathered around Maria, pushing everyone aside. Esther ran towards Maria, but still she had doubts when she reached her.
Esther: But what about Matt? He must have a lot to say about if he comes here for nothing!
Hearing this, Maria immediately slammed her left fist on her right palm, remembering that Matt still tried to call some backups. Still, she started to smile confidently.
Maria: Well, um, the plans runs better than I imagined, so far, so good, but there's still needs of backup... since we're yet from getting out of danger.
Maria looked around and saw Langdon Orphans surrounding all of them with their troops and machine. Looking at the troopes, Maria narrowed her gaze and wondered how Michael managed to get such an enormous milliant. She then saw the headless Carl, still chained, and her facial expression became sadder. Eva was still holding the skull of Carl angrily.
Maria: I'm sorry, Carl... but I can't give the skull back to you... not until everything is over.
What Maria thought about was to seize the chance and attack immediately, trying to get the rest of Carl's body back while still chained, before giving back his own head and reviving him. They would find a way to discover something that would make Carl away from Langdon Orphans' influence. For now, just letting the Langdon Orphans to get Carl's head back was too dangerous. Maria was determined to strike down Cain, but suddenly --
Eva: AHHHHHHH! GET OFF ME!!!
Suddenly, Maria heard screaming and turned back. Much to her shock, she saw Eva waving her arm and screaming. Maria was shocked to see Carl's skull suddenly came to life and started to bite her shoulder. Her face began to twisted and deformed due to the agony, before flashing between her human form and her former shape - a skeletal frame. Carl's head was biting into her shoulder deeper.
Maria: WHAT!?
Everyone who witnessed this was horrified. Carl's head was still alive and had its own sentience even if it was now severed from his neck. Cain's perplexed and enraged look then started to fade away and turned into a sinister giggle. Adam quickly paced forward towards Eva, trying to knock down the skull of Carl from Eva's shoulder.
Adam: Leave her alone!
The skull rolled down after Adam knocked it for five times with his fists, falling onto the ground and started to slide itself towards Carl's headless body. Maria immediately swooped herself to the skull, holding it with bare hands while crawling on the ground like a rugby ball player would do during the touchdown. Nevertheless, the head started to drag her forward.
Krans: Guys!
Krans leaped forward to pull Maria's leg, but he was dragged as well. Others followed him and tried to pull him back, but not even Esther could help it out.
Cain: Hahahahaha! Arzonia, witness our power from the Sabbat I gave him during the training!
Noelle: What happened?
Esther : What have you done!?
Esther shouted at Cain as the head crawled onto the ground and dragged Maria towards Carl's headless body, taking Krans, Magilou, Tres, Noelle, Adam, Sumireko and Esther towards it. Eva was injured and was left behind, even though she tried to reach Maria. Carl's teeth somehow made her shoulder to bleed. Yuri tried to cast another spell, but he was blocked by guards and was too busy in taking care of them. Seth tried to rushed towards the scene, but the soldiers from the Catholic Church immediately dropped their seemly worn-out façade and defended Cain.
Seth: Brother... don't you tell me that you enhanced him with the Crest of Sins! You pretended to be lost, right?
Seth leered at Cain suspiciously. When hearing about the Crest of Sins, Krans immediately furrowed his eyebrows, but that didn't actually stop him from getting forward. Shinya then seized the chance and raised Carl's axe at the chains that tied up Carl.
Maria: What happened, Seth? What do you mean by--
Before Maria could finish, she felt herself coming to a stop in front of Carl, just right in time Shinya axed Carl's chains and broke them into pieces. The chain cracked and spreaded everywhere like radiations, before they reformed themselves and transformed into a crest again. It then fell into Maria's hand... as Maria looked up.
Maria: We have problems.
Maria and other others crawled themselves up and Noelle looked at Carl, who picked up his skull from the ground. Maria tried to stop him, but the remaining soldiers of Langdon Orphans immediately dropped their feeble pretense and surrounded them. Maria clenched her fists to see her strategy being shattered once more, this time because of unprecedented cause.
Cain: Arzonia, it's YOU who shall lose... again. Anyone should have their second hand. Can't you have the right time to outwit me?
Sensing Cain's arrogance, Maria narrowed her eyes and sniffed in disdain, before she started to attack the soldiers to break through the barrier, but Carl sensed this and leaped onto the midair by stepping on the piles of corpse of aristocrats he beheaded. He then leaped towards Cain and was about to put his head on. Maria realized she had no chance to stop Carl from recovering himself.
Maria: Really? Don't forget I still have other reinforcements. Maybe I'll gain some others allies with luck, since people like you shall always get yourself into trouble all around the world.
Cain: Hmm, I see your point, but first of all, you should take care of YOUR trouble... instead of MINE.
Ignoring Cain's disdainful taunts, Maria then turned her head at Carl... and she couldn't do anything as every others were pushed down or surrounded and the situation turned once more. Maria then roared out and caused an explosion, pushing some soldiers back. Maria then quickly reached towards Carl, running as fast as she could. The others followed her, but before she could touch Carl's skull, she immediately slowed down...
Maria: Too late...
Maria looked at Carl in a blank face. She saw Carl now piecing his head back once more.
Carl: G-G-G-G-GAHHHH-OOOOH---
- Carl: You can't kill me... I'm Firenza Junior...
Opening - Sympathy for the Devil[]
Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the devil (Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!)
Lyrics[]
Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith
And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
I stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the Tsar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain
I rode a tank
Held a general's rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
I shouted out,
"Who killed the Kennedys?"
When after all
It was you and me
Let me please introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached Bombay
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's confusing you
Is just the nature of my game
Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
Cause I'm in need of some restraint
So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I'll lay your soul to waste, um yeah
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, um yeah
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, um mean it, get down
Woo, who
Oh yeah, get on down
Oh yeah
Oh yeah!
Tell me baby, what's my name
Tell me honey, can ya guess my name
Tell me baby, what's my name
I tell you one time, you're to blame
Ooo, who
Ooo, who
Ooo, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Oh, yeah
What's my name
Tell me, baby, what's my name
Tell me, sweetie, what's my name
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Ooo, who, who
Oh, yeah
Act 0 - Sin and Punishment[]
Carl Robinson had his head back and became even more cold-hearted, wrathful and brutal than ever before, preventing any chance for Maria to ever escape. They could only wait for the reinforcement from Matt Butcher.
In the meantime, Matt and his oddly new companion, the eccentric Helene Hawthorn, had already found a ploy to trick through Langdon Orphan guards. However, the Arzonia's Family soon discovered that the crisis was not that easy to get rid of.
Part 1 - Pitch Black[]
London
Parliament
Underground Sewers
The flesh crept itself from Carl's deformed neck just as his hands tightened around his throat, raving in an unbearable manner. Cain only gloated in a wicked grin.
Cain: Well done, Arzonia. Now he only hated you more.
The table had twisted once more, unexpectedly. Cain and the Langdon Orphans seemed satisfied at the regeneration of Carl's face, as Maria was healing the wounds of Eva Frankenstein. Maria bit her lips and started to tremble in guilt.
Maria: (think) * No way... What should I do...*
Watching Carl's face turned from a skeletal skull to a combination of rotten flesh and blackened hair, Maria thought about the night she made her own dreadful decision... She reluctantly pulled the trigger when Mr. and Mrs. Robinson urged her to do so, in order to spare her life and allow their son to go free... However, the current state of Carl was not precedence by any other people.
Maria: (think) * By the way... Where're Matt and his reinforcement!? *
Adam: HOW DARE YOU!
However, before Maria could make actions, Adam Frankenstein went furious. As soon as Carl grew his hair and skin back, Adam immediately lost control and rushed all the way to the trembling body of Carl, knocking on his shoulder with his fists. He fiercely beated up Carl for daring to hurt Eva, who was the only person who could calm this homunculus down. Maria gasped as Adam and Carl fought each other... or more precisely, Adam didn't fight back.
Maria: ADAM! STOP! We should retreat! The bomb is deactivated! We shan't stay here any longer!
Horrified, Maria tried to yell at Adam, as she discovered she had to retreat from the scene as the reinforcement was yet to come, for some reason. In the meantime, Matt and his reinforcements was stalled by other guards not far away. We'll talk about that later on.
For now, the situation was getting dire. Adam finished punching Carl when he calmed himself down, just as he heard Maria's order from the other side. Adam then turned to look at Carl, and had discovered the latter's head had now fully regenerated. Carl merely stared at Adam in a blank, cold and remorseless expression.
- Carl: Would you just knock it off?
Adam: Carl...
Adam was a bit of surprised when he saw Carl's void and apathetic expression. There were nothing in his eyes, absolutely nothing, except intimidating stares full of coldness and rage.
Carl: ........................................
Speechless, Carl stared at Adam for three seconds before he clenched his demonic fist and punched the guts of Adam.
Adam: Ugh!
Adam flinched from the punch, but he still stood firm. He fought Carl back with his fist, but Carl immediately dodged it and swung himself midair, lifting his left leg and kicked Adam's neck from behind, with his ankle.
Carl: You should never been here.
Adam was tackled by such attack and pushed himself forward unwittingly, and Carl immediately landed between Adam and Maria.
Carl: I'm rather impressed, Arzonia. Cut off my head? Hmm, brilliant, but remember this - Death will not be silenced. Now, hand me that vial, now!
Carl held his sword behind his back, ready for an attack if Maria refused to comply. As her response, Maria teleported herself behind Carl and helped Adam to get up from the ground.
Fixating on his nemesis now, Carl tried to attack Maria, but Yuri immediately summoned magic lasso with his book, tying Carl up.
Maria: Carl, you had lost. Surrender now, because your bomb is now defused. I realized who you were and I've been regretful for causing your loss, but that's not the reason that you participate such a deadly plan!
As Yuri tried to drag Carl, Maria then walked to the gate with Adam and was about to retreat, but then, she saw a large gun pointing at her face. She looked up and scowled angrily. It was Duo Iqus, pointing his gun at Maria.
Duo Iqus: Who tells you that the bomb is defused, naïve child? Actually, there is a second bomb, a bomb that is a lot more powerful, lurking somewhere in this city.
Duo's words was like the last straw. Maria and her friends couldn't believe their ears, or whatever he said. In a stern expression, Duo raised his head and looked at the ceiling as Maria looked around. Suddenly, she saw a iron spike on the ground.
Duo: You don't believe me? This first bomb is a bait all along to lure you guys. We admire your tactics and efforts trying to stop us, but that's useless... You've lost.
Maria: .........................
Duo: We'll place you and your goons under arrest, and take you to His Holiness for judgment. Please comply...
Maria: I REFUSE!
Maria immediately picked up the spike and heated it red hot, before trying to strike it through Duo's chest. Duo raised his pistols to block the attack as the two struggled against each other.
Maria: I refuse to yield to you and your dirt-bag leader! It's YOU who will lose! Tell me where the second bomb is!
Maria: You're just hypocritical! Your bomb will spread a virus-like material and will turn people into mindless beasts! It'll raise a riot and cost hundreds and thousands of life, much worse than the Mafusa Gang's invasion! Thus, I'll stop you no matter what the cost!
"........................................."
Carl: No, it won't. It's in somewhere where there're few people there, and it'll only be detonated at noon.
Before Duo could answer, Carl answered in his stead, as he narrowed his eyes and gazed towards Maria. Whilst he was tied up by Yuri's lasso, Carl remained unfazed and calm, too unusual for a man like him.
Carl: It'll only target against those who treated me like dirt and those who treats hardworking people as trash. Those innocent citizens will evacuate themselves from London through train station.
Maria immediately furrowed her eyebrows. Cain, seeing the scene from not far away, just let out a grin.
Carl: I already sent a nameless letter to warn the authority. Those foolish authority might not take it seriously, but judging from the current wave of evacuation, I assume some does heed my warning.
Whilst Carl trying to hold back pain from Yuri's lasso, which was scorching him with blue flame, Maria narrowed her gaze and saw Cain grinning. She then turned around to Carl as she pushed Duo away.
Maria: You really believe what they've said?
Carl: That's just a temporary cooperate, thanks to what you've done to my family and friends! As long as I take your head... and once I'm done here, the entire KnightWalker Alliance will be the next!
As soon as he finished his rant, Carl transformed himself into a pitch black puff of smoke and slipped himself out of the lasso, right before he fully transformed. His form now become both fiendish and unfathomable, being a combination of demon and natural disaster.
Carl: Go to Hell, Arzonia!
Carl bellowed in a tone like some kind of beasts. He teleported himself faster than anyone could react behind Maria and went straight towards her like a cannonball, like an arrow, like a rocket... from behind... There was no time for Maria to take countermeasure since Carl travelled in an insane speed.
Carl: Speak of which, she's my kill!
Carl interrupted the fight between Duo and Maria, as he knocked Maria away and the two began fighting across the sewers. Carl punched Maria into the water and she fell inside, being washed away by the water. Duo maintained his position and stance as he watched Maria being dragged away by water.
Yuri: Arzonia!
Esther: Maria!
Everyone of Arzonia's Family was shocked. Holding his grimoire, Yuri tried to step in, but was blocked by Cain, as Maria's voice of scream disappeared into the deluge. Sumireko Hanabusa then turned around and face the grinning face of Cain.
Sumireko: I know you won't tell me where that bomb is... so I'm gonna push it out of your mouth!
Sumireko chuckled as her arm began to transform thanks to her Cyborg ability. It became a large gatling and pointed straight at Cain. Noelle Bor stood inside the chaos and watched desperately at the back of Carl, widening her eyes in sorrow.
Cain, however, merely stared at Sumireko in apathy, who smiled sadistically in turn.
Cain: Sister Sumireko... No, Sumireko Hanabusa, I didn't expect you to use His Holiness' gift of grace against me - his own eyes and mouth. You've strayed so far.
Sumireko: Don't worry. This is my gratitude to him. He is no longer Pope of mine!
As Sumireko fired bullets at Cain, Noelle struggled herself to get Carl, but then, she felt someone pointed a gun behind her head. It was Duo Iqus.
Duo: Sister Noelle Bor... No, Erica Noelle Bor Butcher, you're just like your pathetic and quixotic brother, believing what you're doing is right? You're just lying to yourselves that this world can be saved without any causality or war...
Noelle: You...
Noelle turned around and face Duo, who still looked at her, emotionless.
Duo: Sadly, I disagree. It has to be washed down by blood and molten iron!
Noelle: (think) No... If I could've arrive to save Carl sooner...
Before Duo could pull his trigger, his arm was suddenly pulled by a strong force from behind, which grabbed his arm. Duo turned around and saw a petite figure with red hair. It was Esther Blanchett, with blackish veins all around her face. She screamed at Duo in fiery rage.
Esther: Over my dead body! Sister Noelle, I'll handle this! Find Maria and Carl!
Duo: Esther... Turncoat...
As the chaos ensued inside the basement, someone was looking at the fighters. The person was hiding inside an empty and dark corner, where no one could ever notice. It was Nio Hashiri, who let out a grin... before it turned into a nervous scowl before she disappeared. Very rarely she had been so serious when she presented herself in front of her colleagues.
- Nio: Kill them, Carl... Kill more enemies as I expected, my fellow Langdon Orphans. Dammit! If Carl discovered that it was actually *me* who masterminded the demise of his parents and friends, not Maria, I would be done for. Therefore, we must leave him in the dark... so that it can swallow him as a whole.
What Nio could see... was now Carl's mind being slowly eaten away by his inner darkness, of which Nio believed it will soon get released to the city and eventually the entire world. Seizing the chance Esther gave her, Noelle turned around and flew into the darkness, straight to where Maria and Carl were.
Part 2 - Sneak In[]
On the ground
1 minutes later
Entrance of the Parliament
Helene: You mean Carl Robinson, your friend, was taken over by the... the Malice of Moloch?
Helene leaned towards Matt with concern, as well as curiosity. Her face, which was choppy and energetic ten seconds ago, was now cloudy and gloomy, filled with anxiety, and it made Matt confused.
Matt: That Sumireko Hanabusa had revealed this to us, and it is apparent that Melancholia is also here to retrieve it by taking control of Carl. I don't know how and why a fragment of an ancient demon king would ended up possessing my dearest friend.
Helene grabbed her knees. There were several small capsules on her belt, which she used for transferring her companions and friends. Matt shook his head and sighed, yet to discover that Helene's expression full of fear.
Matt: I hate to speak this, but I daresay there's something uncanny with Carl... and this demonic possession is to blame for it. I... Why are you... shivering?
Helene: Huh?
Matt: Are you familiar with it, miss?
Noticing Helene's unease, Matt immediately questioned Helene about Helene sniffed in a bad mood as she covered her domino mask with her hand. She then spoke something which caught Matt's attention.
Helene: Yes, I know it... I know it in my bones. I was also surprised to hear that Melancholia was still alive and kicking... and that deeply worried me. It was one of the motives that I made my alliance with the Catholic Rebels, and as for more motives... You'll know, soon enough.
Helene clenched her fists and bit her glove, apparently being so nervous that she could not speak out further. This only caught Matt's curiosity even further and deeper.
Matt: .............................
Matt began to suspect where Helene was from, as well as her true identity and whatever she had experienced ever since the World War III had ever started... However, seeing Helene's tensified reaction, Matt decided to leave his thoughts much later.
Matt: Anyway, uh, do you think this is the best idea... to break into the entrance?
Matt pointed at the entrance of the Parliament, where there were guards of Catholic Church guarding this area. Hearing Matt's question, Helene had her mood turned much lighter and less intense.
Helene: Well... Uh, who said we would break in? We sneak into this entrance to carry on our plans inside there.
Helene then stared at the guarded door.
Helene: And I thought there would be no guards... I was wrong.
"..................."
Helene's Flashback[]
10 minutes ago
St. George's Cathedral
Church of England
- Helene: However, I assume they didn't pay attention on entrance. So we'll just break in directly instead.
Villian: Oh? Entrance? Break in?
Seeing Helene's menacing face, Villian still held her gun inside her hand, since she still had problems trusting her. Even so, she felt very intriguing on Helene's words and ideas.
Villian: What do you mean by "entrance"? The gate of Parliament?
While keeping her serious tone and the serious atmosphere surrounding her, Helene closed her eyes and let out a grin. This eerie and masked Franco-Persian-American woman can't help herself from acting weird somehow.
Helene: I assume that the Langdon Orphans had ordered their minions to guard every exits, which is guarding every doors and passages... and their guards are just too dull to know it all! Well, many English people are stiffly, as you know. I hate to admit it, but I can't believe those so-called guards composed criminals would have zero guards at the front door!
Shocked, Villian, Styil, Laura, Rimea, Matt and the Knight Leader all looked at Helene, who giggled happily and waved her legs in ecstasy. The people were surprised at Helene's investigation, but they only acted in bewilderment when they saw Helene laughed with a blushed face.
Charles IV of Spain and His Family, 1800 by Francisco Goya
Helene: Oh, God! How I want to paint them on my canvas! Just like how Goya portrayed Spanish King Carlos IV of Spain on his painting of the royal family at the time - La Familia de Carlos IV! He drew that old and incompetent King - along with his family - as utter fools! To think he allowed Godoy to be a lover of his queen! No wonder why Napoleon chained him as a prisoner!
Like winning a lottery all of a sudden, Helene yelled before she nearly choked herself laughing. Trying to breath and cough, Helene almost fell from the balcony. She immediately waved her hand and kept balance. She then scratched her head and let out her tongue, seemly realized that she was only embarrassing herself. Laura, Stiyl, Villian, Matt and Rimea looked at each other with drops of sweat on their face. Helene's mischievous behavior had made them speechless.
Matt: I thought Yuri Barnes is weird enough. At first, I didn't believe that artists are eccentric at all, but now I do.
Helene: Ahem, I heard that, Mr. Butcher. Sorry.
Helene then stopped acting like a weirdo, before she leaped from the balcony. She then turned into a floating canvas full of patterns, before she landed on the ground once again and became a human.
Helene: Perhaps the old habit dies hard. Well, anyway, I already made my clowns to pass by the place and saw it through telescope. No one would ever doubt these little birds of mine.
Helene then walked towards the people looking at her. Now, she acted much calmer and more like a ordinary people, perfectly normal. As long as she didn't think about her favorite artworks, she's just like a plain person, albeit in a mask.
Helene: Me and my colleagues will go first. Even if you don't believe me, you should never give up in believing Croatoan inside me. It never lies. Carl Robinson and Cardinal Sforza are under the place, along with Firenza Blood Bomb, which is strange that I can detect it in the range of my ability. I'll go first to deal with those guards, paving a way for you to save them both. Their lives depend on you all.
Helene then lifted her head and smiled once again.
Helene: So... do we have a deal?
People in front of Helene looked at each other, but then they sighed. So far, they can't find anyone else to believe, so they decided to follow her.
Matt: We're in.
Nowadays[]
Matt: Aw, and then I got on your road before I discovered that this entrance was also actually guarded... What a rough anticipation you had, you little duper.
Without response, Helene stared at the Langdon Orphan guards in a pair of dead fish eyes.
Helene: (think) * Oops, to think I might have fully make this situation miscalculated... *
Helene let out an embarrassed fake chuckle and shook her head. She neatly petted some clown-faced balls tied on her belt.
Helene: Well, at least I brought others here... well, through these balls. Some properly set transportation, hmm?
Matt felt coldness coming down his spine when he saw Helene's smile, some smile like a sadist. It was revealed that actually, Helene turned others into 5cm tall miniatures and put them inside clown-faced ball-shaped toys to carry. Matt merely stared at the balls of Helene and gulped, feeling something horrible drenching him.
Matt: Is there any difference between this and carrying balls full of hamsters?
Helene stared at Matt and narrowed her gaze. She saw Matt holding his sword at her and was about to cut her down if he ever wished. Helene knew that he wasn't trusting her for now.
Helene: Well, don't worry, sir. They'll be fine. When I opened these balls, they'll return back to normal... My friends are used to it... but not so much for the Protestants. Just keep that sword down, okay?
Matt hesitated for a split second, before putting his sword back into his sheath. Looking around, Helene then saw a punk waving spray cans and sprayed paints on the wall, leaving graffiti on it. Dissatisfied, Helene tapped her mask with her index finger.
Helene: Anyway, if this cannot work, I need to improvise.
Helene the casted a spell in whimpering. Matt then saw Helene's arm was literally torn by some chromatic wires coming inside her, glowing like rainbows. Then, her hand had become colorful wires as well.
Shocked and mesmerized, Matt gasped as he saw the iridescent wires started to reach the punk 50 meters away. However, instead of pricking the punk, the wires pricked into one of the paint spray cans, sending flashes inside. Helene immediately noticed that Matt, mesmerized by the flashing, just stared at the wires with obsession.
Helene: Close your eyes, Mr. Butcher... PLEASE!
Matt was greeted by unpleasant pain when Helene stepped on his foot. Matt immediately squinted and tried to ease his pain, while avoiding the light that mesmerized him. However, much to his surprise it was apparent that Helene, in spite of the weirdness of the iridescent wires, was able to look into it.
Helene then stared at the wires as it tied up the spray can, which alerted the punk. He immediately stepped back when the tank started to glow into ominous light and began to morph into a completely different shape - more like a 7-foot-tall humanoid.
The spray can transformed into a robotic monster instantly, who started to sway its arm and flexed itself. The punk was so scared that he immediately rushed away from the wall that he just made his unfinished graffiti. Helene smiled in satisfaction as she reached her new creation.
Helene: I'm not really a hater of graffiti, but I'm no fan of vandalism either. Actually, the city is now cleaner without vandalism... 'cause I'll use these paint on my own canvas. My first hand-made Croatoan Spawn Monster for years.
As the glowing wires returned back to Helene's wrist, transforming back into her hands, Matt couldn't expect what he saw. He saw Helene used something inside her body to create a mechanical creature... Spray-Croatoan.
Helene: Tres bien. I haven't use any Croatoan Virus injection into any inorganic objects, maybe for years, but apparently it seemed to work well. Nothing ever gone rusty.
Matt: So, this is your power, too? What would you do with it?
Helene took a look at the guard at the gate of Westminster Palace not far away. She narrowed her gaze and took a deep breath.
Helene: Plan B: Diversion and sneak attack. Plan C: Wreck Havoc. Plan D: Bring them both on. Which part would you choose?
Matt slightly looked up into the sky and fell into thoughts. However, Helene just turned around and saw the running punk. She cooed like a sadistic clown.
Helene: Ooh, by the way...
Helene immediately snapped her finger and flipped a purple paint ball from her glove. The paint ball hit the punk's neck and made him stopped. Matt looked at the teenager stepped forward and looked around, seemly forgotten what happened. Then, the punk simply walked away.
Helene: I erased some part of his memory in the last 30 minutes, and he forgot about my Croatoan Spawn.
Matt: Nice job. Now, our plan will proceed without any disturbance. Speak of this, Helene...
Matt stared at the guards at the front door.
Matt: I guess Plan D is the best.
Helene: Ah, oui...
Helene then picked small microphone and a large one, much to Matt's confusion.
Matt: What's this?
Helene's lips lifted a bit as she handed the large microphone to Matt and placed the small one on her own Croatoan Spawn she just created.
- Helene: Some distraction.
2 minutes later
Parliament Gate
(BGM: Psychotic Song)
The Langdon Orphan Guards at the front door gazed into the streets and narrowed their gaze, even with fly swatters on their belt. It seemed that the guards had regarded insects as their enemies just like the Catholic Rebels. However, they didn't notice that something was coming towards them... something much bigger... until he was 300 meters away.
Matt: (voice) [You guys there! Didn't your family know that fly swatters are just burdens for a soldier to carry!?]
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
LO Guard 1: Who the heck is that?
The Spray-Croatoan started to shout at the guards and successfully distracted them. Of course, the monster itself cannot speak. Actually, Matt was speaking in a place with the larger microphone.
Matt: (voice) [It's me! Seriously, I am Matt Butcher! Can't you realize your nastiest natural enemy, you guys?]
The two soldiers raised their gun at the creature and looked at each other, both with sweat drops on their face.
LO Guard 1: The Hell was that? He doesn't match with Matt Butcher on his appearance.
LO Guard 2: You idiot! That must be some magi-tech armor from Chronos Empire! Let's take it down and find who the hell is inside!
The guards immediately chased out to the monster, unnoticing Matt and Helene hiding in empty trash cans. Helene heard them running away and silently opened the trash can, patting herself from the dust and knocked the trash can of Matt.
Helene: That was close. They think I'm a Chronos, but clearly I'm a Croatoan~ Now, coast is clear, Mr. Butcher. We should—Hmm?
No one answered her. Helene stared at the cylinder trash can that contained Matt, who was still singing inside, singing "Partners in Crime" horribly, much to Helene's chagrin.
Matt: (sing) * You'll never take us alive~ We live like ghost among the streets, lovers and partners - partners in crime! *
"..............................................."
Helene: Hey! Knock it off! I didn't say you can sing! We should get into the place quickly, or we'll be discovered!
Switching off the switch in her pocket that was connected to the smaller microphone on Spray Croatoan, Helene spoke to Matt as serious as she could. However, Matt didn't stop. Frustrated, Helene almost started to kick the the trash can, but then she saw the Spray Croatoan coming back, dragging two unconscious men with themselves drenched in paints.
Helene: Ooh, well done. That's mommy's boy.
Smiled proudly, Helene watched as the Spray Croatoan added some smokey white spray on the guards before suddenly, they morphed into ordinary civilians. Helene looked around and saw no one hiding in here. She bit her lips and swayed her index finger like a hook. The Spray Croatoan approached her as she whispered at it.
Helene: I need you to prepare some camouflage for three of us...
The Spray Croatoan nodded and started to fill its paint. Helene then turned around as Matt finished singing inside. Matt noticed that the lid of his can was opened, and he looked up, meeting eye to eye with Helene's sinister glare and clenched fist... and above all, an unsettling smile.
Helene: But first I'll shut this out-of-tune fellow up!
Hearing this, Matt was unease, very unease.
Matt: What!?
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Matt: AHH! AHHH! SPARE MY FACE!
Helene angrily kicked the trash can which rolled on the pavement, with Matt rolling with it. Helene snatched Matt's ear and dragged him out of the trash can, pulling him up. Matt was shocked to feel Helene's strength, which was too much for a petite girl like her. Helene and the Croatoan Monster beside her lifted Matt up and made him stand straight, like operating on a plastic puppet.
Matt: Hey, stop or I'll--
However, Matt's words was interrupted when a large paper flipped itself on his face. Matt torn it down from his face like tearing down a glued paper.
Matt: What the ^%$@!...
Letting out a (censored) swore, Matt then stared at the paper in his hand and gasped. It was his wanted poster, the same one to the one that the guard accidentally thrown away... Matt's own wanted poster from Langdon Orphans...
Helene: * gasp *
Matt: Oh, my... Aw, fortunately, as far as I heard... they haven't printed it in a mass production way.
Matt breathed anxiously as he looked into the face on the wanted poster, but his hand was quivering.
Helene: So what's a big deal?
Matt: You're an artist. Just take a look.
Helene gazed into the poster and immediately gulped. What they saw was a parody of Matt's picture, just showing him grinning like a hyena.
Helene: Well, whoever drew you the portrait needs some teaching in the fine arts.
Matt: Of course. They just can't make my face right. Look at this mouth and teeth. I don't smile like that. It makes me like a total retard--
However, all of a sudden, Helene flanked the paper right on the face of Matt.
Helene: Zip it! You're wasting our time, big mouth!
Helene: That'll keep you quiet. If you dare to be lousy again, I'll glue a postage stamp on your body and send you to Madagascar via a ship!
Helene now tied Matt up like a package. She and the Spray Croatoan dragged him all the way to the Parliament. By the way, Matt had his mouth sealed in tape and started to weep.
Matt: (think) * I must be in a nightmare! *
Act 1 - Conspiracy on the Star[]
Helene and Matt successfully infiltrated into the parliament alongside their team, but eeriely, nobody was inside the building. Helene then started to find a secret passage that would led her team into the ground. All of a sudden, nonetheless, Matt was knocked out by some unseen power, because of Cain Knightlord's mere presence, which sent him into a weird dream...
In the meantime, Helene had recognized Matt's primary blade, which she believed it had a long history and would be an effective weapon against a certain evil force - the Sabbat Clan. Yuri Barnes, whilst confronting the Langdon Orphans, had discovered the reason to cause Matt's absence...
In addition to that, unbeknowest to Maria's group, Fiamma of the Right made his arrival to London after he executed Celestia Ludenberg, this time for real.
Part 3 - Reinforcement[]
5 minute later
Parliament
House of Lords
Hall
Helene prepared invisible camouflage from her Spray Croatoan monster to turn all of her crew invisible, and Matt was no exception. Such camouflage would prevent them from being discovered by humans.
Gathering inside the parliament, Helene and Matt looked around and then to each other. The coast was clear, somehow. They had no idea that many members in the House of Lords were slain by Cain and Carl because of their role in toppling the Robinson family and indirectly caused the deaths of Carl's parents. Matt gripped on his sword and narrowed his gaze.
Matt: (think) * It's so darn cold and quiet here. I even doubt there would be any enemy. *
Helene let out several capsules from her cloth and rolled them on the ground just behind her, as the capsules transformed and had became the members of Merry Melody, all gathered behind Helene and Matt.
Helene: There might not be any guards here, but I can sense sinister and deadly scent, meaning there could be some dark spells of traps on this very ground. We must hurry and be careful.
Helene then surveyed the hall and found nowhere to lead to the sewers. She let out a sigh and turned to Matt.
Helene: After you. I need a guide, so would you do me a favor?
Matt: Hmph... Sure thing.
Casually, Matt let out a "hmph" and marched forward, while holding his blade. He slowly and carefully. He believed that Helene would be even scarier than a trap to him.
Matt: .........................................
Helene walked forward as she paced closer, closer and closer to the secret passage towards the sewers, where the Langdon Orphans had took their part into. The plan was that Matt would start an ambush alongside Helene in order to backup Maria, as she confronted Carl. In fact, Matt also believed that Carl would still trust him, and there would be a chance to negotiate with him.
Helene: Now...
Helene snapped her finger as some clay seeped out of her face and covered her body, covering herself like an armor before building herself into a much taller and stronger shell to take control. Now, Helene seemed much more adult like inside this clay shell, as this was one of her battle forms. All she had to be careful about was water and fire.
Matt: Wait... There is something...
Matt suddenly felt his sword he was gripping began to shake, and he called the others to stop immediately. Helene also furrowed her eyebrows.
Helene: There IS something here, am I right? Something nasty. I can feel it like a choke on my throat.
Matt: No, not really... It's just because I was too nervous that...
Matt and Helene's coversation was interrupted when a loud bang came from a place not far away. Helene took a deep breath and turned to the scene immediately, gasping. The sound was coming from the ground.
Matt: They must be fighting underneath!
Helene: Find its source!
Helene and the Merry Melody members scattered in the hall, knocking the ground to look for a possible tunnel deep inside. However, Matt still gripped his sword and was holding still, like a statue. His expression became more and more unnerved by each passing second. His body was shaking due to some dark and harrowing presence he discovered underground.
Helene: Strange...
Helene became equally unnerved as she found no trace of where the sound had exactly came from, considering that it bounced into several locations. Hardly did she know that it came from Maria and Carl, who were fighting each other in the sewers, from one segment to another. Nevertheless, Helene did guessed out that there was an intense fight beneath the ground.
Helene: Hmm, Mr. Butcher, I need a help here. If you can cut a large hole through this floor...
Much to Helene's shock and concern, Matt didn't answer, as all of a sudden, his body began to spasm. He rolled his eyes with his mouth foaming. Beatrice and Helene immediately gathered around Matt.
Helene: Matt!?
Horrified, Helene immediately paced towards Matt and began shaking him. She also started to slap him in the face. All others gathered around her as well, trying to awaken Matt.
Helene: I'm sorry, but you MUST keep yourself awake! Come on, come on! Please don't... Don't...
As Helene was slapping Matt, her face had became more and more distraught. In an instance, Helene immediately realized something. It was just like Maria after the Catholic Rebels salvaged her, as she fell into comatose. Maybe, he was also trapped in an illusion... but of what cause?
Beatrice: We can't waste any time, Helene. We must hurry up. I'll carry him on the way.
Helene nodded and let Beatrice to carry Matt on her shoulders. Whilst Beatrice has some strength stronger than average female, even she was hard to carry Matt, who was not only taller than her, but also equipped with a large sword on his back. Hardly would anyone that strong to carry a sword.
Beatrice: Oh, God, he's deadweight...
Bubbly, Phoebe, Alfonso and Helene immediately pulled the sword out of Matt's equipment as much as they could, in order to spare Beatrice of some weight. Then, the four had to drag the sword along their ways.
Helene: Darn it... What is this...
Helene looked on the ceiling in sheer disbelief. However, her disbelief was soon replaced by determination. Actually, Helene was trying to hide her sadness and stress after years of wandering around the world, away from her hometown that used to be Sleepy Hollow, and was on a way escaping from the hunt of some organization known as STAR LABS of United States of America, which seized its power more than a decade ago.
Helene: (think) * No... I must carry it on... Actually, Matt Butcher and Maria Arzonia are the only ways I can reach Baccarrat... They can help me to find Guinevere before she did something bad... to all I have... *
Helene then took a deep breath and continued to survey this room, before she spotted a pillar beside her, there had no one there. She pointed at the location and began to drag Matt (in comatose) to the pillar.
Helene: (think) * In order to reunite with Baccarat, in order to reunite with Selina, I must grab any opportunity I could find... That would have been something that Katrina will do in order to save her husband. I... I can't let those I've lost to die in vain! *
Helene took a long and hard way to hide Matt behind a pillar, and began to take a look at his condition, after Beatrice left Matt on the floor. She just stare at Beatrice as a signal, reminding her to stay guard, and Beatrice set out to find enemy or trap. Helene took a sigh in relief and looked at the sword Matt was now carrying... before she let out a gasp.
Helene: (think) * This sword... Why is it in his hand? This is... the key to solve... *
A mixture of excitement and surprise filled Helene's heart when she took a look, just one glance, at Matt's own blade, before she widened her eyes in joy and gasped in happiness.
Helene: (think) * Thank God! If this is the real thing, then... this man will at least be a wonderful assistant to deal with that witch... That Guinevere... *
Bubbly: Eh, Helene?
Bubbly's raise of question pulled Helene out of her excitement, and she gapsed and realized she was unwary of her surroundings. Everyone were now looking at her widening her mouth and narrowing her gaze...
Helene: Oops, nothing...
Helene immediately calmed herself down from the excitement and looked at Matt, in a more concerned and serious manner. She knew that the dark presence might have been something to do to cause Matt suffocated into his comatose. She would be even more surprised if she knew that dark presence that affected Matt was not Carl... but Cain Knightlord himself.
1 minute later
Star of Bethlehem
Control Room
Above London, at the 2,000 meter, the Star of Bethlehem, which served as the invisible fortress of Fiamma of the Right, floated closer towards the center of this city in order to carry out its following moves. Fiamma stood at the control room and chuckled in pride.
His face was now fueled by anticipation and excitement. Another woman stood behind him as Fiamma gave out his sarcastic comments.
Fiamma: Hahahahaha... Finally, a new subject in my trap. Another person who would desecrate our divine authority with jeers and laughs, with her intense and shocking arts to desecrate our project... Ridiculous.
Fiamma turned around in sneer and looked at Guinevere Arzonia behind her. Guinevere is a woman slightly taller than an European woman's average height, particularly those in her age, but she is still shorter than Fiamma. She dressed in blue blouse and red cloak, wielding several swords on her back. She would be like a female version of Matt, but with no sense of humor or energy.
Fiamma: It looks like your sister doesn't know you're here, or maybe she had forget about you. I don't blame Maria Arzonia. We've put her into much more intense trouble than we have ever expected... and that's enough to drive her to the edge.
Fiamma let out a grin of ambition, as Guinevere gazed through the window, looking at the urban area beneath the fortress.
Guinevere: Hmph.... When God announces someone to fall, he will drive them crazy. I always believe this. Helene arrived here mainly for me, as her target, so I guess I'll set out to take her down before she would rescue that Baccarat Blueberry from our cells.
Fiamma sighed and began opening the radio, while hearing a music by Bach. He bit his lips and looked at the crucifix on his neck. He soon closed his eyes and imagined a tree burning in front of him, with Helene Hawthorn and Acqua of the Back being tied upon it.
Fiamma: You can deal with Helene, but my main grudge was against that petty Acqua of the Back. I warned him before, I warned him for a long time, and he didn't believe me...
After enduring some unsetting silence for a few moments, Guinevere narrowed her gaze and turned to Fiamma, with suspicion in her eyes, as both of them warily gazed at each other. Her emotions was mixed with both surprise, confusion and curiosity.
Guinevere: .................................
"........................................."
Guinevere already knew that Fiamma of the Right would agree with Melancholia in order to defeat the common threat from Maria Arzonia, or to capture a traitor like Vaclav Havel or Hugue de Watteau, with the latter objective he had already accomplished just a few moments ago. She had no idea how and why he agreed so fast.
"........................................."
Guinevere: With all due respect, Father Fiamma, I thought you didn't like to work with us, since now that brainwashing effect of Aleister Crowley was put off, thanks to the Mother Superior's generosity. What makes you change the idea?
Fiamma shrugged his shoulder, chuckling in confidence. His attitude was so calm and composed that Guinevere couldn't even breathe in front of him. She was somehow nervous
Fiamma: Ha, isn't it obvious? As you can see, I wouldn't have step down myself to work with Eckidina or the KnightWalker Family if it wasn't because of fools like Acqua of the Back or Vento of the Front. I already warned Acqua what would happen if he cross me, but Maria's previous death had somehow made him change... That's so unsettling and so disappointing.
Fiamma sat on his chair with his smile retained. The more he spoke, however, the more concern and alert Guinevere was shown.
Fiamma: Vento... is basically another apostate that soils our divine duty as God's Right Hand for an insignificant little girl... I can't believe it, and I guess I should find another unconventional way in order to restore our faith back to our glorious age. I though we were friends, but meh...
Fiamma's face turned into wrath when he remembered how Vento humiliated him before, on the term of Maria's apparent demise. He didn't like how Maria Arzonia changed Vento's notion of faith.
Fiamma: She, Acqua as well as the entire KnightWalker Alliance are merely my steepen stone towards success, in order to reevaluate this world and make it an ideal place for God to return.
Fiamma then walked all the way towards Guinevere steadily, one step after another. Guinevere did not move and stood in her position, like being petrified.
Fiamma: Yeah... my purpose is not just for Michael Langdon, much less Eckidina KnightWalker... I thought Michael would be my ideal partner in work, but I guess I need to go forth and carry out my plan by myself.
Fiamma then turned around in her back, seeing a girl with black hair and dress now tied up, gagged and injured in front of them. Fiamma then unleased a wide grin full of estcasy.
Fiamma: Don't you think so, dear Celestia Ludenberg, my faithful friend? You should've thought about consequences when you came to our force purely for money. If Melancholia is here, she might've keep you as her pragmacy, but here... This is MY territory.
Celestia: (babbling) Let me out! Please! I'll go anywhere you want... Just leave me alone! Guinevere? Help me! Guinevere!
Screaming vainly, Celestia struggled in pain and agony as Fiamma turned to Guinevere, who had silently agreed with Fiamma's points at least on Celstia. In spite of her situation, she still believed that Guinevere would at least spare her from imminent death.
"............................................."
Sighed, Guinevere shook her head and merely stared at Celestia in indifference. She was even taking a favorable feeling towards Fiamma's treachery as well as his abandonment towards Celestia.
Guinevere: Fuh, I knew this day would come. Pathetic moron, trying to exploit our resources for your good?
Celestia: Huh?
Celestia, the real Celestia (not a doppelganger based on Frankenstein Series this time), reacted in horror and then was filled with emptiness, when she realized all of the hope for her survival had lost. Guinevere refused to help her out.
Guinevere: Remember, no one pushes us around. Since Maria is now inside London, and the Russian Resistance is now crushed...
Celestia: NO! NO--
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Celestia's word was cut short when Guinevere raised her sword and stabbed its tip straight to Celestia's throat, and pinned her on a wall behind her.
Guinevere: Your permanent retirement begins now, Celestia. I'll say you're killed by Maria and her allies instead. Anyway, those fools like Acqua of the Back is now being held back by Carl, so they won't come out to deal with me for now.
Guinevere pulled out her sword, and Celestia desperately tried to cover the cut on her throat in despair, to no avail. Guinevere raised back to her full height and turned away, leaving Celestia to bleed to death slowly and painfully. There would be nothing Celestia could do except waiting for death came calling.
Fiamma furrowed his eyebrows nervously when he saw the straightforward kill that Guinevere delivered. Nevertheless, he soon calmed himself down.
Fiamma: Well, I like you spirit. I guess we're even now, and I'll focus on dealing with Vento and Acqua, especially Acqua. I'll know how much he would pay for disregarding my warning and work with a heretic and criminal like Maria Arzonia.
Guinevere bitterly stared at Fiamma and clenched her fist. She seemed nervous and didn't say anything. However, deep inside her mind, she was calm, cold and composed.
Fiamma: Besides, Guinevere, I admire your talent, but don't forget that you're also an important cog on this machine of age created by myself.
"........................................."
Guinevere: (think) * Let him fend off Acqua. At least, Fiamma has no idea whatever was inside one of his secret chamber, thus far. *
Guinevere wiped a droplet of sweat on her forehead nervously, when Fiamma let out his vicious smile at her.
Guinevere: (think) * If he discovered that little secret of mine inside, I'll done for. Just let him drench inside that pathetic ambition as of yet. This war will be important for us. *
Guinevere then turned around, feigning her servitude towards Fiamma and bowed in front of him. Fiamma smiled at her with satisfaction.
Guinevere: I'm flattered, Father Fiamma. Don't worry. The KnightWalker Family, and Maria Arzonia, will both fall by the time this war is done. I'm so sure that your own... ambition... will turn into reality.
Guinevere stopped bowing and continued her request calmly, as Fiamma nodded with confidence.
Guinevere: I'll take care of Maria and Helene, whilst Father Fiamma can activate the Dome when the right time arrives. Besides...
Guinevere turned around and see Hugue de Watteau being tied up in the jail. However, Vaclav Havel wasn't there.
Guinevere: Lord Vaclav Havel is in London, but is yet to be placed under Mother Superior's custody. Now, I have the entire London in our control, one way AND another. Father Fiamma... if you want to capture and torture this traitor, now it's the time. Still, she wants you to do the torture labor personally.
Guinevere turned back to Fiamma and raised her eyebrows, whilst Fiamma was a lot taken aback by Guinevere's words.
Fiamma: As I excepted.
Meanwhile...
Parliament
House of Lords
Matt: Carl... what happened to you...
Matt kept mumbling as he tried hard to regain consciousness, but within his own illusion, he began to lost himself. By far, Matt had no idea what Carl had become - a stone cold and merciless creature, with bleached hair and skin, as well as a demonic vibe and power that was absolutely unstoppable... All he now got lost was inside a deep nightmare...
Matt: ..........................
Helene and Beatrice were carrying Matt all the way to the meeting room, and other hallways, hoping to find a secret tunnel. The entire area was as silent as a graveyard, but Helene could felt something that went wrong, something dark and powerful, that caused Matt to fell into such a coma.
Other members of the Merry Melody separated to find traces of tunnels elsewhere. Helene became anxious and dreaded because of such experience, which only reminded her that the clock was ticking.
Helene: Beatrice... I don't feel quite well. Ever since that Guinevere had ambushed our tent, that feeling from her body had carved inside my mind... and I sense it once more, here.
Beatrice began knocking the wall one part after another.
Beatrice: Hard to believe that happened. Since Father Hugue remained passive in favor of his own agenda, we can manage these by ourselves.
Helene: Not... always ourselves.
Beatrice then knocked on another wall... before suddenly, she heard an echo, as if this was a door and hid a empty space behind it. Beatrice widened her eyes in astonishment. She turned around to Helene in pleasure.
Beatrice: Ms. Hawthorn, look, it might be whatever we need!
Helene: Really?
Helene had to put her worry aside and started to push the wall... which stayed still when she pushed it.
Helene: I wonder if there is a setup somewhere...
Helene then surveyed the wall... and suddenly, she saw a portrait of King George the Fifth hanging on the wall, but its frame was a bit slanted. Helene stood up and started to move this painting, turning it for 30 degree clockwise, and made it in its proper position. She smiled in relief.
Helene: Ah, much better.
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Helene: Hmm?
Much to the astonishment of Helene and Beatrice, however, the "wall" itself had moved away right in front of them, as soon as Helene fixed the frame's position. Turned out, the painting was a trigger...
Beatrice: Huh?
A long and black tunnel was behind it. Helene immediately turned around to face Beatrice.
Helene: Tell everyone else, we find the passage! Follow me!
Helene immediately set out and rushed into the passage, leaving Beatrice and Matt behind her. Beatrice merely shrugged her shoulder.
Beatrice: Hmm, luck.
Beatrice immediately dialed her numbers to her comrades, in order to give them a call... whilst Matt still struggled in pain due to the darkness stemmed from the tunnel...
Part 3.5 - Peculiar Dream[]
Real World[]
Meanwhile...
Underground
Sewers
"..............................................."
Yuri: Huh?
Yuri was barely distracted by some strange presence coming from the top, as he turned around from the Langdon Orphan soldiers that were burnt down by his blue flames, into piles crisps.
Yuri was worried about Maria's current well-beings, but after focusing himself once again from the distraction, he sighed and sniffed in disgust. Deep inside the charred corpses of LO soldiers, there were nothing but signs of twisted internal mutations.
In other words, those soldiers merely looked like humans, or perhaps they were humans, but now they were anything but. Yuri never intend to think about what they had endured when being used as disposable pawns of Michael and Melancholia.
Nor did he care. All he tried to do was to find the bomb, defuse it, and bring Carl to imprisonment. However, if there was needs, Yuri would not hesitated on eliminating Carl.
Still, where did Matt Butcher go to?
Comtemplating this, Yuri marched forward to Duo Iqus, who was now dueling Tres. He now had a theory about why Matt and the others failed to arrive...
- Yuri: If Matt cannot be here in five minutes... our backup plan will be set into its course.
He felt an distinctive force that accompanied Cain Knightlord's presence... and that shall explain Matt's absence.
Matt's Illusion[]
???
???
???
???: Wakey, wakey...
Matt: What... what's this...
Enduring all the daze and pain inside his head, Matt crawled himself and got up from the ground and... looked around, as he cleared up his head. He looked around and widened his eyes in confusion. He saw no one beside him, nor did Helene. Matt was baffled and distraught, as he thought he was now in the battle alongside some new allies, trying to reach Maria, who might be in danger at any time now.
Matt: Helene? The clowns? Where are you?
Calling for those troupe members, Matt sniffed in confusion and looked around, finding himself inside a large library room with several books on a large dusty desk. The window was gray and glimmered in pale light.
Matt: What the...
Still lost in the situation, Matt stood up and touched his hair... and somehow he found that his hair had turned... into a new hairstyle. His hair was apparently much longer than he was now and was made into a braid.
Matt: Huh!?
Matt immediately turned around and looked at himself in the mirror. He was utterly shocked by what he saw. Now, he had a much more matured and refined appearances as well as a new costume, a teal coat instead of the white coat he was wearing... Matt stumbled back in shock as he saw his reflection.
Matt: WHOA!
Matt leaped back and fell out of the door behind him, lying down... on a meadow. The sky was blue and the wind was serene. He was desperately trying to calm down when he appeared inside the meadow, without warning. He was really, really shocked by what he saw in the mirror.
Matt: That's not me... Was that... Was that my father I saw!?
Matt gulped and shook his head as he tried to remember the face inside his head. For the next five seconds, Matt desperately tried to calm himself down.
Matt: No... it was me... but why did I become almost like my dad?
Before Matt could answer the question for himself, however, a mysterious voice came alongside a quick wind that blown the grass beside him, startling him.
???: Mr. Butcher, that's you, but it's you in one of the sequence of future, near or far.
Matt was alerted. This sultry and husky voice was a female voice, albeit much deeper than normal voice of a human, even lower than Maria's current voice. He was baffled. This was clearly not the voice of Helene Hawthorn or whoever she was. It was from another stranger.
Matt: What?
Matt stood up from the grass and drew his sword out, now utterly baffled. He saw his blade was still wielded on his belt, even though that wasn't the same belt he was wearing. Still, it was the same blade he was wielding.
Matt: Who are you? Show yourself! Otherwise, I'll make you taste the pain and agony like being burned inside a furnace!
The voice gave him a response in just one second.
???: I already tasted it. It's quite a displeasure. In the other words, you no longer have the necessity to kill me.
Matt: Why?
The wind itself swirled beside Matt and lifted several pieces of pedals from the meadow. Slowly, they began to form a humanoid figure in front of Matt, a woman with long hair.
???: Because I'm already dead.
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Matt: What?
Matt gasped and stepped back nervously, as the pedals merged together thanks to the wind. This woman, who was speaking since Matt appeared in this strange place, had finally showed herself.
The woman was strange from head to toe, not being entirely human. She was an extremely tall and slender woman (even one head taller than Matt himself), with stunning beauty. She stood about 1.87m tall, with long teal hair, pointy ears and pale skin, as well as a pair of large black wings slowly forming on her back, walking in bare feet. She was wearing a long white robe and several gold necklace. Her presence was like some kind of unearthly humanoid creature.
???: Pleasure to meet you, Matt Butcher. My, my, I guess you'll be more like your late father in the future.
Matt widened his eyes in complete blankness. The woman smiled sinisterly and floated in front of him. He couldn't understand what she was speaking... except maybe one thing.
Matt: Wait... You said you're already dead?
???: Yup.
The woman nodded... and Matt stumbled back, screaming in terror. His scream was so intense that it was the woman's turn to stumble back out of shock.
Matt: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
???: W-wait! You're not dead yet! YOU'RE STILL ALIVE! FRESH LIKE A DAISY! Stop screaming! Stop it! I SAID, STOP!
The woman immediately waved her hand to make Matt stop screaming. Matt pushed the woman away and started to pinch his face.
Matt: REALLY!? IF I'M STILL ALIVE, THEN WHY AM I MEETING WITH A WOMAN WHO WAS ALREADY DEAD?! I SHOULD'VE BEEN INSIDE THE CITY OF LONDON!
The woman scrambled her frazzled hair and combed it to make it straight again. She helplessly watched as Matt trying to breath, cough and hit himself to test if he was still alive.
Moments later, she slapped his shoulder, and all of a sudden, Matt was frozen like a statue.
???: Come on, guy. Is that the attitude towards someone who had just saved your life?
"!!?"
Stop screaming, Matt gasped at the woman with surprise. He watched as the woman walked right in front of him.
Matt: You saved... my life?
The woman let her lips down.
???: Or else? You call yourself an air force soldier? A bird has more vigor that you. At least, it can bring down a plane!
Matt sighed and shook his head in dismay. The woman touched him again and unfroze him, causing to collapse on the ground. The woman shook her head and pulled him up.
Matt: Hey, that's a stupid comparison. Anyway, who the heck are you? I never see you before.
The woman smiled with composure as she watched Matt petting his own coat, brushing dust from it.
???: Forgive my blunt attitude. My name is Aerisi Kalinoth, formerly the Prophet of Air.
Intensely, Matt gulped as he heard the name of Aerisi... He already heard about the name from Eva... as one of her co-creators of what was now known as the Frankenstein's monsters project.
According to Eva's information, the project was manipulated by Michael Langdon as an anonymous client, which had involved Eckidina KnightWalker, the late Dr. Victor Frankenstein and a third one as a participant.
Aerisi: Yes, indeed...
That third participant was Aerisi, who directly breath life into the body of Eva Frankenstein, when Dr. Frankenstein failed to because of his fear of Eckidina. They tried to create homuculus out of the dead bodies and resurrected the victims died when famine struck the Land Without Color, a monochromatic land that was similar to Victorian England.
In the end, however, Eckidina betrayed both of them and revealed her true intention to create an undead monster army, before taking the entire horde away, except one being; Adam Frankenstein, who managed to gain a free will through his exposure towards humanity.
".............................."
Aerisi: ... Wait, you named her "Eva"?
Aerisi suddenly realized another meaning within Matt's description. She didn't actually name the creature. By far, half of the Frankenstein series were now destroyed by Katarina Couteau (when she travelled in the past) and Sister Mary Eunice's combined force, but still, there were some survivors. They were given new abilities through the Langdon Orphans' remodification and became shape-shifting doppelgangers of some certain people.
Matt: No, she named herself it. Like Adam, she now has a full sense of morality and intelligence. Still, she learning our languages.
Aerisi gasped in surprise at Matt's response. Later, she looked up to the sun and let out a sigh.
Aerisi: I see. So she reached the point as well. I'm glad about it. Anyway, you want to know what I meant of saving your life, right?
Matt nodded. Aerisi's face turned much more serious as her face went pale, even much paler than seconds before. Her smile had dissipated, which made her much more terrifying in the appearance.
Aerisi: You've just stumbled into the range of a top general from the dark Sabbat Clan... and nearly got killed by it. That's Cain Knightlord. Your soul was grasped by his dark energy not far away, and if you met him now, his energy would obliterate you the moment he saw you.
Before Aerisi could finished, Matt suddenly heard about the "Sabbat Clan" and stumbled back. This was even more shocking to him than Aerisi's revelation that she was a ghost.
Matt: Ugh...
Aerisi: I used a protection hex on you after finding you, and thus you're now immune to the Sabbat's dark presence. You're glad that I've been able to find you because of the Wind Armateus.
Matt was still lost in shock as he tried to digest Aerisi's description word by word. However, unlike the previous circumstances, Matt was confused over such a reaction. He didn't know why. Aerisi, nevertheless, raised her eyebrows.
Aerisi: Hmm, it seemed that it brought some surprise upon you. So you were the one that Mrs. Katrina Crane talked about...
Matt: Katrina who?
The words only brought more confusion to Matt, but after finishing her words, Aerisi just looked up towards the sky and looked around the meadow.
Aerisi: That room you once entered was the library of your house, before your parents passed away. This meadow... was where the house had once resided. One day, after you and your friends get rid of that malevolence for good, you'll return back to this place and live in peace... if you could ever make it here, because there are other bad things in the future for you.
Aerisi's words made Matt even more bedazzled. Aerisi was clearly citing about the past of Matt, but Matt somehow didn't remember if he lived in a house like that or lying on a meadow like this. In addition, he didn't know about who Katrina Crane was... It was such a strange name for him.
Matt: My house? Which town it was resided in?
Aerisi: ...... Sleepy Hollow.
Uttering the name of a town which no longer existed now, Aerisi made another blunt answer, which cause Matt to react in total shock. Now, he wasn't stumbling like previous moments, but still he was shocked, and was even more shocked. Aerisi made a fingersnap and everything went dark, whilst Matt had returned back to his original outfit and appearance.
Aerisi: That's the best future for you, Matt Butcher. Otherwise, I can see you either died or becoming a ferocious creature in human skin if you failed to exterminate those wretches. That ain't no pretty.
Matt took a deep breath and finally, he calmed himself down.
Matt: What do you mean? Which malevolence I should take down? Is it Michael Langdon or Eckidina KnightWalker?
Aerisi shrugged her shoulder and sniffed.
Aerisi: Yeah, well, I know they're amongst the enemies of the humanity, and I really have a bone to pick with them. However, every hero shall have their own nemesis, and the malevolence I referred to was the arch-nemesis of yours... and that young Patriarch of Russia.
Matt was absolutely stunned when he heard Aerisi mentioned there was another kind of malevolence, something that was neither Michael Langdon nor Eckidina KnightWalker. Matt pondered for an instance as he believed she was referring to the likes of Sonia Nevermind, Emperor Tathagata Killer, King Hamdo or some other dictators that was aligned with the KnightWalkers. Eventually, all that shattered when Aerisi finished her words.
An arch-nemesis for him and Patriach Krans.
Matt: What's Patriarch Krans connection with all of this? What do you mean by MY arch-nemesis?
Aerisi: This isn't coincidence. It was set ever since he was born. The core of such connection lies within one thing - the Elemental Armateus of Wind - of which he wielded.
Matt took a deep breath when he heard the term of the Elemental Armateus.
Just a few moments ago, he discovered that Noelle Bor, his sister, had become a host to the Elemental Armateus of Water, which had appeared because of the Firenza Blood beginning its full effect on the world.
Nevertheless, Patriarch Krans earned such artifact ever since he was younger, and the late Sister Vasilisa had stated once that this artifact was carried since he was born. It was only a matter of recent event that the young Patriarch of Russian Orthodox Church put it into use. It was not directly connected to the Firenza Blood event. Still, it centered around Carl nonetheless. Even so, Matt was still confused about this and couldn't get to the point.
Matt: So what?
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Unexpected, Aerisi was so shocked that her dropped her own jaw. She was even more frustrated that Matt asked in a flat and dull tone as if it didn't impress him, even if it was associated with one of his closest acquaintances.
Aerisi: So what? SO WHAT!? Huh, I don't expect that it didn't remind you of anything, boy! I guess my introduction isn't bright enough. May I be allowed to sing my version of "Only You" to explain everything, you jelly head? Like Law Ka Ying's parody...
Matt only watched as Aerisi facepalmed herself, and before he could speak, he heard her statement to sing in a tone like Law Ka Ying's Tang Priest parody of "Only You".
Aerisi: Oh~ O...
Matt: W-wait! Zip it! Just straight to the point. I don't have time for this!
Aerisi shrugged her shoulder and was extremely put out.
Aerisi: Very well, ahem, now Spoilers Ahead. Because Patriarch Krans is actually related to the Sabbat Clan and Sascha Vykos' bloodline, and the Sabbat Clan is now approaching to this world and trying to bring back the rule of Vykos once more, using the projects of Michael Langdon and Melancholia as a medium.
Aerisi then turned around to Matt and narrowed her gaze.
Aerisi: Vykos has a successor, someone to be their new incarnation, and she's coming for not just Maria, but also YOU and your sword.
Aerisi landed her sight on the blade that Matt wielded on his back. Matt narrowed his gaze and stepped back, gulping as Aerisi.
Aerisi: Eventually, this all has something to do to you and your family, Matthew Andrew Butcher, because this Sabbat Clan nearly took that blade, of which you...
Aerisi leaned closer to Matt and began to whisper in his ears.
Aerisi: ... have been wielding.
Aerisi's words was like an electric shock current that struck into the head of Matt, who himself flinched and stumbled three paces from Aerisi. Aerisi merely gazed into him and narrowed her gaze.
Aerisi: Thanks to Patriarch Krans' Armateus of Air, the essence of my soul can communicate with anyone that became close to him... and the Sabbat Clan. That's why I need to tell you something. Besides you, that little blondie and her bloodline also has something to do with such a filthy clan, Matthew...
Aerisi floated as she continued her words, before her face gazed upon what was behind Matt. Matt turned around and saw someone behind her. It was a shadow, but Matt had recognized that it was Helene's silhouette.
Aerisi: ... and that's why she's here, in this city known as London. Katrina was right about it. The Period of Tribulation is an infinite cycle, and Moloch merely played a lead role in it before he would handed such a role to the others.
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Matt gasped in the revelation as everything beside him disappeared into nothing but pure white mist. Helene's silhouette dissipated, and Aerisi was slowly fading into the darkness. Aerisi then shook her head and mumbled, and in Matt's perspective, she was apparently mumbling to herself.
Aerisi: Moloch's legacies still remains in this world, and so does whoever that worked with him. You were right, Katrina. You were right about it.
Matt: But I... I don't understand, lady! Why is that eccentric wreck has something to do with this? Why Maria was involved?
Matt immediately ignored whatever Aerisi was mumbling. In turn, he asked straight into the point. Aerisi looked at herself as the white-out started to crumble around them.
Aerisi: Remember, Carl Robinson isn't your only problem to be taken care off! Vykos' current incarnation is out there!
Matt: Wait! What?
Aerisi: She's out there, Matt, serving as the enemy of you, Maria, Patriarch Krans, Helene.. and your new faction!
Matt: Really? But how and why did you know--
Questions, heaps of questions, now filled inside Matt's head, occupying his brain and making his memory to have problems salvaging those information.
In a desperate attempt, Matt tried to ask further, but the illusion world then crumbled completely around him. Wind quickly blown beside Matt and picked him up, throwing him to the sky. Matt felt his throat was choked by some unseen force, causing him unable to speak, but he chould still hear Aerisi shouting at him.
Aerisi: I know it because I can feel it! She is also in London, and she is helping Michael Langdon and the Langdon Orphans! I believe, that must be why Helene is asking for your assistance! Matt, if you want to solve the mystery behind your parents' demise, you must BE AWARED OF HER! She also have a bone to pick with Maria, too! Stop her before she can assist Langdon and Melancholia in their plans! Firenza Junior's blood is just a part for whatever bigger and much worse that is yet to COME!
Immediately, Matt felt he was thrown down into the emptiness, before Aerisi's pledge ended with a scream.
- Aerisi: GO!!!
Act 2 - Sabbat Clan, Sabbat Plan[]
Alongside their team, Matt and Helene managed to get into the sewers and fought against enemies. Just then, a mysterious power had come out of blue and dragged them into another dimension similar to the House of Lords, albeit filled with blood as substitute to red paint. When Yuri discovered their whereabouts and arrived to rescue them, Helene's dark memory of her encountering with Guinevere Arzonia was sparked. Her motivation to arrive in London is about to be revealed.
In the sewers, Maria attempted to use extreme ways to interrogate about the bomb's whereabouts, whilst desperately trying to free Carl from the Langdon Orphans' influence. However, truth isn't easy to be revealed or believed without hard proof. Meanwhile, Father Hugue and Lord Vaclav were on their way to find out where would the Langdon Orphans attack next, but unbeknownst to them, Fiamma of the Right was right behind them. It shall lead to their... capture.
Part 4 - Cain Knightlord's Whispering[]
Real World[]
Underground
Beneath the Parliament
Sewers
Matt immediately opened his eyes widely and gasped the air, before seeing a shadow flashed across his face. He immediately lowered his head and find himself... standing. Now, he found himself standing in the sewers, where Helene and her friends fought against a group of guard.
Helene: God! I thought only horses slept standing up! What takes you so long, DAYDREAMER?!
Matt gasped in surprised and stepped back in panic and confusion.
Matt: What? You meant I was walking whilst sleeping?
Helene: Duh!
Helene slashed a troop of Langdon Orphans down as her body covered in stripes of paints, which Matt discovered that it was spilling into the midair like spilled milk in slow motion. Matt didn't hesitate for too long before drawing the sword and cut the enemy down with it. With a howl of pain, the guard collapsed on the ground. His helmet fell into the water and was flushed away.
Helene: Sigh... Many thanks! I thought you're gonna be a Sleeping Handsome and never get up. By the way, this guy isn't a guard that the Catholic Church will deploy... He must be some mercenary, deployed with thermo graphic goggles.
Helene kicked the guard's body again and again, to make sure he was dead for good.
Matt: You mean you're gonna give me a kiss to wake me up?
Helene smirk with unease as Matt stared at her.
Helene: Not really, I find the idea of true-love kiss rather tedious, and I'm married. I considered other ideas from aroma of spice... to electric shock. Beatrice asked if we could examine your head for hole if you didn't wake up in ten minutes. By the way, what did you dreamt about, young man?
Helene pointed at the woman with long black hair as she described her thoughts. The woman, Beatrice, waved at Matt in an embarrassed smile. Matt covered his face as if everything he endured was a fever dream.
Matt: I see... It doesn't matter. We'll discuss about what I dreamt about later. We need to find Maria first.
Ignoring Helene's question, Matt sighed as he withdrew his sword, and turned to the left.
Helene: Are you sure you don't want to know?
Matt: I only want to know the way to the stairs to the level below. Follow me.
Helene, Beatrice and others only watched as Matt went into the darkness right away. Helene shrugged her shoulder and began to run towards where Matt was approaching. Suddenly, Bubbly and Beatrice noticed that Helene smiled unnervingly as the latter followed Matt...
Bubbly: Blast it... She has some new "creative idea" in her mind...
Beatrice: ................................
Beatrice and others immediately followed Helene, but Beatrice had one more question that she didn't hesitate on speaking out...
Beatrice: Ms. Hawthorn?
She took a deep breath as her question caught Helene's attention. Helene knew that Beatrice had noticed something that was inside Matt's dream, something of pure secrecy, and was confused over Matt's actions. He seemed to be evading something from Helene, something he dismissed as mere dreams.
Helene: What is it?
Beatrice sniffed and looked at Matt, as he looked around to search for an entrance from one spot to another.
Beatrice: He had dreamt something... that is somehow important to our next moves. I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling that he's our own missing link to rescue Baccarat and fight against Guinevere... Should we ask him now?
Helene shook her head in disapproval, with a sad frown.
Helene: He doesn't even bother answering. We'll ask him about it later, but I'll keep it in mind...
The Merry Melody members followed Matt and disappeared into the darkness, but then Helene's frown turned upside down. What Helene was currently fixated on... was Matt's sword. Soon, she couldn't keep a straight face at this discovery.
- Helene: And you're right, Beatrice. This boy is our key... Our missing link.
Meanwhile...
Underground Sewers
In just one minute, Maria rolled herself inside the deluge where she had been flooded by the recent rain water coming from a downpour, but she still struggled against the flow and tightly held herself on the edge of the pipe, as she crawled herself from it. Standing up, Maria found herself alone, cold and wet inside the bleak darkness around her.
Maria: Shoot...
Maria clenched her teeth as she shambled towards the place where her friends and allies fighting with Langdon Orphans, as she knew she must arrived no matter what. However, she only felt her dress becoming heavier after they were soaked in water.
What was worse, she felt powerless, and she could not summon some fire sphere. It seemed that the water had somehow affected her, though Maria still felt weak power inside her. It seemed that such effect wasn't permanent.
Maria: M... Miss K-Katya...
Having no time to dry herself up, Maria immediately summoned a small flaming silver globe inside her hand with the power she could still use.
This was her own communication device of some sort, once used whilst communicating with and/or sending message to Sister Vasilisa of the Eastern Orthodox Church... and now, to the Witch Cult.
Maria: Ms. Katya, please deploy Operation Beta, now. There's been an accident, or a "tiny" problem...
Without further explanation, Maria cut off the message as soon as she heard some noise from not far away.
Carl: Arzonia, where are you!? Get out of here! I'll place you under your deserved punishment for the war crimes, one way or another! Either you turn yourself in, or I eliminate you to avenge my parents and my friends you've taken away! Your choice!
Maria clenched her teeth when she heard Carl's deep and disturbing voice not far away, but it sounded like he was speaking beside her... More precisely, it was like a lot of Carl speaking all around Maria like echoes in mountains, which had haunted her badly.
Maria: ......................................
Maria kept herself quiet for the time being. She really put a consideration on her tactics to destroy the time bomb Melancholia set somewhere in the city. Turned out, however, that accidents and unexpected turn of events had messed up with her arrangements, something she thought it would succeeded.
Maria tried to calm herself down whilst drying herself as she slowly raised her body temperature. Soon, Maria realized that she underestimated everything, especially about how far Carl had gone, about how sly and malicious Cain Knightlord can be, and about how vulnerable her own strategy would become if there was any unexpected turn of event popping out one by one.
However, there was no time for her to complain by now. Carl was manipulated by Melancholia and her minions, and his originally noble goal had gone to extreme to the point of harming innocents. Maria knew she didn't get to say this, but she knew that Carl's madness must be stopped, so that others might be saved.
Carl: Come and face me, Arzonia! You're just like your brothers. You're a coward, a coward who slayed innocent people, pushed them into darkness and gave them hypocritical assistance!
Maria sniffed and tried not to cough as water still streaming out from her mouth and nostrils. She held her staff in her hand and quietly crawled herself on the ground. Carl slowly drew a sword out from the edge of his belt, as his pale blue eyes surveyed the room.
Carl: I don't care about what your excuse is! If you gave yourself in, I'll at least grant you a painless and fast death. If you don't, then just blame all upon yourself.
???: Don't move.
Before Carl could finish his threat, he heard a familiar voice behind him. It was the voice of a woman, speaking as calm as he was. He stopped walked towards Maria's position and slowly turned around.
Carl: You...
Carl looked straight into Noelle Bor's eyes when he turned around and face her. Maria was more than relieved and grateful when Noelle showed up and stopped Carl, which would start the motion of her Plan B for Katya, Gaius Phoenix, Valnir Kruels and others - who called themselves as the Witch Cult - to the rescue of her crew. Now, Noelle had equipped her recently obtained Water Armateus from the wandering spirit of Gar Shatterkeel.
Noelle: I've deflected enough enemies around myself to reach you. You've been walking a long and far way to here.
Carl: Is that more way than one?
Noelle: You don't know what you're doing. You think you're now better than Arzonia Brothers?
Noelle and Carl looked at each other, both in defiance. Maria seized the chance and walked all the way towards them, slowly and carefully. She didn't want to get Carl's attention. Slowly, Maria pulled out a syringe from her own pocket and narrowed her gaze.
Carl: That's none of your business, Noelle. The Arzonia Brothers are just a bunch of bastards killing people and burning properties because... just because. Me? I'm different. I'm not trying to be the KnightWalker Family's slave! I want them destroyed just like you did, but I don't trust anyone now.
Carl then put his hand in the pocket and revealed a remote with a red button on it. Maria stopped, and Noelle gasped when she saw the remote to the bomb.
Noelle: WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?
Carl: As soon as I unleased their project, I'll reverse its effect from a harmful plan into a necessary part to punish those who had wronged people like me, those who had trampled human lives as trash!
Carl now spoke in the lowest voice he could made. In reality, only Maria and Noelle could hear what he was speaking by far, and Cain wasn't even close to their position.
Carl: I won't push this button until this whole city is evacuated, with only criminals, thugs and those who were apathetic and lazy would stay here. This isn't about Langdon's world-destroying project. I'm only using it to reverse its effect and save this world from the frigging KnightWalkers. That's merely a temporarily partnership, and I don't want them to harm you or Matt! Leave, now!
In disappointment, Noelle shook her head. Maria then continued to walked towards Carl. The syringe she was holding contained a substance made of the Water of Life, hoping she would paralyze Carl and eased his condition so far.
Noelle: I can't, Carl. I hate to break it to you, but I should've discover your condition the day I tried to save you... so that I can save your soul soon after I save your flesh.
Carl: In what method?
Carl paused for one second... before he turned around and grabbed Maria's neck when she approached her.
Carl: By literally stabbing me in the back!?
Still holding the syringe inside her hand, Maria was surprised by such attack, but in defiance, she immediately raised her body tempreature as she felt herself became much drier. In spite of this, Carl widened his eyes which shot out blue lights, as he dunked Maria into water beside him in a manner like he was about to drown her.
Maria: W-what!?
Maria's body temperature boiled the water instantly, but only for a few moments before the temperature began to drop. Carl unleased cold air on the water to lower its temperature so that it can become cooler in a faster range. Noelle was struck in horror and shock as Carl widened his eyes at her in tranquil rage.
Carl: So you were deceived by this former terrorist, huh?
Carl's rage wasn't breaking out at any moment, unlike his previous breakdown set by Nio. However, Noelle felt it was even more terrifying when she saw Carl as cold as an iceberg.
Carl: I forget to say about one more point... but this girl is also a terrorist, and you fell for her deceit... You think I will forget whatever she had done? I lost everything because of her.
Dunking her again and again to prevent her from regaining strength, Carl choked Maria tighter inside his clutches. Maria tried to resist, but the mud and water kept pouring down her throat.
Carl: Since God only helps those who is sinned and ignore those who lost everything because of the sinners, I'll make sure that sinners like her shall disappear for good this time...
Maria struggled as she felt herself being lifted by Carl up and down, before Carl pulled her out of the water.
Maria: Ugh... No...
Carl: ... and all of you will be free from this pretentious cult leader who calls herself a messenger of God! From her hypocrisy! To be free and lively... like me.
Carl then threw Maria away, and turned to Noelle. However, in one instant that Maria was lifted upon the midair, she was still holding the syringe in her hand. She pulled off the cover and revealed the needle on it, fortunately not being contaminated by the sewer water.
Maria: (think) * This is the chance! *
Maria threw the syringe to the back of Carl's neck, and in next second, she rolled into the water once more. Noelle watched as the syringe went straight towards Carl... hoping this will work.
As she struggled from the water and pulled herself together, Maria watched the syringe with the Water of Life had flew towards Carl's neck. Since the water couldn't fully heal Esther's condition, Maria only hoped there will be a chance that it made Carl calmed down and put him into a coma, so that she could at least capture him.
By far, Maria couldn't afford herself to kill Carl, because she knew that she was the one who pushed him towards this abyss from the start.
However, Maria wasn't stupid, and she knew she must stop him. She couldn't let Carl to carry on Michael Langdon's plan to bomb the city, since she didn't believe that neither Cain nor Melancholia would let the entire city nigh-emptied before that unleased this deadly weapon towards the air.''
Maria firmly believed that Carl's actions would only let his motives (even if it may be as noble as his self-proclaimed) get backfired, with deathly consequences that made thousands of innocent citizens to their own madness. She couldn't let one man leave this place to doom countless people. After taking care of Carl, Maria would order retreat and leave to search for the second bomb.
Maria: Fi... * cough * Finally...
Still, it never lasted long... Maria's relief was suddenly interrupted by Noelle, however, when she heard a noise like sniper fire. A sniper fire...
Noelle: WAIT!
Noelle screamed out as she heard the bullet coming straight towards Maria, much to Carl's confusion as he turned around. Nevertheless, the bullet didn't shot down Maria, but instead it shattered the syringe dart into pieces as soon as it hit its target. The fragments of this shattered syringe bursted everywhere, alongside the liquid within it.
Nio: Well, that was close. It almost cost our final hope to... salvage humanity's true self.
As the bullet hit the wall behind Maria, both Maria and Noelle heard some strange giggle from the dark as they heard footsteps walking towards the trio. A blond girl with a short stature and a pair of red eyes glowing, widened her grin from ear to ear as she held the sniper fire in her hand.
Maria widened her eyes in confusion since she never met Nio before, but when she saw Noelle's wrathful face, Maria immediately realized who it might be. Even so, the girl introduced herself before Maria could point out her identity, with a cruel smile on her face.
Nio: Greetings, I'm Nio Hashiri.
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Maria: YOU!
It was Nio Hashiri, just as expected by Maria's own instinct, much to her shock and fury. Carl and Maria both widened their eyes when they saw Nio, and in the same moments, they clenched their fists. Nio was unfazed, as she walked steadily towards Carl with a courteous bow at him.
Carl: So it's you... one of those robbers that...
Nio giggled and nodded, with a clearly faked apologetic expression.
Nio: Uh... It was years ago, sir. I'm very sorry for my bluntness, Group Captain Robinson, but it looks like your loved one would inject you with venom... Gah!
Almost out of nowhere, Nio's words suddenly stopped when Carl grabbed her neck and raised her on the top of his head. He firmly strangled the neck of Nio, an act that surprised Maria since she believed Carl was manipulated into working with the Langdon Orphans. However, she now saw him attacking one of them.
Carl: You... I saw you hunting down my friends! How dare you, bitch, to have...
Nio: Hey, it's Lord Knightlord asked me here to help you!
Carl: I don't need your help! You should die, like her!
Nio waved her hands as she struggled against Carl's brutal force, with her face turning purple. She dropped her sniper rifle and kicked Carl as she tried to escape. Nevertheless, the kicks that landed on Carl was useless. Noelle and Maria looked at each other, as Maria nodded as if saying, "Now it's time."
Nio: This wasn't my idea... I'm also coerced! Hey... Hey, Maria Arzonia, look at me! You... you and your dead guy brothers forced us to join your trigger happy and brutalize an entire town for shoots and fun.
Nio screamed in pain and struggled, but she still spitefully grinned at Maria as if even if it might be her final seconds, she still tried to pin every responsibility on Maria's head. Noelle slowly pulled another syringe from her pocket, and within it, there was clear water that glowed faint blue.
Nio: Now, it's the time for you to pay the price!
Maria clenched her fists and widened her eyes anger. She couldn't use her power by far because she was still inside the water, but she wasn't completely powerless.
As such, when she heard Nio's shameless proclamation, Maria couldn't hide her fury when she remembered what Nio did in these days towards her friends.
Maria: You tried to make me take the fall? You think I don't care!? I know whatever you had done to Esther and the entire city of Kiev, Ukraine! The weaponized Firenza Blood is to blame for the radical and brutal actions Esther had done, and you infected Esther with it and buried Abel Nightroad to drive her insane! Esther told me everything!
Hearing Maria speaking about Esther's betrayal, Nio chuckled nervously as she tried to endure the pain delivered by Carl. She tried to enforce herself into a fake smile, which made her more twisted in Maria's point of view.
Nio: Hahahaha... Hilarious... So Esther betrayed us, too? She just can't see the reality and betray our common benefactor, His Holiness!
Carl: Enough!
Bellowing against everyone around him, Carl opened his eyes as he turned more and more impatient by the duo's quarrelling. His tone had dropped from smouldering rage one minute ago... into cold-blooded fury now. His teeth also transformed... into sharper teeth like canine animals.
Carl: Listen, Nio Hashiri, don't you DARE weasel your way out like that as if you're coerced. I saw you in that town! Your name was on their contract! You can justify it to Satan!
In desperation born of her wish, Maria winked at Noelle as she saw Carl didn't looked at her in favor of strangling Nio. Carl stepped on the rifle to prevent anyone from lifting it up.
Carl: Now, both of you, die! Right here and right now! FOR ALL OF THE SINS YOU HAD COMMITTED! FOR ALL THOSE INNOCENT LIVES YOU HAD TAKEN AWAY FROM THEIR DEAREST FAMILY!
However, it was too late for Nio to remind Carl. Before Carl could finish his menacing threats, Noelle leaped towards him from behind and pinned the syringe on his shoulder, pushing all of the liquid into his body.
Carl: Ugh!
Groaning in pain, Carl instantly opened his palm and dropped Nio, who tried to breath desperately and stumbled away into the darkness. Still, Maria was prepared for this and wasn't intend to let her get away with everything she had done.
Maria: Well done, Noelle! I'll get Nio!
Noelle immediately pushed Carl on the ground and took out a pair of handcuff, cuffing Carl with it, whilst Maria began her next move of chasing Nio.
Maria: Forgetting your way!
Unlike Carl, Nio was one of the people that Maria now has an intent to kill. Enraged and desperate, Maria stood up and tried to reach Nio and take her down. Maria pulled her legs towards Nio with her full force, but all of a sudden, Maria's arm had been grabbed by someone else from behind. Not long after it, Nio disappeared, with Maria losing her tracks. It appeared that Nio suddenly teleported herself away without any sign or warning at all.
Just in time when Maria intended to pursue Nio, someone from behind had stopped her. Maria turned around and saw a young but horribly mutated woman in average height, equipped with a pair of talons and with bandages covering a part of her face. Maria narrowed her gaze, as the woman raised her claw, trying to attack. It was Kouko Kaminaga, a member of the Langdon Orphans.
Maria: You're the one with Cain Knightlord?
Noelle was clearly disturbed when she saw Kouko Kaminaga, a fervent assassin who worked for Melancholia and Michael to assassinate those who fought against the Catholic Church and its current papacy, as well as those who held difference with them. Maria realized that she was meeting another dreadful killer that took the lives of countless.
Kouko: Yes, but now I'm here to subdue you! I'll not let you to apprehend Carl, and I'll bring forth the greatest arrangement the humanity would accept! It's a new world without self-deception, and we'll kill every fool that isn't worthy to be there! That's the new world that His Holiness and Mother Superior crave to create, a perfect world without you! For you, Maria Arzonia, you'll belong in the past, foreever!
Trying to not being subdued, Maria immediately raised her arm and grabbed Kouko's arm. She heated herself up literally, scorching Kouko's wrist. Kouko tried to kick Maria's stomach in retaliation, but Maria leaped backward and avoid it. Seizing the chance once in less than a second, Maria raised her leg and kicked right into Kouko's abdomen, successfully.
Maria: Me, belong to the past? Forever? Aye, aye...
Since Maria had longer legs than Kouko, this proved to be less difficult for her to kick Kouko, much less difficult than the other way round. Kouko covered her stomach and crouched herself on the ground, before Maria raised her foot and stepped on Kouko's head. Maria's tall height, long limbs and large shoe sizes became another advantage during this torture.
Maria: Don't try to underestimate me, you scumbag from the Langdon Orphan. At least, I was under military training when I was younger! You'd better tell me where the heck is that bomb, or I'm gonna turn you into something that no one can ever recognize!
'Out of sheer fury, Maria stepped on the head of Kouko several times, before kicking into her face brutally. At this moment, Maria had completely dropped her modesty shown in ordinary time, but she didn't care. Now, she was so desperate about the Firenza bomb that she didn't care whether her clothes had been torn or soaked by muddy water from sewers. Soon, Kouko were left with several bruises and scorch mark, but still she was alive.
Maria: TALK! TALK! TALK! I KNOW YOU CAN FREAKING SPEAK!
Kouko scattered into the water as she began to cower and cough blood. Her body flashed rapidly between her current form and... her former form before her modification, a young girl with two ponytails and a pair of glasses. However, Maria didn't recede because of that. Her heart was now filled with rage and resentment since Kouko also took part in Langdon Orphan's operations in Ukraine ever since days before.
Kouko: Good game!
Maria immediately replied with yet another beatdown, starting with grabbing her enemy's collar and shaking the latter's head like shaking a soda can. Kouko felt her mouth had became a sauce shop, with all the sour, bitter and spicy tastes coming out from her throat...
Maria: You rascal dare to reply!?
Kouko was shaken and felt sick, before Maria raised her fiery fist and punched her in the nose. Kouko discovered her nose became a paint shop, flowing all kinds of red, black and purple.
Maria: You were also there in the city of Ukraine, right? With Nio!? Just how many you're about to kill? How many you're about to change into monsters? HOW MUCH OF THE INNOCENT BLOOD HAS BEEN WHOLLY CONTANMINATING YOUR OWN HANDS WHEN YOU TOOK THEM DOWN!? I tell you that I hate you people as much as I hate myself, and that's why I MUST STOP YOUR INSANE CONSPIRACY, AND YOUR DELUSIONS!
Kouko: Please, please spare me! Let me go! Leave me alone!
Kouko struggled herself to crawl onto the pavement, fearing Maria's wrath as the latter's fury twisted her face. Hearing her enemy's plead for mercy, Maria immediately grabbed Kouko's leg and drag her back into the water, becoming even more furious in the process.
Maria: NO! You pathetic COWARD! Perhaps your victims said the same to you, didn't they! If you want to resist, maybe I'll gain some respect to you and spare you for real, but trying to flee? Ha, and then I'll never stop until you drop the whereabouts of your BOMB! Your bomb will kill many, directly and indirectly, and I must defuse it or more people will get hurt!
Maria punched Kouko's ear and snatched her hair, flinging her to the wall. Kouko rolled on the pavement and couldn't move, before she raised her head. She was terrified and frozen by Maria's imposing figure approaching her. Carl, in the meantime, felt himself drifted into the darkness.
Maria: I... MUST... LOCATE... THAT... BOOOOOOOMB! Tell me where it is!
Kouko felt her ears had became like a scene of festival, hearing all kinds of noises like gongs, drums and firecrackers pouring into her broker eardrums.
Kouko: Ugh... Koff...
Maria summoned her fiery sword and tried to attack Kouko with it, and now she looked like a horrible incarnation of death itself in front of Kouko's eyes. Kouko gulped and closed her eyes, as Noelle gulped in fear as she looked at Maria... Something is wrong with Maria, even if it's the beginning.
Kouko: But I can't betray His Holiness or the Mother Superior, and what you're trying to do can never save yourself.
Maria lifted her eyebrows as Kouko closed her eyes, without any sign of regret or rational thinking. It was like she shut herself down completely. Maria shook her head and scoffed. Immediately afterwards, the fiery blade had been falling down towards Kouko.
Maria: (think) * You followed the wrong superiors. Better luck in your afterlife. *
In the meantime, as Noelle trying to drag Carl away, Carl, who lied on the ground, slowly opened his eyelids... with his pupils flashed between the serene pale blue and the more demonic crimson hue...
Part 4.5 - [DATA EXPUNGED][]
Helene & Matt[]
Meanwhile...
Underneath the Parliament
The sneak attack would have prove itself to be a perfect success, if not being stalled for far too long. With the assistance of Matt and the Spray Croatoan monster, Helene and the Merry Melody members had managed to break through defenses all the way into the sewers, as Matt relentlessly cut down several monsters right in front of them, slicing them into pieces.
Helene: That's so... barbaric, Mr. Butcher! Watch me!
Right on cue, Helene showed off her true capability as Matt turned around seeing her facing some LO guards.
Helene: Finita, la commedia!
With her blade drawn from her sleeve, Helene managed to cripple a guard of Langdon Orphans by using her petite figure as her advantage and sliced his knee. The guard howled and dropped his knee on the ground, just in time Helene turned around. She drew a large circle above the guard, which turned into a portal, sending down several liters of molten wax.
Guard 1: AHHHHHH!!!
The guard screamed in horror and pain when he was covered in liquefied wax, which wrapped him up, scorched him and suffocate them, running into his mouth and nostrils.
Helene: You fought well, dear soldier, and thus I grant you the honor that your battle stance will be preserved... up until forever.
In just ten seconds, Helene's wax had wrapped the soldier up completely, rendering him frozen in place... without ice but wax. He was transformed into a wax statue instantly.
Matt: What on Earth...
Only the guard's eyes could confirm that this "statue" was made from wax and a living being... by their brief movements. However, that eventually went dead after the man was completely suffocated. For the instant, Matt realized that the man was dead by suffocation and scorch, but when he saw Helene's expression, he only find her gloating with arrogance.
Guard 2: What the... Who are.. WHAT ARE YOU!?
Other guards was horrified, before Helene turned around at him, giggling like a creepy psychotic.
Helene: I'm your worst nightmare, and I have some tiny bit of inquiries. Do you know about someone in your faction... with the name Guinevere? If you know her, do you know where she is?
The guards looked at each other before they raised... their rifles.
Guard 2: You die, freak!
Before the guards could fire, however, Helene swifted into the air and simultaneously summoned several arrows, that were made of unknown substance which were illuminating bright colors.
Guards: AAAAAARGH!
Helene landed herself back on the ground and clapped her hands, giving a short applause. The guards' body began to convulse and transformed into wax statues, which captured their expression of pain and death in an instant.
Helene: It's sad that you don't choose to cooperate, but I think you know nothing about her anyway. As a result, I'll directly turn you into my personal collections... and it serves as a warning to that woman who brought me to you, indirectly.
"........................................"
The guards didn't answer Helene. Their expressions were stunted the moment their last breath came out of their lungs.
Helene: Fine, I don't think you can hear me talking.
Matt was stunned in silence upon seeing Helene's attitude as well as her glee in... turning humans into art pieces like wax statues. He knew that those guards were enemies and they had killed innocent people, but what Helene did was just... like some sick serial killer from slasher movie, who was fervent and obsessed on making their own "art" out of killing people. What troubled him the most was...
... how Helene felt about killing. Though Matt didn't know anything about Helene's adoptive sister, Selina, it should be noted that Helene was the polar opposite of Selina, who took ZERO pleasure from killing and only saw killing enemies as a way of war, rather than a way for enjoyment... much less for a need of collection.
Since Selina isn't here, and Helene was traumatized by her loss of friends in Sleepy Hollow, there's nothing to stop her from such fetish of collection and hoarding anymore.
Matt: Is it really necessary? Why can't you do things normally and simply, like killing them with weapons anyway?
Helene: By all it means, yes, and we can make them be viewed by our children and even grandchildren through the demonstration of my capability!
Matt: Pardon?
With no response, Helene made a fingersnap before those statues became the size of a child's fist, and she tied them on her belt after picking them up like toys.
Matt: What're you gonna do to them, anyway?
Helene smirked as she played with her curly hair.
Helene: Mr. Butcher, I'll restore them to proper size as soon as I get back to my mobile headquarters. That's how I do things, because I'm not a soldier, unlike you. I'll put them underneath wax statues or seal them inside murals, so that one day, when we're triumphant on the war against the KnightWalker Family, we'll point at their nose and say, "Look! THESE ARE MURDERERS!!!"
Matt: You can do whatever you like, but your gloats really make me unnerved.
Helene: Why shouldn't I gloat about my victory?
Helene shook her head and chuckled mirthlessly. It was so mirthless that this chuckle seemed to be a deep and dreadful sob.
Helene: Why shouldn't I?! It's been years since I've had a good laugh. Besides, I have no time arguing with you on the quality of kills. I'll find someone to kill anyway, and I need your help... to lead me to whom I'm about to take down. At first, however, I'll lead you to Maria. Follow me.
Not far away, Beatrice and other Merry Melody members and taken down several enemies, through drugging them with poison and left no bullet holes on their body. Helene immediately rushed forward and ran like an antelope.
Matt: If you say so.
Helene smirked again before that smirk turned into frown full of bitterness one second later, just in time Matt and others followed her and ran into Maria's location.
Helene: (think) * Once I'm done here with Guinevere's unfinished business, I'll find my way to locate Selina along with my friends and Baccarat... and I must find Selina. A storm is coming, and we NEED to gather. *
Helene then leered at Matt, who seemed to be relented and followed her footsteps from behind.
Helene: Brutal, jovial and loud... Is he really our key to fight Vykos' remnants? If he doesn't have that sword, I wouldn't have presume one bit of his backstory whatsoever, and yet--
BANG!
Helene's thoughts was suddenly interrupted... by a knock from behind.
Maria[]
1 minute later...
Sewer Pipes
Noelle: Carl... Carl, calm down... I'll figure a way out, and we'll take you to Matt.
Noelle took a deep breath just in time Maria raised her fiery blade. In an instant, she defused herself from the Water Armateus all of a sudden, as she was still unable to use and control its power fully. However, she struggled herself to endure the pain whilst subduing Carl...
... until she suddenly saw a tall and shadowy figure looming at Maria from behind, while hanging himself upside down on the ceiling.
Noelle: NO! MARIA, ABOVE YOU!
Maria immediately raised her head just in time to block attack from the above. Through her torch light, Maria immediately recognized the face of Cain Knightroad, staring at her coldly.
Maria: Not you, wretch!
Cain stepped back as soon as he touched Maria's flame sword, which caused him to leap for some steps, until he landed softly not far away. However, he no longer paid any attention at Maria, whilst Kouko scrambled away desperately despite her injury.
Cain: Carl, the plans has been a lot of set back, causing it to shake so much... So much.
Kouko disappeared into the darkness via teleport. Maria gritted her teeth before turning back to Cain. Then, she was shocked. Cain was standing at the side of Noelle in a grim expression. Noelle tried to speak something, but was choked on such silence and coldness from Cain's emotionless face.
Cain: It looks like "something" is reprimanding you for unjustified reason, and she has cause you to hesitate.
Much to Maria's rage and horror, Cain leaned forward as he got closer to Noelle, who was still desperately trying to subdue Carl. With a similar face as Maria's expression, Carl slowly opened his eyes and breathed in a deep voice.
Carl: Wait... you promised me...
Cain nodded with a malicious smile on his face.
Cain: Surely, I promised I'll keep her alive, but I didn't say I'll leave her unpunished. I have some... unfinished business to attend to. After that, I'll return her back to you.
Carl went into deep silence after Cain finished his response. Then, Cain turned back as Maria raised her fiery sword and charged at him.
Maria: NO, YOU CAN'T!
Cain sharpened his eyes before he dodged aside.
Cain: And YOU will not interfere!
Cain's dodge made Maria horrified, because now her fiery blade went straight towards Noelle and Carl right beside her! In a split second, Maria turned her blade and stabbed through her own body, before she stopped. The flame soon dissipated, and Maria wasn't hurt by her own sword. Noelle and Carl were fine as well.
Maria: Is that what you WILL do, you piece of petty rubbish?
Cain chuckled and shook his head, looking at Maria condescending, filled with fake sympathy.
Cain: You hid the truth and your past as a KnightWalker Cyborg to make Carl your friend, but instead you trained your own murderer. Isn't it ironic, Maria Arzonia, to think you've absolved from everything and yet all you did is nothing? Aren't you scared?
Maria scoffed as she summoned several fire sphere once more, throwing it at Cain, who dodged it again and again. Maria summoned her fiery sword once more and attempted to slash Cain with it.
Maria: Oh, I've been staring into the eyes of someone far worse than you, people who've committed real atrocities... and they were sane. Next to them, you're nothing more than a third-rate freak show, a fake bearded lady with glue running down her chin!
Cain narrowly missed Maria's fiery blade, as Maria sniffed in anger as she unleashed her hatred to this vampire prince as much as possible.
Cain: You won't goad me into recklessness, Maria. I'm serene, and I'll be remembered.
Maria narrowed her gaze and went more and more fierce in her attack.
Maria: (think) * Curse it... Where exactly did Matt go? *
All of a sudden, however, Cain disappeared in one split second... and reappeared behind Maria with a face full of pure malice.
Cain: Now, I'm done with you.
Cain pushed Maria from the back, and all the latter felt was a strange feeling, a mixture of pain, hopeless and distraught, before she plunged herself unwillingly into the water. Cain sniffed in scorn and slapped Noelle almost immediately afterwards. Maria struggled to get up as she choked herself on the dirty water.
Maria: GET YOUR BLOODY HAND OFF HER!
Cain ignored Maria. He kicked Noelle away and pulled Carl up, as the latter's eyes turned back to pale blue once more.
Cain: I hope this is the last time I see you showing any part of your humanity. You need to shed them to take control of Moloch's malice. Before that, taste your own revenge first.
Carl sniffed and looked at Maria, in a scornful expression, as he stood up and loomed above her.
Maria: Carl, he's using you! You've got to listen...
Cain: Carl, make it fast. We have a bomb to fuse.
Cain's whispers covered Maria's pledged as the former poured his own malice into Carl's mind, making the latter more determined to use his dirty way to save humanity, uncaring if he was working with the Langdon Orphans or not. Now, he saw Maria as his sworn enemy, a person who killed his parents and friends at that fatal night.
- Carl: Yes, sir.
Maria & Noelle: NO!
Carl marched towards Maria as his fists clenched, and Cain let out a laugh and disappeared into the darkness once more. Noelle tried to reach Carl, but then her consciousness faded.
The city of London was now in a state of curfew. Starting with the civil war, a chain reaction full of negativity had been stirred across this city. Princess Carissa gone missing whilst being escorted into prison, and Carl Robinson was rumored to be dead, after committing the crimes of treason.
Vaclav Havel was worried... and he went hiding inside the city. Melancholia would know his true allegiance, and she must have discovered whatever he had stolen and had given to Maria Arzonia, whom he truly answered to.
Well, speak of Maria Arzonia... Havel was utterly puzzled. What brought her into their cause and the forces that fought against the KnightWalker Alliance? What makes her, a former criminal, so "special"? However, it was not the good time to know about this. All Havel had in mind was to hide away and find the secret informant that was waiting for him.
It was Father Hugue de Watteu, a minion of Cardinal Caterina Sforza... who was now in the captive of Langdon Orphans. Speak of Langdon Orphans, Hugue was also puzzled...
What caused Michael Langdon, who had a nice and clean reputation, suddenly changed his mind and worked with the Ultimate Despair right after his ascension towards the Papacy? What hides behind that seemly affable, harmless and smiling face? What was more, what's this between him, Maria AND Carl Robinson? Why was Carl involved, beside his strange type of blood?
Before he could catch his breath, Lord Vaclav Havel felt his back bumped into something... or someone. He was startled and turned around in almost a instant, whilst the person he knocked into also turned around.
Both: WHAACHA!
Vaclav and the man turned around and screamed in alert, before preparing to fight... until Vaclav gulped as he caught a clearer view of this tall man, who had long blond hair, a slender figure and was wearing white cassock, with a cloak.
Hugue: Oh... it's you.
It was Hugue de Watteu, whose presence made Vaclav to let down his alert. Vaclav looked around and saw nobody around them. In fact, that was eerie because there really wasn't anyone there.
Vaclav: What're you doing here?
Hugue petted his clothes and cleansed them from dirt.
Hugue: I'm looking for Cardinal Sforza... There's been indication that she was captured by the Church's current authority and became chained somewhere in this city. Now, follow me and I'll show you something.
Vaclav gulped as he and Hugue turned into an alley, hiding in the darkness. Vaclav was so shocked about what he heard about Cardinal Sforza... but he knew it wasn't the time to ask for more details, not now, and not yet.
Vaclav: Cardinal Sforza is here? Captured? Oh... I just got the information that Mother Superior was going to attack and bombard this city with accursed blood of Firenza Junior.
Hugue narrowed his eyes.
- Vaclav: And she's planning this since years ago, even before World War III.
Hugue and Vaclav immediately turned around and stepped into a house. It was the house that Vaclav rented whilst he investigate about Melancholia's plans in London. After some five minutes of preparation, Vaclav had handed over several paper works to Hugue.
Vaclav: Think about it, Father de Watteu. This so-called Langdon Orphans, which seemed to be a charity organization for orphans of war, was already raised by Mother Superior since many years ago, not long after the war in Liberty City... or maybe even earlier. It makes sense that they have secure locations, safe houses all across half of the continent, and London is no exception.
Hugue thought about everything. London was the first place that Michael Langdon elaborated his scheme further, even since the affairs in Rome and awkward conflict within Tenguu City.
Hugue: London had become a target of Eckidina KnightWalker's allies after Rome's serial assassination. Considering what Princess Carissa had done in her coup, which might be a long term of preparation, that makes sense.
Vaclav nodded and carried a large blueprint scroll near the table. Both him and Hugue had to control the volume of their voice from being heard by anyone else.
Vaclav: Yeah, so I dig deeper into the holding of several co-conspirators of Princess Carissa's coup, as well as Carl Robinson's former comrades in his team, who all fell victim of a mysterious serial suicide. Surprisingly, one of the former partners of Carl owned a tenement building, near the British Museum.
Vaclav immediately unfolded the blueprint and map he had stolen. Both of them had realized one thing, was that Carl's former partners, except Matt Butcher, had been taking part in Langdon Orphans' conspiracy secretly, even though they had joined the battle AGAINST Carrisa.It could only indicate one thing: Carl's former partners had betrayed Carl from the beginning, and they were also working with the Langdon Orphans only for their personal gain all along. That explained a lot of things, and it brought suspicion about their words that Carl became a traitor.
Vaclav: But there's a discrepancy between the square footage listed in the city records and the blueprints—over 2,000 square feet.
Hugue: You're saying they got a secret room there.
Vaclav nodded in confidence.
Hugue: Okay, but by your logic, there could be dozens of secret rooms throughout the city, and the virus bomb could be in any one of them. You're in the club now. Mother Superior broad trusts you, pal. Why not just wait for her to call?
Vaclav: Because if I can do it quietly, she'll never know. And if the bomb is here, I can end this.
Hugue waved his hand and immediately looked closer at the map of London and the blueprint of that aforementioned estate.
Hugue: Okay, where in the world - in this building is this secret room?
As soon as he heard the name Kristen Kiwifruit, Hugue rose his head and stared at Vaclav. Then, he tilted his head and narrowed his gaze, baffled.
Hugue:Kristen Kiwifruit said the basement? KRISTEN?! You contacted HER? That self-made-hybrid witch who had an infinite reproduction skills? Who married an equally fertile Zodiac Demon as her husband, and spawned twelve children with him?
Vaclav shrugged his shoulder.
Vaclav: Not twelve. Worse. Twenty, as I've know it. She only gave birth three times in the past decade. Thus, she gave birth for about six children in average. Anyway, it isn't the point.
After some time of silence, Hugue took a deep breath over Vaclav's description of Kristen's bizarre physiology, which was resulted in the hybrid between human and queen bees.
Vaclav: Oh, by the way, I didn't contact her. It was the other way round. She's also on her way to London, somehow.
Hugue: Fine, Kristen Kiwifruit said the basement, and I guess we ought to check out the basement.
Vaclav: What's your issue with her?
Hugue shook his head and sighed grievously.
- Hugue: SHE'S SMARTER THAN ME! (QAQ)
Vaclav: Yeah...
Hugue: Let's go.
Hugue quit the room in a sad face, whilst Vaclav followed him. Unbeknownst to them, however, a pair of eyes was staring at them in the alley...
Fiamma: I got you, apostates.
Part 5 - Helene VS. Guinevere[]
Yuri, Helene & Matt (Sabbat Dimension)[]
Meanwhile
Parliament
House of Lords?
It didn't take too long for a daze... Just a few seconds later after feeling a bump on their head, Helene and Matt opened their eyes... as their feelings of pain had dissipated. Helene opened her eyes and then... she looked around, puzzled. It was the hall of the House of Lords... once more. Now, everyone was confused and looked at each other.
Penelope: Wait! Aren't we staying beneath the Parliament?
Phoebe: Why are we now INSIDE the Parliament?
Beatrice tried to hold back her concern and confusion at the same time.
Beatrice: Helene... What is this?
Helene: I...
Matt and Helene looked at each other, perplexed, and Matt still seemed to be put out. He then let out several yawns. Seeing this, Helene looked around and furrowed her eyebrows... until she gazed upon the red chairs and sniffed just a little bit to the air.
Helene: Guys... that isn't real red paint on those chairs.
Matt: Hmm?
Helene carefully paced toward the chairs and rubbed its surface. Then, she looked at her palm. It was covered in red liquid. Helene then closed her eyes and licked the red substance on her hand carefully... and then, she opened her eyes which had transformed into red for a flick.
Helene: It's not paint, my friends. It's blood.
".........................."
Helene's words made everyone beside her took a deep breath in blank astonishment, as the latter rubbed her hand clean with a piece of hankerchef.
Matt: Blood? What do you mean?
Helene put the hankerchef back into her pocket.
Helene: Mr. Butcher, I guess I know what kind of "thing" is stopping our way. This isn't real. None of these is. We're teleported into another dimension that is controlled by Sabbat vampires.
Suddenly, Matt wide opened his eyes in shock, whilst Helene's followers didn't seemed too shock. They were just concerned. However, Matt grabbed hold his head and stepped aside for one pace when he heard Helene mentioned "Sabbat vampires".
Helene: We need to find a way out of here before... Uh, Mr. Butcher?
Helene was about to draw her conclusion when she saw Matt's bizarre movement and behavior at the moment. Helene narrowed her gaze and became worried as Matt shook his head and began babbling to himself.
Helene: Mr. Butcher?
Matt ignored Helene and continued babbling.
Matt: No... It's just a stupid dream. I need to find Carl and take down Melancholia's plan as much as possible... I must save him from Langdon's evil grasp! He's my best friend! He...
Helene furrowed her brows again and slowly approached Matt, like a cat closing in to its prey. Matt still held his head tight and shut his eyes in a very desperate state.
Helene: Mr. Butcher, what's the dream you're on about?
By far, Helene was using her Croatoan power whilst speaking, so that she could send her voice seeping into Matt's brain and made it unable to resist or ignore for him.
Finally noticing Helene's voice, Matt lifted his head and was frightened, seeing Helene's face was only inches away from his face, and her whirlpool-like eyes with a mixture of colors was seeing into his soul. Trying to calm himself down, Matt blinked and rubbed his eyes, and he saw Helene was just staring at him in an ordinary expression. Her eyes were also pink instead of... chromatic.
Matt: Uh... nothing... What dream? Who said anything about dream?
Helene: Then... what are you nagging about?!
Just as he was hiding his nervous expression, Matt put his hand in his pocket before all of a sudden, his hand touched something... He grabbed those things out and found them to be... red peppers. Those were the remaining peppers he gained from Maria, after she put a test on him with red peppers... that was meant to prank him (it's Father Hugue's idea). Matt then chuckled nervously and handed Helene the red peppers.
Matt: Uh... About these. You want some? It's cold these days. Trust me, it can warm you up.
Helene: NO, I DON'T!
Unimpressed, Helene stared at Matt in pure disdain. However, none of them had discovered that a portal had opened not far away...
Yuri: Phew...
Yuri Barnes stepped out of the portal with his grimoire, and he narrowed his gaze like a eagle. Not long afterwards, he spotted Matt and several others he wasn't able to recognize. In the meantime, Helene was lashing out at Matt.
Helene: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? We're now trapped in an unknown dimension and I've no idea how to get out, mon ami, and you still have the mood to feed me PEPPERS? Wait, I forget to tell you I can't eat peppers, especially jalapenos!
Matt shrugged off his shoulders, with a sigh. Seeing nobody was around him, Yuri seized the chance and charged off towards Helene and Matt, unaware of Matt's peppers...
Matt: Fine, if you don't want to eat it, you can use it against enemies and/or obnoxious jerks...
Just as Matt was shrugging off and closing his eyes... he sensed someone or maybe something coming at him from behind, fast. He immediately raised his hand with the peppers and...
Matt: ... like this! FIRE IN THE HOLE!
Yuri: GULP!
Yuri stopped charging when he discovered he was fed with something... PUNGENT. Still closing his eyes, Matt then heard a familiar groan from behind... and turned around, whilst Helene had her jaws dropped after seeing the scene. When Matt turned around with his eyes still closed, he grabbed another bottle from another pocket - a bottle of chilli oil.
Matt: Feel too hot? Have a drink!
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Yuri: Ugh!
Seconds earlier, Yuri took a deep breath when he tried to control his tears and running nose. He thought he could handle such spice, but when he saw Matt's bottle of chilli oil, he was panicked. Nonetheless, Matt forcefed the chilli oil down Yuri's throat before the latter could voice his protests.
Helene: Uh, Mr. Butcher?
With a large drop of sweat on her head, out of embarrassment, Helene already spotted something strange. She sensed that there was no danger. This mysterious magician, whilst having a strange outfit and awkward... hairstyle (in hear taste at least), didn't seem malicious. Matt, however, didn't discover this and clapped his hands like finishing a magnificent handiwork just now.
Matt: And... voila! A easier takedown of enemies! I learned it from my first meeting with Maria! I can't wait to tell Carl about my achievement, after we make him back to our side, of course! He'll be proud of me!
Helene: Uh, Mr. Butcher, I don't think he's...
Matt completely ignored Helene when the latter raised her hand feebly. Matt laughed and began boasted his success as if he just put down a monster with spice after spice.
Matt: I just did it, and I'll do that again!
Helene: Aw, dear...
Frustrated and groaned, Helene tapped Matt's shoulder with her eyebrows furrowed. Just in time, Yuri collapsed on the floor.
Helene: Uh, Mr. Butcher?
Helene tapped Matt several times, which finally caught his attention from his senseless fantasy.
Matt: WHAT!?
Helene: I think this blonde Monsieur isn't a malicious person... much less our enemy.
Helene pointed down at Yuri, who now already lied on the floor, choked on himself and vomited spice from his mouth. Matt followed where she pointed... and was stunned speechless, standing like a statue.
Matt: Y-YU-YURI BARNES!?
Helene & Beatrice: Wait, you know this guy!?
Helene and Beatrice was petrified into stones when Matt called the stranger's name, whilst other Merry Melody members watched in dismay. Some even face-palmed themselves. Yuri's body wallowed, spasmed and trembled in pain, with his face as red as tomato and his body literally heated up like an oven.
Yuri: H-how dare you... Get me up... I'll punch you in the face!
Matt:WHAT THE FUDGE!?
Matt scratched his hair and screamed in horror.
Matt: Oh, Maria's gonna kill me! She's literally gonna burn me, scorch me and melt me! WATER! SOMEONE BRING ME WATER!
Beatrice lend Matt a bottle of water, and Matt poured the water into Yuri's mouth in order to cool him down. Yuri was still babbling his curses aloud.
Yuri: How dare you... ambush me! You... think I'm a foe? I'm here to... rescue you! Goddamn it!
Yuri's words made Helene widened her eyes in confusion, particularly the part that he was rescuing her group and Matt through a portal. She then felt something was staring behind her... and was lurking deep into the corridor right behind her...
Yuri: NOW WE'RE ALL IN... BIG TROUBLE... Curse you... What... did you do to... me?
Helene and others immediately turned around... before they discovered an ominous presence of pitch black not far away.
Beatrice: This isn't look good.
Helene: I know...
It was a puff of black smoke... in the shape of vampire. Helene immediately realized their situation... and it made her frightened to the core.
Helene: This... is the Sabbat Clan's alternate dimension.
- Helene: Sabbat... Vykos... GUINEVERE ARZONIA...
The feeling of sickness came back into Helene's stomach, when memories brought her back to that day... The day which made her current intention to make clear.
Helene's Flashback[]
1 month ago
Paris
Merry Melody circus
Guinevere: I am Guinevere Arzonia, and I already know who you are, the Order of Flourish.
Helene: What?
Helene clenched her fists angrily when she heard the answer of Guinevere. She bit her lips as Guinevere approached Helene.
Guinevere: I know who you are, Helene Harrison... No, Helene Hawthorn. It's such a surprise that you're such an unyielding person, trying to take me into jail after a random affair inside your tent.
Helene's hand began to transform into a form made of caustic aura of different color, shaping itself like a brush. Other members of Merry Melody also prepared for this instantly in their battle mode.
Helene: How did you know this? I mean... I don't know what you're talking about. You stay here and I'll...
Guinevere let out a loud laugh for a few moments, and then, her smile faded. She stared at Helene bitterly.
Guinevere: Stop playing such a fool around me. I can sense the aura from your little boyfriend's ring. You had left your hometown in a rush, and are now forced to wander across the whole globe.
Guinevere slowly pulled her sword out and pointed at Helene.
Guinevere: You tried to bring joy and happiness to those who needed it, bringing hope and sunshine into their mind, but I find it unsettling. Now, tell me... Where is she? Where is Maria Arzonia!?
Helene: What?
Helene was both surprised and shocked when Guinevere had mentioned Maria's name, even demanding her whereabouts. Nevertheless, Helene still maintained her composure and clenched her fist to pretend nothing ever happened.
Helene: What are you talking about? Maria Arzonia is dead. Leave her alone, and let the dead rest in peace. I don't have time to discuss with you.
In fact, the meeting between her and Maria should've kept secret, but now, Guinevere had somehow... knew everything. Guinevere sniffed in scorn after hearing Helene's reply and then, she hissed like a snake.
Yelling out first, Beatrice was the first to march against Guinevere, with tears in her eyes. Guinevere immediately narrowed her gaze and attacked Guinevere with her brush-like arm, creating a slash in the air, as her fist firmly slammed on the face of Guinvere, before Guinevere blocked it with her sword.
Helene: Tell me where Baccarat is! What're you going to do with him!?
Helene's attack became more frequent as she tied Guinevere up. Other Merry Melody members, in their transformed warrior state, leaped on the air and surrounded Guinevere. However, Guinevere refused to yield and let out a wide slasher smile on her face.
Guinevere: That's none of your business! If you want to know, then exchange it with my sister's whereabouts! I know she had returned! Don't frigging lie to me! There's no middle ground known as silence!
Helene took a deep breath and started to yell out as Guinevere struggled in the cage and rope of paint. The cloud began to build upon the circus, and thunder could be heard on the sky.
Helene: I REFUSE! ATTACK!!!
Helene screamed out immediately before the Merry Melody started their attack, but all of a sudden, a black energy started to arouse around Guinevere.
Guinevere: Such a shame.
Guinevere's face transformed into an older and more compelling face, like a dried up carcass. Helene gritted her teeth, reacting in terror instead of fury, when she made an instant glance on such a form.
Helene: This is...
The black and red energy that gathered around Guinevere and above her head, slowly transforming into a lean figure with pointy ears and talented fingers. The monster opened its mouth and breath in. This very moment immediately caused the Merry Melody members fell on the ground like dead flies, alive but weakened, as if their power was drained all of a sudden.
Helene: No way! Spit it! Spit it out for Christ's love!
Desperate, Helene immediately snatched the monster above Guinevere. She quickly raised Guinevere atop her head with her Croatoan Form, and slammed her on the ground, again and again. In a few seconds, some energy had spilled out, but most of the mana was absorbed by the monster. Helene was still bashing the monster, before she discovered Guinevere had snuck herself at her back, almost immediately. What was worse, she was still in Helene's grips, but acted like nothing binding her at all.
Guinevere???: You're so annoying, worms. Tell me where Maria Arzonia is, or I'll kill every last one of YOU LOWLIVES!
Helene's face turned pale when she heard Guinevere's voice, which had became deeper and more compelling, like a grunt coming from the deepest pit of Hell. It was like Guinevere had switched into another personality, or even something that was taking control of her.
Helene: YOU'RE NOT GUINEVERE!
Helene was sure that the moments ago, Guinevere was completely in control, but now she sensed something different, something not just merely uncanny or strong... but also familiar... coming inside Guinevere's mind.
Guinevere???: YOU DIE!
However, before Helene could think faster and harder, "Guinevere" already tried to stab through Helene.
Helene: Oh, darn!
Helene immediately transformed into a vaporized state to dodge the attack, but that also made her lose grip on "Guinevere" as the latter leaped back, admiring her own technique with a sadistic.
Guinevere???: Finally... For seventeen years, I haven't do a warm up. What a young and energetic body I now possess... Now, Long Time no See, Merry Melody... No, I mean the Order of Flourish.
Helene: You...
Clenching her fists as she stepped back in her human form once more, Helene screamed loudly when she realized who she was dealing with.
Helene: YOU ARE....
- Helene: YOU ARE SASCHA VYKOS!!!
All: What? Vykos!?
The entire Merry Melody gasped in shock and terror as they saw Guinevere, now fused with the mind of Sascha Vykos, the leader of Sabbat who was supposed to be dead, that somehow took Guinevere's body as a possession. However, they were not the only witness today, since not far away, a petite figure with greed hat and blouse stared at the scene as well.
Seth: (think) * Damn... I know this day would come... That wicked witch Vykos, the Malice of Moloch, Firenza Junior, the restart of tribulations and calamity... Michael Langdon's grand plan is this, all along. *
"..................................."
With an emotionless face, Seth merely turned away from the scene, and no one would ever notice that she had arrived or not. She didn't help Helene out, either, just leaving the scene with indifference. Transforming back to her original human form, Guinevere cackled once more in a mixture of both her voice and the more compelling voice of Sascha Vykos.
Guinevere/Vykos: [We can never be killed. We're in everyone's thoughts, and now we're changing history for good. We admire your resilience and persistence, Helene Hawthorn, even when you left Sleepy Hollow. If you want your dear and adorable little Baccarat back, find us in London! We will meet you there.]
Helene: What happened? Come back, you little---
Helene marched at Guinevere, but the latter disappeared in a blackened mist. Helene couldn't stop her from escaping. After three seconds, there was no one left in that position. Helene looked into the sky with disbelief.
Helene: Gone... He's gone...
Helene knelt on the ground as she looked at the sky, and this time, Baccarat Blueberry wasn't here anymore. Beatrice and others gathered around Helene in order to comfort her. Fury was building up inside her heart and she slammed her fist on the ground. Helene was always hiding her sadness in order to cheer her friends up, but at this moment, her feelings broke down.
Helene: No way! I already lost my beloved town and my property, I became separated with my sister and friends, and now I had separate with the man I love!? Baccarat! Return my Baccarat to me, you little--
Fiercely, Helene slammed her head on the grass and started sobbing, before her frown had turned upside-down. It twisted into a horrid... grin.
Helene: So, everything is biting at my back, right? Right? RIGHT!?
Her first encounter with Guinevere Arzonia not only stripped one of the only friends she could rely on, but also proved her greatest fear that the calamities would return and became Moloch's spiritual successors, and would exploit the war for their own profits, despoiling and killing innocent people everywhere.
Beatrice: Helene...
Helene bumped her head on the ground again and pulled down some of her hair. Beatrice and Alfonso went to drag her away from the ground in order to stop her from hurting herself.
Beatrice: Helene, stop! Helene!
The two dragged Helene back as the latter wallowed herself in grief, so much that she eventually rolled her eyes and dropped herself on the ground, fainted. Beatrice, Alfonso and other Merry Melody members looked at each other in disbelief.
Beatrice: Drat...
Silence began to take over the whole field. Beatrice slowly stood up and carried the unconscious Helene on her back. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists.
Beatrice: We'll leave here tomorrow. After the Ringmistress had recover, we will reach London as soon as possible. Nevertheless, I need to ask about Helene's opinion whether we should ask for the Catholic Rebels' assistance.
Since she was a first tier member of the Merry Melody, Beatrice can call Helene her name at times, but due to her formal nature, she still sometimes referred Helene by her alias, the Ringmistress. Helene actually preferred everyone to call her Helene or Ms. Hawthorn, but Beatrice didn't care. Alfonso and the Twins looked at each other, feeling they had no alternative choice either.
Penelope: First Langdon, and now Guinevere Arzonia. I have a feeling that our enemies...
Phoebe: ... that our enemies are carrying on the legacies of our greatest foes in the past.
The Plum Twins were holding back their tears whilst trying to talk calmly, but they still can't hold themselves from trembling very hard. Bubbly Begonia slowly petted both of their shoulders with each of her hands.
Bubbly: Guys, we must move. We failed the mother, but we can't fail her child.
The rain finally poured itself down as Beatrice and Alfoso carried Helene back into the tent. Helene's face was covered in trails of paint drips. Those were left by her tears running on her face. As most of the members went back to the tent, Bubbly looked at the night sky. She was the only one who stayed outside by far.
Bubbly: Arzonias...
With deep grudge whilst mumbling Arzonia's name, Bubbly turned around and went into the tent, leaving traces of trashes and ruins outside.
Act 3 (Final) - The Remorseful Day[]
Maria made her one last attempt to dissuade Carl from abandoning his horrid plan, but Carl refused and still hated Maria for killing his parents. Just as he was about to finish Maria off, however, Cain Knightlord intervened to induce a way he thought to be more enjoyable.
Using the technique that the Sabbat Clan mastered, Cain threw Maria into another Sabbat Dimension, where she was confronted by manifestation of her guilty conscience, about those whom she killed in the past... When those figures led her to someone she missed so much, she didn't expect that a blade, contaminated by Carl's blood, was waiting to stabbed through her body.
Part 6 - Fate's Play[]
Nowadays[]
Meanwhile...
Underground Sewers
Screaming, Maria rolled herself into the sewers and was completely drenched in water. She crawled herself out from the muddy filth and began coughing out water and dirt.
Interrupted Maria's words, Carl lifted the suitcase once more and hit Maria's chin. His superhuman strength had lifted Maria up into the air for one meter and dropped her into the water immediately afterwards.
Carl: I cannot kill you since you're a Spirit Guide now, Arzonia. However, I can give you eternal suffering as I seek a way to eliminate you, for every single life you have taken!
Carl went straight into the sewers as the water began to walked towards Maria's place. The water covered his ankles as he stepped into it, before it started to cover up to his knee.
Carl: Unless you bring my parents and friends back... Unless you bring those casualties back, in this city... and in that town, just like the way you come back.
As Carl approached Maria, all he thought was burning rage towards her, and his fists clenched. His heart began to burst into fury, as whenever he stared at her, he thought about his foster parents being murdered right in front of his eyes, and the days she tried to use him...
Carl: Tell me, why would a war criminal and terrorist like you be revived whilst those I have lost in your hand stay dead? Your God is such an unfair piece of joke! That's why I gave up my faith! Answer me, Arzonia!
With a splash, Maria raised her hand out of the water and pushed Carl's knee. It forced him to stop. Carl looked down as Maria's head surfaced from the water. Due to being drenched in and out, Maria could not use fire magic by far, but she still tried to raise her temperature to hold Carl back.
Maria: Carl, please... I beg you... I admit I did nothing but wrongdoings in the past, but now I'm trying to improve myself! What you're doing is no better than me!
Carl: Let go of me!
Carl tried to let go of Maria, who clanged to his leg, like a hungry crocodile biting its prey. Maria was now determined to stop Carl, even if she had problems killing him because how much she felt guilty over whatever she had done to him.
Maria: No! I will NOT let you leave this place! You and your wish are already arranged by Melancholia! It can never come true if you follow what Cain said! I might be no saint, but you're the only one I can't afford to let you just slip like that!
Maria's face was now covered in mud and weed, but she didn't care about it. All she tried to do now was to stop Carl and put an end to Melancholia's conspiracy to spark another war inside London through Carl's demonic blood.
Carl: Why you...
Maria: I already saw what Langdon got in store within one of his turfs, and Esther told me what your blood brought her into! It can only bring death of innocents and tarnish your ambition!
"............................................"
Tears began rolling inside Maria's eyes and dropped on her legs as she struggled against Carl's strength. She knew she had done things wrong to him. She was coerced to kill his parents and indirectly his friends, so she was hesitate upon killing him. However, what Maria did know was that she could not let Carl go free, not now, because if she did so, the consequence would be far more dangerous, because Carl was just like her days ago, with their wishes being used by enemies.
Maria: Cain deceived you! He actually... actually works with Michael and the KnightWalker Alliance to restart the Seven Tribulations, and he doesn't give a damn about your wish! He just wants genocide, and once you're done with your plan, he'll throw you away!
Carl: What?
Maria: I know you still love this world, and I'll help you to eliminate those wretch that ruined your life! Cain cannot be trusted! You don't want those you really cared about to be involved into such, right? * cough *
Maria was interrupted by the coughing of herself when she continued to cough out water and trash from her mouth. Silently, Carl listened to Maria's words and stopped struggling, and he looked into her eyes, as she started to hold back her tears. Maria mumbled as she desperately continued her pledge.
Maria: Your blood is like a source of disease, and disease cannot raise guilty conscious out of every human! It can also drive humanity into brutal monsters like Moloch! These can only leave them in shadows and even, in the worst case, a nervous breakdown!
Carl: And what're you going to tell me to do? Stand by and watch to see all of those wretch to tear this world apart?
Carl glared into Maria's desperate eyes in a cold expression. However, Maria was still begging Carl tearfully.
Maria: I know you tried to end this war and save humanity by eliminating self-deception, but I tell you your way can only lead to even worse pain, destruction and misery! WAS IT WORTH IT!?
Carl: Arzonia, you...
Maria's words made Carl start to hesitate, and Maria continued to persuade him, noticing Cain wasn't here. She struggled to stand up from the water, which now became her logical weakness after she became a fire elemental Spirit Guide herself.
Maria: Quit Cain's campaign, Carl, and I will tell you what was going on on that night, when your parents passed away. I know you were set up by those traitors to become a demon, but I tell you they all committed suicide or get killed one by one, with myself ONLY remaining one. Deep inside, however, you're about to become what I had become, a puppet with no free will and only cares about others' acknowledgement.
"............................................."
Pushing against Carl, Maria took a deep breath and alert when she saw a tall shadow appeared not far behind Carl. It was Cain Knightroad for sure. She didn't have much time to fight and dissuade Carl to stop such madness, but she still tried to resist.
Maria: Please, don't make me hurt you. If you want to exact revenge, then I'll take the blame! Tell me where that backup bomb is.
Carl: Why should I do this?
Maria: As compensation, I'll do whatever you ask, anything that is in my moral code, as long as you stop using such a mass-destruction weapon! It can also harm those you sought to protect! I swear it!
Hearing this, however, Carl's hesitation was gone. He narrowed his gaze like needle prying straight into Maria's soul.
Carl: Anything I ask? Well, then I WANT MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY BACK!
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Carl: Or you'll die.
Carl grabbed Maria's neck before she could raise a fiery sword (albeit a weak one) to resist. He lifted her up and threw her against the wall.
Maria: ARGH!
Maria bumped herself onto the wall and rolled all the way down on the edge. She was now filthy, cold and wet, and she could only shiver in sheer breeze. Cain let out a hateful smirk and walked in front of Maria.
Cain: You cannot dissuade him. Your reasoning is far too hypocritical. You should have to kill him when you had a chance, if you can really stop him, but you cannot since you're guilty about pushing him into the road of darkness. Now, Carl Robinson has evolved into a powerful being, a real man that can erase vice from human race.
Maria looked up and stared at him in anger.
Maria: You little... Ugh, I'll kill you!
Cain casually lifted his eyebrows at Maria's defiance.
Cain: If you can, hmm. The likes of you just crawl in the consequence your past action brought, Arzonia, and your atonement cannot fix them! Now, face your punishment from you guilty concience!
Chuckling, Cain raised his hands and summoned a large black portal above the head of Maria. He grabbed Maria's collar and threw her into the portal
Maria: What?
Maria was thrown into the portal as she disappeared into it. As the portal faded away, Cain just smirked as he saw Carl approaching him.
Carl: Where is she, my mentor?
Cain: In where she should have been. As you said, she can be dealt with her eternal suffering. You can also enter place, because I grant you my power and skills.
Cain paused and sternly looked at Carl, with his smirk faded. He discovered that Carl nearly hesitated on dealing with Maria when she tried to persuade him into fighting against Cain himself. Cain showed dissatisfaction with it.
Cain: She nearly talked you into it. I hope you don't forget about your foster parents being murdered by her. I hope her speech didn't blind your own judgment, Carl. We still have so much to do.
Carl nodded as he regained his dissonance and serenity. His hesitation waned after he remembered what Maria did to his parents and his friends, unknowing that she was coerced, because Maria never had a chance to explain herself to him at all.
Carl: Don't worry, Master Cain. I'm... relieved that she is gone... for now.
Cain: As long as she stayed there... there will be no chance for her winning and escaping.
Just as Cain and Carl were discussing, they saw the executives from the Arzonia Family and the Catholic Rebels rushed to the scene, only to find Cain and Carl there. Maria was nowhere to find.
However, Yuri Barnes wasn't among them.
Tres: No...
Tres' face turned pale when he saw Cain, without seeing Maria. He realized what went wrong and what happened to Maria. Other members were shocked as well, particularly those who once served the Langdon Orphans.
Sumeriko: What did you do to Maria?
Sumeriko shouted at Cain, who merely stared at her with resentment.
Cain: I sent her to a place to where she will never ever come back again, where she can think it over, about those whom she hurted and killed... whilst I'm here to save humanity from themselves. Now, time to say goodbye.
Part 7 - Past Guilt[]
??? - Maria 1[]
???
???
Another Place
Maria: Where am I? What did Cain Knightroad do to me...
Trying to hold back the pain coming her head, Maria awoke in a place like prison cell, surrounding by dark and humid walls with only a dim light right above her. She was confused and widened her eyes, looking at her surroundings and slowly stood up.
Maria: Where? Where am I?
Maria turned around and looked at the blank pale wall in front of her, with iron bars behind her. Then, she felt chill on her spines when she heard a horrid and deep male voice.
Carl: Listen, Maria Arzonia, you're now imprisoned for participating in the murder of Mr. & Mrs. Robinson, included within every single murder that Mafusa Gang had committed, as heinous as the death of Eugen Katsuragi, the last known victim of the deceased Aki Honda.
Maria then turned back in shock when she recognized the voice. She saw Carl, now in Langdon Orphan suit, with white hair and blue eyes, stared at her coldly. Still, it was an illusion of Carl. She though he was manifested from Maria's guilty conscience of how many innocent she had killed, without in her free will.
Maria: Carl?
Carl: By the way, the murder of Carl Robinson. Thanks for reminding me.
Carl then took note on a notebook like a typical police officer would do, and he sternly stared into Maria's eyes in bitterness. Maria's lips trembled as she tried to mumble, but she could not speak.
Carl: You want to know why I am here? Cain had taught me his skills to split one's mind and dig into someone's mind palace, which means now where we stands is your mind palace. He told me that's how Michael Langdon possessed Melancholia and make her his cannon fodder the first day I arrived in the Russian Resistance. My own body is still underneath that sewers fighting your army.
It was never an illusion. It was Carl's real mind, not her own illusions. With sheer grief, Maria widened her gaze and tried to speak, but she was getting more and more breathless.
Maria: I... but can't you remember... that I saved your life...
Carl closed his eyes as he watched Maria started to become choked by an unseen force.
Carl: Thanks for taking care of me, but that was under my amnesia that I couldn't remember who on Earth killed my parents. You think you can make me a family of yours when you never say anything about how you RIPPED MY FAMILY away from me. What's choking you is your guilt. They bite back at you. All I have to do after finishing all of this is to see you drowned in your karmic despair, Arzonia.
Maria gulped and tried to regain her composure. She opened her palm at Carl and released a burst of flare, but Carl defended himself by his mutated arm, which morphed from his hand now covered in bandages.
Carl: Now, Arzonia, one thing is clear... THAT the Carl Robinson you knew is gone for good, because of you. The Royal Air Force made him a zombie... before they betrayed him and dumped his body into deepest pits. I tried to be their hero, but eventually I carried the blame I wasn’t suppose to carry. In fact, it was Langdon Orphans told me how he died, before they let me reborn once more. All my life, I encountered so much dreads... Liars, thieves, murderers... and TRAITORS... And you think you're better than them?
All of a sudden, Maria was released from the dreadful force that choked her. She collapsed on the ground. Scoffed, Carl then held his sword into his hand and turned around, walking away, as Maria kept breathing the air.
Maria: What're you trying to do?
Carl: You took everything from me when you shot my beloved parents and set my beloved town ablaze. Now, I'll take everything from you. You'll see every thing you stand for disappear... Then, it's your turn!
Carl then walked away into the pitch of darkness in front of him. Tearfully, Maria tried to grab him, but she felt pain on her spine all of a sudden before she fainted back into the darkness once more.
??? - Maria 2[]
???
???
Another Place
All Maria could see now after falling into oblivion was a place surrounded with nothingness, merely white-out. Coldness keep haunting her, as she felt as if her skins were cut by blades of freezing wind.
The scars from the past... from her brothers' abuse and Michael's attack... They never actually healed, even if they seemed to fade away, and they reacted in pain somehow.
??? 1: You murderer...
??? 2: You are no God's Servant, Maria Arzonia! You're just a killer... You're just a dog of Eckidina KnightWalker whatsoever!
Sounds of those caustic curses figuratively pierced her sensitive ears like arrows. There were many people, crying and shouting mendaciously. The curses so caustic that Maria reacted in pain and horror.
??? 4: You Arzonias never fail to taint blood on your hands! All of you! Blood of the innocent, can't you see it?
The voices only got closer and clearer when hundreds of black shadows started to surface. Maria tried to keep her composure. All she needed to do was to escape from this realm. She knew Carl was out there, and she must defeat him before he could harm more people under the mutual influence from Melancholia and his own hatred.
Maria: No, you must listen... I tried to do things so that I can keep myself alive from my brothers' wicked deeds... but I was a coward. I'm sorry...
Realizing it was the victims of her brothers and her Cyborg form, Maria tried to hold back from the noise that were bombarding her, shutting her ears and running away. However, she chose to face the blurry shadows.
??? 1: Ha, now you know how to apologize. Don't try justifying yourself, false angel.
??? 2: You're still a collaborator. Your brothers should have killed you, so they wouldn't kill me...
??? 3: And they wouldn't kill me...
??? 4: And they wouldn't kill me...
Now, with the repeating words screwing her mind, Maria could not take it anymore. She shut her ears finally and turned away.
".........................................."
However, those voice kept getting louder and louder, clearer and clearer. She began to run. While still keep running, Maria instantly slipped herself and fell on the floor, struggling in pain. However, less than ten seconds later, the sound settled down and eventually faded, until one familiar voice - robotic but somehow familiar - started to echo on this wild space.
??? 5: [They should have killed you...]
The shadows then started to combine into one figure as the voice echoed. It was Maria's own voice... but in a much colder, much more chilling, and much more heartless tone. Maria stood up and saw the shadow merging together, forging a shadow with large rain hat and black dress, with a pair of cold blue eyes.
- Cyborg Maria: [So YOU wouldn't kill ME!!!]
Maria: AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Maria finally had it enough. Screeched in anger, Maria summoned a large fire ball and threw it at Cyborg Maria's shadow, before the latter got hit and dissipated. Then, Maria stepped back and shook her body, before she heard another voice.
Child Maria: Finally fed up with yourself? Hmm? Myself?
Maria: My younger self?
Turning around only to find a young girl sitting on a chair behind her, Maria was astonished by what she saw, as she quickly recognized that it was herself, as a child, before she was snatched away from Vento by her evil brothers.
Child Maria: Finally, I'm waiting for you... Myself. This is your own prison of mind, where the souls of all those innocent people you killed were cursing you... This symbolize your guilt. You tried to create a new family since your heart is insecure, and you need friends so much that you made Magilou your own minion. I can't predict that my future self would be a slaughterer.
Listening to the girl's words, Maria stared at her child self for a split second and scoffed. She covered her own arm and started to laugh with sheer grief. She tried to force herself to smile, but there were tears visible in her eyes. The child Maria simply stood by and watch her future self descending into madness.
Maria: Ahahahahahaha... My minion, you say? How mordant. I want to protect her from Eckidina long enough to endure this harsh era of time. I don't see her as minion. I'm actually much less inexperienced than anyone in Catholic Rebels, but they hailed me as their leader. God sent me back to the Earth to fulfill my task, and I know he was giving me a chance to recant.
Maria forced herself to smile, but she couldn't. She could merely bemoan for whatever she had done and could never be fixed. The Child Maria merely shook her head coldly at her older counterpart.
Child Maria: There are things that are never reversible even with remorse or recant. You have no ability to bring anyone back to death, you know. Have you ever confessed to Carl Robinson, looking into his eyes to say you're sorry? Don't tell me you barely know him.
The Child Maria then extended her hand at Maria and sighed mordantly. However, the mordant face flipped into a sweet smile soon afterwards.
Child Maria: Come with me, myself. There's someone who shall absolve you.
Maria was confused. She could never understand how and why there would be anyone beside God that could absolve her, especially when even she herself couldn't forgive herself. However, before she could react, her child counterpart grabbed Maria's hand and smile sweetly.
Child Maria: Let's go.
Maria: Wait!
Child Maria immediately pulled her future self into the mist of white-out... At that very moment, Maria heard a voice, a voice that was so strange and so familiar... the voice of a woman...
- ???: Maria... Maria, you're here...
??? - Maria 3[]
???
???
???
- ???: Psst... Are you awake?
All Maria could watch when she finally got out of the white-out was a tall blond woman, suddenly appeared right in front of her.
- ???: Glad to see you here, Maria...
Maria: Huh? That's...
The woman came out of nowhere like some random guy only appeared in dream or popped up from a box. The woman smiled at her warmly. The woman somehow shared some physical resemblance Maria widened her gaze at her child self, before she walked closer to see the woman much more clearly.
Child Maria: You see, I never tell lies to myself. Mama is there.
As Child Maria smirked like a naïve kid, Maria looked at the woman standing right in front of her. The woman covered her visage with veil and Maria never saw her face. Maria carefully walked towards the woman, in a nervous look.
Child Maria: Go on, Maria... She's our mother.
The child Maria stood not far away from her older counterpart, while Maria then paced closer towards the woman. Then, tears started to flow down her cheeks as she trembled in sadness.
Maria: Mommy? Is that you? Why're you here?
Maria loved her mother very much, even if she rarely met her in her childhood. She saw her once as a soul in Paradise, but now she was confused that her mother appeared in front of her. She then opened the veil that covered the woman's face...
Maria: It's really you!
A smile then surfaced on Maria's face. She had met her mother and began to shed tears due to her sheer excitement.
Maria: Ahh, you're here... again...
Maria then walked towards her mother with a tearful smile on her face, but Maria's mother - known as Senorita Felisa Rodriguez - didn't smile. Maria almost opened her arms to embrace her, but she had stopped. Felisa merely sat on the ground and looked at the floor.
Maria: Madre? It's me. Maria! You gave me the name on your sick bed, remember? I'm sorry... for what they did... They laughed at me and made me kill people. I thought Purgatory washed away my sins, but...
Maria crouched herself in front of her mother. Felisa then raised her head and looked at Maria in sheer distraught.
Felisa: I know they'll force my little girl to do what she never wants.
".........................."
Felisa: I should have kill myself when you were conceived.
"!?!?!?!?!?"
Maria: Mom?
Confused, Maria raised her head again and looked at her mother. She then realized that Felisa was talking about her affair with Maria's father, the missing Paul Arzonia.
Felisa: We slept in the same bed, lived together sinlessly. Then, one night, I saw him look at me... in that way... and we got down on our knees to pray for strength...
Maria's face turned sadder and sadder, as the problems due to her illegitimate state had made her a nuisance ever since she was a child. She hardly ever told anyone about how much she was laughed, except to those she trusted, like Matt.
Felisa: ... and that's when he took my virginity.
Maria: No, mother, please, I don't want to hear... That man is not my father... I'm nothing more than a seed to him waiting to die...
As Maria was pleading for no more, she started to suspect that whether the woman in front of her was really her own mother, but Felisa continued.
Felisa: I know, and that's how I feel... I made my child half-orphaned of some sort because of my foolish decision. I should have given you to God when you were born, but... I was weak. Sister Vento made me change my mind... and I loved you so much.
Felisa then looked at Maria in a much more affectionate way. She smiled at her daughter and covered the latter's cheek with her hand. Maria smiled once again, and all of a sudden, the suspicions inside her disappeared.
Felisa: Then, I said, "God... let me keep my little girl. Let me keep her."
Maria's tears finally flowed down her cheeks, as smile began to float on her face.
Felisa: Let's pray... to absolve you, Maria.
Felisa then hugged Maria inside her arms, and Maria closed her eyes, starting to pray together with her mother.
Maria: Yes, mom... Yes, we'll pray.
Maria crossed her fingers and held her mother's hand. She knelt in front of Felisa as the latter spoke in a soft voice.
Felisa: I'll be the preacher. You'll be my congregation.
The mother and her child knelt side by side together. The younger Maria merely stood there and watch, with her eyes suddenly turned dead and emotionless.
Maria & Felisa: Our Farther... who art in Heaven... hallowed by Thy name. Thy kingdom come... Thy will be done... on Earth...
Maria then hugged deeper with her mother, deeper and deeper, until all of a sudden, she smelt some putrid smells which was familiar... too familiar.
Maria: (think) * This smells... *
Maria quickly stopped praying, as she discovered something went horribly wrong. She remembered the uncomfortable smell that Shinya's doppelganger kept releasing - a smell of dead.
Maria: (think) * Dopplerga--!! *
Felisa???: ... as it is in HEAVEN!
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Maria: Ahhhhh!!!
Maria suddenly felt pain on her back. Felisa... or more precisely, a doppelganger that took Felisa's appearance, stabbed Maria with a knife. The knife was covered in dark red liquid, but it soon became black right before Felisa stabbed through Maria with it. A knife that was soaked in Carl's own blood!
Maria: Mama! Why!?
Maria immediately realized that it was not her mother. It was actually a doppelganger that displayed Felisa's physical appearance. That "child Maria" was also the same. When "Felisa" attempted to stab through Maria once again, Maria dodged it, before she slipped and rolled downstairs. Screaming, she rolled all the way to the bottm of the staircase. Her back started to release black smoke, as some black materials was corrupting her spiritual body.
Maria then turned back and trembled in pain. She tried to use fire magic, but somehow she couldn't. Her injury was intense. The substance within that injury on her back somehow weakened her.
Maria: No... Leave me alone... Mama, please...
Pain and horror, alongside Firenza Blood itself, began to corrupt Maria's mind. Maria started to become panicked and horrified as she saw the doppelgangers of Felisa and child Maria walked down, followed by those illusions that haunted her just seconds ago. Now, the child Maria had a much more terrifying and unpleasant-looking face.
- Carl: (voice) This is your most deserved punishment. Die knowing you let us suffer. Every last one of us.
Maria: No, mama... No, mama, please...
"Felisa": This isn't your fault, Maria. It's mine.
Maria kept crawling back in horror. Her eyes was filled with despair. The black substance on her wound was still burning her painfully. She completely lost in herself because of this experience, even if she realized the woman in front of her was merely an undead mimicing her mother...
Maria: Mommy, this isn't right...
"Felisa": You know the Devil never dies. He keeps coming back. You've have to keep killing him...
Walking towards a panicking Maria with a nightmarish stare, "Felisa" then raised the knife in her hand once more. Maria was freaked out, and this is what Cain wanted. Maria could figure out the fake Shinya, but when she was about to be killed by a replica of her very own mother... Nothing would be more painful for someone who loved her mother so much.
Maria: No...
"Felisa": Over and over again...
- Maria: Mama, please! MAMA!!!
..................................
- Cain Knightlord: This is how everything ends. This is how the so-called Catholic Rebels fall apart.
CIS Productions Presents
LOTM: Witnesses of Sleepy Hollow
Spin-Off - Firenza Junior
Episode 10.5 of Season 2
Episode 24.5 - Back into London
Part 2 - The Consequence Bites Back
To be continued...
- Cain Knightlord: Have a FUN "home Christmas"... Arzonia.
Endings - Scarborough Fair[]
Leaves' Eyes - Scarborough Fair - Lyrics
Lyrics[]
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
He once was a true love of mine
Tell him to make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Without no seams nor needle work
Then he'll be a true love of mine
Tell her to find me an acre of land
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Between the salt water and the sea strand
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
He once was a true love of mine
Tell him to reap it with a sickle of leather
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And gather it all in a bunch of heather
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Then he'll be a true love of mine
In the Next Episode...[]
- Carl: So, you have no improvement even if you're infected by my curse, Esther... Have you not? Your sister had a good riddance, by the way, as a traitor. I'll send you to her VERY SOON.
- Cain: Honor? Code? You dare to lecture me about honor? Your kind is truly dishonorable. I'll tell you this, Sforza. Once, I wanted to stay a peaceful life between us and humans, but it's YOUR KIND who broke this peace, ransacked my homeland and killed my parents! Now, you convinced my brother to stay peaceful with humans... I don't allow it. Listen to this, all of you... Today begins my retribution!
- Tres: Goodbye, brother. Ashes to ashes... Dust to dust.
- Katya: Arzonia, I think you're still too immature. I'm travelling in this world for many years, seeing darkness in human's soul, and I guess many people in this world is irredeemable. When I saw humans making deal with the forces of hell, renouncing their humanity, I'll always serve them with executions. From what I saw from Carl Robinson, I guess he has no way back.
- Helene: And my sister is... in here, somewhere... So, that's... you know, haha...
- Asran: Beneath his peaceful visage, Abel hates what human did to the vampire clans, but he didn't express it because of me... Esther is one of the few humans he can trust, beside Cardinal Sforza. Nio must discovered this somehow, and it became her motive to push Abel...
- Rimea: Family member by blood? Ha! So Arzonia is still wicked to begin with! Her new family is TRULY out of hypocrisy! She disowned her own flesh and blood, killed some more, and left everything to some... some virtual strangers, well...
- Michael: (phone) [I don't blame you or her... I blame myself. I should already discover that she's unable to resist Abel's feelings for her... just like Sonia Nevermind. It isn't the first time that Abel causes inconvenience to me in recent months. Now, since she had joined the other side, then I'll have no choice.]
Afterwords[]
From Officer Candy Apple: Good days, guys. Long time. It's been so long since I released my Episode 0 which started a retcon. Currently, I'm adapting in my new occupation and has less time to write. As such, I nearly forgot several part of my original drafts and didn't know what to begin with. As a result, I split the original two-part episode "Back into London" into three parts, with this Part 2 continuing the last part and more of Episode Zero's cut contents. It ended up shorter than expected, though, because I want to rewrite some of the details about the first part of Arzonia Family's battle in London, so I only reserved the vital parts and would resolve the skirmish in the next part, before moving on to the next, where the rest of the cut contents will be resolved and revised.
In the end: Seriously, this so-called UCP or whatever they called is REALLY ruining everything I know of Wikis since I join this site SEVEN YEARS AGO, and now its ours turn. Alas, what else can I say? I really miss the old editor and the category exhibitor among many things else. *sigh* It really took me a long time to adapt UCP, but still I feel grievous about several old mechanics. Time will tell if they'd bring it back, but I daresay it's hopeless.
Eventually, here's the news: After we deem her character now having her purpose served, Celestia Ludenberg is now officially retired... or killed off from this story. She won't be revive, but I'll probably release some other contents to explain her past. No more appearance for her in the present days, though.
From Officer, Again: Some later story will also include retcons to fit the story better towards the reboot's continuity.
From CIS: The year of 2020 is tough for us, particularly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the UCP, but still thanks for your support on our stories.
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