Blood spilled on the ground beneath his feet as he stumbled and back away. I let go of Ebony which was still inserted into his chest. He kept looking at me with disbelief. I didn't look straight at him, something in me couldn't face him. He began coughing blood, I suppose his heart had either burst or stopped working."Seraph...", he forced his voice out, "How could you?"I couldn't yet look at his face, I didn't even turn to face him. I pursed my lips and looked up straight to find Chopper's eyes staring straight at me. I think he was urging me to turn around and face the man I had stabbed in the heart. I then looked towards Deli who was confusedly looking between me and Felix. "Seraph", I think Felix extended his hand towards me as he fell to the ground. He had begun to struggle breathing. I clenched my fist and quickly hurried over to his side finally."I told you...to...", he couldn't finish as he began coughing more blood.For some reason, the fact that he was ending made me fe
I lost Lady again in all the storm that they were brewing."Why is Lady here?", I asked Chopper."The same reason all of us are here", Chopper looked at me, "You've done good with Ebony, Seraph. But even at your level, you can't beat that guy no matter how hard you try. In fact, even I couldn't take him if I was at my best. The truth is, right now the only one that can take him down is Lady.""Lady...?", it was certainly hard to believe, "Are you sure though?""Who are you doubting, idiot?"I simply couldn't imagine that Lady would be able to best that opponent. "Who is she fighting?", I asked."Lord Magnus", Deli spoke, "Chopper's right. I couldn't handle him either. Only Lady can do it now. And that's because he's immortal.""Immortal...? Then Lady...she can't take care of him on her own, not at her age. Shouldn't we-""The hell are you talking about? What do you mean 'at her age'? This is barely her prime. You just see. She's got something that can definitely save us all", Chopper
Deli looked like she was out of blood, her silver hair turned even lighter but her eyes were on fire. Lady was somewhere in that dust storm fighting her greatest enemy and I figured Deli was itching to join her soon.We started our assault on the mutant as strongly as we could. Sight put a barrier on him to muffle his sound and also on our ears to muffle out his magic. Instead of taking different sides, we decided to go head on. First, I cut through the sound wave and Deli then went in for the attack.We were successful at the time as Deli slashed the guy and ripped him in all sorts of ways possible. Her monstrous strength alone was enough to pummel that guy's face that tried to surface and so once she had caught him, he was done for. "Get back, Seraph!", just when we thought we had got him, Chopper called out and both Deli and I quickly retreated. The two of us made it to a safe distance but nothing happened."Chopper-san?", I wondered what had happened to him.Before he could answ
"Ma..."I was perplexed at the feeble sound that had still managed to echo in all our ears despite the insane storm brewing right behind us. Deli looked horrified and lost as she stood between the corpse of the mutant at her feet and the hurricane behind her."Chopper-san, what did it...?", I looked at him but he was focused solely on Deli right now. He had a concerned look on his face as if he knew a disaster was about to hit us. I looked back at Deli who looked like she had lost all her senses. She was a wounded beast and there was nothing more dangerous than that right now, neither for us nor for herself.I think Chopper took a step, heading towards her before something crashed close to us. We all looked at it. "Man...for real?!", Lady appeared from the crash site as the dust settled a bit. We were soon joined by her opponent.Deli looked sternly and wildly at him."Ah, so you've taken it down?", he spoke in the most intimidating voices you could possibly imagine, "It wasn't yet
The thunderstorm rattled the glass pane in Faye's bedroom. The storm wasn't just brewing outside, it was about to sneak into her house as well. She held Louis in her arms as he was still a baby. Aloïs sat wrapped around her arm, watching his little brother. The lights were all out but none of the three were afraid of the dark. They had always found it comforting. Faye could hear loud voices coming from outside that kept getting louder. There was fighting and bloodshed just below her room. But she stayed glued to her kids and didn't flinch even a bit. She knew in her heart that this attack wasn't like the ones before. These people weren't some politics goons, here to destroy the sole heir of the Valentine family. She knew it somewhere deep down, from the voices and from the way things happened that this time was different. These people weren't something that would leave before their work here was done. She looked at her kids, carving their faces in her memory. She held them close, fe
The sun was starting to come up. I suppose it wanted to see the climax of that long harrowing struggle which to me, felt like a ruse we've been playing on ourselves. I wonder if I was the only one who felt like that. Chopper was there and like always, he knew something that the rest of us hadn't managed to realize. I'd been having that feeling for a while now and I know I was right. Sight was somewhere back there too. His presence always eluded me. I can't tell you what he looked like in that moment. As for Lady, I know she was there. But she seemed so distant as if none of this mattered to her. What the consequences would be, was none of her concern. To be blunt, and it makes me sad to say so, she didn't care.Deli and Magnus were locked with each other, each impaling the heart of the other. I had lost movement in my body, I even forgot to breathe. I can't quite remember what I was like in that moment."You'll kill me?", Magnus's voice broke the utter silence, "You...are superior?"H
When I came to my senses, I was buried in insects who truly seemed to be out for my blood. I found Chopper in an even worse predicament. He was dying beneath a huge pile of leeches that were sucking out what little blood he had left. I later looked for Sight who was entertaining himself with the battle of some stray beetles. I had to remind him he was supposed to take us home."Oh, boy!", he acted like he totally hadn't forgotten about my existence, "We are home, alright. I brought us back to the present. Ah, you must have forgotten, boy, that we were in the past."He then went on to laugh heartily and when he was done, he went back to his roaming. I had to remind him of Chopper before he decided it might not be altogether bad if we headed home for real.I wanted to ask him if he had seen Felix's body but then I refrained from asking anything."In any case, Sight, who called Lady here anyway?", I asked while we were walking back. Sight was carrying Chopper on his back, something Chopp
"That was a bit...", she was gasping for air, "...unexpected, huh?""Lady...", I answered as I lay dying on my back, short on oxygen and legs feeling like they had melted, "You are crazy."We were in the middle of nowhere, under a thick tree that was shedding its fall leaves, I could barely recognize the place. So how had we ended up in this situation, drenched in a liter of sweat despite the cold autumn winds and no apparent dog chasing us? Well, that's because we had left the dogs behind.This morning, as I sat calmly in my little bunker that peeked outside through its singular window (a shaft in its wall really), I sipped on my hot, seemingly tasteless coffee. I put down my mug and stared at the flower pot that now housed a tiny cactus. I realized I don't like cactuses. For such a calm, bland, utterly static morning, I was having an unsettling feeling, a premonition that this day was about to get quite stormy. And what do you know, I was right.It began with a knock on my door. "L
I would like to think to myself that this isn't the end. But seeing as her story went back to where it all started, I realized that my role wasn't saving her at all. I just made sure she'd continue to exist, eternally.In eternal suffering and forgetfulness and new encounters and the last times, in every world, she'll continue to exist.As for me, I couldn't bear to live in a world knowing she was somewhere out there, helpless and torn, just as she'd been when I first found her.When did I first find her?Who can say? I had always been talking about how I wished I'd met her sooner. In fact, I had always known her. Our existences were intertwined so much that I don't think either of us could just pull away and be happy all on our own without thinking of the other.After I'd returned Lady's power to her, I floated away in an empty space for an eternity. I was foolish enough to think that the sorrow would fade away one day. But no matter how long and far I floated away, the memory and th
It was the coldest I'd felt in ages, and there was an aching heaviness in my head that I simply couldn't seem to shake off no matter how much I walked. I don't know when, how, or why I was walking through the snow towards the top of some hill I didn't even know.For that matter, I didn't remember who I was, how I'd gotten there, or where I was going.And just like that, before I knew it, I had collapsed in a den of wolves. Luckily, it looked abandoned, so I didn't get eaten off right away. I figured it'd be a long, slow death. I found the idea of such a gentle death appealing, despite the fact that I was walking mindlessly just seconds ago.I must have passed out, for when I came to, I was stiff as a rock. And yet, I wasn't that cold anymore. I lifted my head to find myself covered in a bear pelt. Someone had been so kind as to cover me up. And yet, the pelt was rather old and shoddy. Who cared as long as it could keep me warm?I stood up, looking around, getting accustomed to my surr
"I didn't imagine we'd ever come to a crossroads such as this", I let out a puff of smoke, standing opposite her."But, as a matter of fact, I always had a feeling we would", Lady answered with her signature smirk."Sure, you did", I said sarcastically.It was surprising at first. But things made sense soon enough. Lady had sent all of us away on a mission. She'd isolated herself at Valhalla. Chopper had left of his own accord. She'd sent Sight to look for him. Deli had gone to see her children. And she bid Lubbock and June farewell. She'd even given her fur coat to June. Grim was on a mission, too. And I was looking for Jean V. to deliver her letter.It was all exactly as it had been back then. When I'd return from meeting Jean V., Lady would already be beyond saving. Back then, all I knew was that the person who sent her that blank letter was the one who came to kill her. I never ventured to find out much else.It all made sense now as I stood be
"Must you leave without fulfilling my wish, Seraph?"He had some guts to ask. I looked up at the red sky. There was nothing but barren, burnt land all around us."What else could you ask for?", I looked back at him."You look so old, Seraph", he chuckled, "What exactly did you give the others?"I looked behind me without answering his question. There was no one and nothing."What? It's a long story", I answered without looking at him."We've got time to kill", he grinned."I don't", I said, but went on to answer him anyway, "I gave everyone what they wanted.""Really?"I glared at him, "Yes, really, Grim. I took a fee, of course."He laughed."And what will you take from me?", he asked, grinning.I looked around and then rested my eyes on him."There's really nothing."He seemed to agree."So how'd you manage?""Well, Grim, you could almost call it travelling back through time. Though, it really isn't that. I split the worlds to create new ones. Time doesn't exist for me anymore. Ever
"I will take death in any way and form it comes to me, anywhere and anytime."That had to be the most brazen statement I'd heard. It took me a bit to take that statement in."You really have no special requests? If I can, I'd like to make it up to you", I sat down and stared at his bloodied face.He shook his head."Make up for what?", he asked.He didn't know me yet to call me "boy" but I suppose that's the way it had to be.I had become better at rewriting the reality. I could write quite far back in certain cases. For example, in Sight's case, I made it so he never met Lady and Chopper on the night he killed the prima donna, Czarna Dalia.Before meeting them he didn't know anything about what he'd been doing. He didn't know what an outcast was, even though he himself was an outcast. Ignorance is indeed the greatest of all blisses. And I thought for Sight, it had to be the biggest saving.Lady was right. People who see things differently are the most dangerous of all. Especially tho
"This isn't what I asked for, Seraph", she complained, fixing her glasses on her tiny nose."I don't get what the hell it is that you want exactly, June", I was beginning to get tired."You don't understand at all", she folded her arms."You're damn right, I don't. What kind of crazy a-""One thing.", she looked at me sternly, "One thing I'm asking for is a place to be happy. Not a mother, not a wife, not a hero, not any of the other things you're trying to come up with.""What'll make you happy, exactly?", I folded my arms and leaned against the wall of Valhalla.Everyone else was off to fend the red sky off. June had been left behind in a protective barrier.She fell silent."How about Lady? Isn't she your favorite?""I could care less about her", she answered, bluntly, "I hate her.""Huh?", I wasn't sure I'd her heard her right."She does everything on a whim. She claims to understand everything when rea
"They are waiting for you, Monsieur Lubbock", a dark woman poked her head into the dressing room, "It's almost time for the show."The bajillion young ladies that were powdering his nose scattered away.His face was pink with heat and he wore a long fancy coat. It almost looked odd on his somewhat small figure."I'll be right there", he answered, gussying up in the mirror."Aww, you're leaving already, Monsieur?", some of the girls came up to him.He chuckled modestly."What can I say? The life of the greatest singer in the world isn't so relaxing, my dears.""You might be the greatest singer, but Monsieur is also the life of all women's hearts", one of the cheekier ones commented.Lubbock laughed. He didn't try to hide how much he loved being pampered like this."I'm sorry, girls. My audience awaits!"Saying so, he shot out of the room and hurried towards the stage. Backstage was always heated just before his shows. He was the one star that every theater wanted to have. But he was a
"Do you blame me for mother's death, father?", she asked, placing the empty cup of tea on the little side table.Her father wasn't facing her. He was still locked up in his study, reclining on his chair and looking out of the window at some distance lands.She sat straight, with her back erect. The weight of her gown was enough to tire her but she was made up, as befitting of a noble. She had to look all the more perfect since she was visiting her home for the first time since her marriage."Blame you?", the lord of the house spoke in his grave voice after a while, "I simply don't think you were worth her death. Esme was a wise woman. A level headed, understanding, noble woman."Faye looked at her lap."You refuse to carry out the will of the house of Vlad. You'll go as far as to commit a heinous crime to that end. I'm disappointed beyond measure."Faye pursed her lips. No one but she herself had been hurt the most by what she'd done."Vlad was born to you twice. And yet, you ungratef
"Tell you what, Seraph, this one time, I met a girl and she had these enormous scars all over her arms and legs. I couldn't help noticing her, of course. When she told me she did it herself, I couldn't help it. I killed her then and there", he chuckled to himself, "I didn't want to do it, of course. Something just came over me. It wasn't that she told me she did it herself. It was how she said it. She was smiling.""I'm sure she wasn't smiling because she was happy", I answered, with a solemn look on my face."I'm sure of that too. I was sure of it back then too. That's probably why I killed her. But do you know how many people I've saved?"He looked at my face. I stayed silent."I've saved more people than I've killed. I've been counting since the beginning. I know, for sure, that my atonement is over. At least, it ought to be. But does it look like I'm still repenting?", he asked, smiling vaguely, knowing my answer."You do.""That's because I am. No matter how many I save...the ato