A young girl stands before a rustic, stone doorstep. The doorway beyond it is clean, unsoiled. The girl, her white hair flowing amidst the freezing winds, stepped up and through the doorway into the home. The building had all manner of tapestry and ornament within, the most lavish house in the city besides the palace itself. Within the home was a family with a son and two daughters, three innocent children that knew no fear of death.
The girl bore a weapon, a scythe with gleaming blade. On her back was a cloak of pale darkness, its hood hanging down behind her. With each step, the ticks and clicks of clockwork echoed throughout the room, but they were heard by none. The girl sang a melody, not a song of joy, but a requiem for the departed.
As she stepped toward one of the children, the boy, tears fell down her face. Her gift for him was a reluctant one, something only she could dread. Her tears could not interrupt her song, nor could they stop the fate that awaited the innocent child. The boy coughed before he opened his eyes, seeing before him the intruder to his home. The girl tried to smile, despite her grim task, raising her scythe to claim the life of another doomed soul.
“You’re an angel, aren’t you?” The boy asked. “My friend told me about you, about how God sends His angels to do His bidding.”
The girl clenched her teeth. “I- I don’t know what I am,” she lowered her weapon for a moment. “You don’t believe in angels, do you?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never seen one before.”
“Can you… Can you look away?” The girl’s words were broken by the tears she shed. Her smile wavered in an out, unable to stay.
“I’ve seen an angel now though, so I have to believe in you, right?”
“Please, look away,” the angel raised her scythe once again.
“Am I going to die?” The boy’s words were full of innocence and childlike wonder.
The girl closed her eyes.
It was only then that she felt the blood that drenched her weighing her down.
It was only then that she heard the cries of those she had taken from.
[ cut ]
“Well, now that we’re done here it’s time we head back,” Scarlet was leaning against the black van he presumedly drove Noe over in. “I’ll accept explanations from all of you during the drive.”
After Noe walked to shore, we found out that Blaise and the swordsman were able to stop most of the bystanders from jumping into the harbor. After that, we were beckoned by Scarlet to join him in the van. The vehicle was painted a glossy black and had all tinted windows, it looked incredibly shady, but I stepped into the back all the same. The floor was surprisingly sturdy for a car, the whole vehicle didn’t so much as budge whenever I took a step.
“Whoa, what is this?” I asked as Scarlet, Blaise, Noe, and the swordsman stepped into the van behind me. The swordsman was carrying Brooklyn’s unconscious body.
“I thought you might want me to hold onto this,” the swordsman added casually.
“That’s an automatic stabilization system, it’s something the people at DEED East have been researching and also out annual requisition from last year,” Scarlet answered as he stepped over and into the driver’s seat. “There’s tons of cool tech they develop over there when there isn’t any sort of immediate extraterrestrial threat, they get it lucky. We have to keep track of every major exorcism in the US instead,” Scarlet then proceeded to get the van running and started driving to our destination.
“What does an annual requisition mean?” I asked.
“It means he spent all the money we get from the government on a truck,” Blaise answered.
“Hey! First off, it’s a van. Second” Scarlet stood up from the driver’s seat and stepped into the back, “can any old truck do this?”
“It drives itself?!” I said.
“Yep!” Scarlet said proudly. “I think we made the right choice.”
“YOU! YOU made the stupid choice,” Blaise said. “WE had nothing to do with it.”
“Why you! If you weren’t off trying to kill random people all the time maybe you’d have more of a say in the matter!” Scarlet snapped back.
“Calm down everyone, calm down,” the swordsman interrupted. “What we all need right now is just a little less yelling.”
“Look, Ronin, you’re not a part of this. You decided to ditch us right after Father Joseph disappeared,” Scarlet said.
“You know this guy?” Blaise asked.
“Yeah, he was Fr. Joseph’s apprentice back before the incident two years ago,” Scarlet replied. “He and I met during the incident; he saved my life.”
“Ah, so that’s why I don’t remember him,” Blaise said. “Then, I suppose it’s now time for formalities. It’s nice to meet you, Ronin.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well, Blaise Abner.”
[ cut ]
After Brooklyn and I had been rescued from the blood-soaked depths by Noe, I took a bit of time to collect myself and observe my surroundings. The dagger that Brooklyn had used to stab me was still lying in the dock, covered in my blood. The weapon seemed familiar; it was almost identical to the one that I found in my desk earlier this week. Actually, upon further inspection, it was that knife I found in my desk. Where and when did Brooklyn find this? Why was it in my desk earlier? It wasn’t mine as far as I knew, so where had I found it?
I picked up the knife and folded its blade back into the handle. There’s no way this thing is legal in Washington State, its blade was far too large, and it was definitely spring-loaded based on the friction I felt when folding the blade. Knives like these can’t even be purchased here. Regardless, I’ll have to do more research if I want to find out where the knife was from. I slid the weapon into a hidden pocket inside my jacket and I stood back up. Noe was still fighting the giant creature that had erupted from the harbor, but I doubt there’s anything I can do to help her.
[ cut ]
“So then, miss scissors,” Ronin said whilst using some kind of cloth to polish his blade’s scabbard, “I take it you’re a sorcerer as well?”
Noe looked at him for a moment before speaking. “Yeah, I ended up with DEED after getting involved with the new pentagram killings. You could say I’m personally invested in the matter.”
Ronin stood up and walked very close to Noe, locking eyes with her at near point-blank distance. “I can tell that you have a very powerful patron. Don’t force me to deal with them if things go south,” his gaze, from what I could see, was cold and unfeeling. “You must have known that when you signed away your soul you weren’t getting it back.”
“Hey, leave Noe alone!” I stood up and tried to force myself between the two of them. “Who are you to judge her choices?”
“I’m something of an expert with demons, and I know the difference between a low-level mook and one of the big shots,” Ronin said, stepping away from Noe and I. “The demon your friend has a contract with is very powerful, a spirit unbound by the laws of time itself.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“Before the beginning of humanity, there was a war between two factions of spirits, the demons, and the angels. The demons rebelled against their purpose and were banished to the furthest reaches of our universe. You might think of the world in three dimensions, but that’s only because those are the dimensions that our human mind can comprehend. It’s possible that reality exists on an infinite number of axes, but the one that matters is the spiritual axis. Demons and angels exist on opposite sides of that axis, but humans are square in the middle,” Ronin explained. “Because of this, if a demon ever tries to claim a human soul, an angel must travel across that spiritual distance to reclaim it from them, a task nearly impossible for any being.”
“What does that have to do with Noe?” I asked.
“The demon that your friend here has a contract with is a fallen angel, or so I must assume, but it’s a spirit beyond the power of any other demon. It is an angel of death, a spirit tasked with destroying demons, fallen to become the very thing its purpose is to destroy,” Ronin said. “Whenever an angel of death falls, if it manages to gather enough souls, it becomes even more powerful than it was before becoming a demon. The only being that can destroy it at that point is the Archangel of Death itself, the Grim Reaper.”
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“You mean that guy with the sickle and cloak? That’s an angel?” I once again queried.
“Correct. The Archangel of Death goes by many other names, but the Grim Reaper, or simply Death, is the most common. While other angels of death are known to have abilities that can manipulate a demonic projection, the Grim Reaper transcends the bounds of a projection entirely. It is said to be the being waiting at the end for every human life, and it is very well capable of killing demons as though they were the same as an ordinary mortal. Your friend here is dancing with that very entity, something that breaks every rule we know about spirits. If she manages to attract the Grim Reaper’s ire, she’ll likely suffer an even worse fate than death.”
Those words sent a chill down my spine. I knew that Noe wasn’t a sorcerer, she was the demon providing me power. Was she an angel of death at one point? Did everything he just said apply to me as well? What does ‘an even worse fate than death’ mean? The questions just began to pile up.
Just then, I heard a voice. It was a distant whisper, but one that sounded so familiar. I couldn’t make out the whispers at all, they weren’t in any language I could understand. I was entranced by the voice, oblivious to what was going on around me.
[ cut ]
From Noe’s head sprouted two gearwheels, a pair of demon’s horns.
Pieces of spectral clockwork bathed her body in blood as they emerged from within her and formed a wreath at her back, a set of angel’s wings.
A blinding scythe, pure and devoid of darkness, formed at her hand, a reaper’s tool.
Within her gaze was not anger or sadness, not joy or suffering. Her eyes betrayed nothing of humanity. The wolf does not feel mercy for its prey, so too does the hunter not feel for its query.
An angel of death.
A reaper unparalleled.
A machine that swallows demons.
That was what I saw that day. It was all a blur, but I couldn’t forget it if I tried. Immediately afterwards, the scene returned to just moments before, but Noe’s actions were different. Was that Noe’s true power? The power of an ex-angel of death?
What really was Noe? If she’s an angel of death, why did she let me save her? Maybe she is just using me to gain more power.
No, but I remember what Scarlet said. Scarlet said that Noe manifested herself as a human being. I can be pretty sure that Scarlet wouldn’t lie about that, he hasn’t really lied to me before and what would be the point of telling me something like that? If Noe is powerful enough to destroy any other demon, why would she have willingly become a human? Why did she need me to help her defeat those demons from before, both times? Why had she lost her memories from before manifesting? None of it added up, that I could be sure about.
[ cut ]
The whispers eventually stopped, leaving me back in the realm of reality.
“Hey Scarlet” I walked over to the androgynous, no, who am I kidding, feminine figure sitting of one of the chairs in the back of the van, “why exactly are we going back to DEED Headquarters? Weren’t you trying to keep Noe and I separated?”
“Well, about that” Scarlet stood up, “I’ve decided that the best course of action would be to make you two, as well as Ronin, honorary members of DEED’s investigation team. That way, I can legally authorize the three of you to hold demonic contracts.”
“That sounds like a terrible idea,” Blaise interjected. “What if those two just decide to run off together?”
“Well, I’m planning on keeping Ronin, who I trust, with them at all times. Plus, the soul shackles have a tracking system built in, so I can see where both of them are if they manage to escape,” Scarlet explained. “That being said, I trust both of you two” Scarlet looked back over to me and Noe “to not do that. I think we’ve worked together enough that I can afford you that much trust.”
“Yet again, you’re making a mistake,” Blaise added.
“Shut up! You still rely on the money we send you for being a part of DEED even though you never do anything!” Scarlet said. “The biggest mistake I make is keeping you around!”
“Damn, all you two seem to do is argue,” Noe observed. “I don’t wonder why Blaise keeps trying to run off, you’re practically an old married couple.”
“You do realize I’m a guy, right?” Scarlet said.
“And…?” Noe replied.
“I’m not into men! Just because I look like a girl doesn’t mean I have to be gay!” Scarlet was very adamant, surprisingly so. You’d think most people would brush off a sentiment like that casually and move on. I guess he probably gets this a lot.
“I’m sorry babe, but that sounds like something a gay guy would say,” Blaise added casually.
“Babe?! I’m going to f*cking strangle you when we get back to HQ!” Scarlet was clearly agitated, and he looked about three seconds away from hissing like a cat and clawing at Blaise’s neck.
“Are you sure that’s what Claire would want you to do?” Blaise replied.
“What does Claire have to do with this?!” Scarlet said.
That’s a good question, what does my sister have to do with this?
“I know that you have a massive crush on her. If you weren’t so incompetent at interpersonal communication, you might be able to-“
“Keep her out of this!” Scarlet shouted. I kind of feel bad for him. Every single person who knows him seems to love making fun of him. If only he knew how to take a joke.
Blaise dared to open his mouth once more. “Look, I know that you value chastity and all that, but all you’d have to do is say the word and she’d be in-“
As Blaise was talking, Scarlet walked over to a locker stationed behind the driver’s seat. He opened the locker, and from within he pulled out what appeared to be a sniper rifle. “Do you know what this is?!” Scarlet immediately aimed it directly at Blaise.
“W- What the f*ck are you doing?!” Blaise shouted before jumping out of his chair and trying to take cover behind it.
“This is an Accuracy International AWN .338 Lapua Magnum version. It will put a bullet through your head if I release the safety and pull the trigger. Do you have anything else to say?” Scarlet replied.
“Scarlet, calm the f*ck down!” I said. “You’re not actually going to shoot Blaise, are you?”
“Am I?!” Scarlet shouted at Blaise.
Ronin carefully walked up to Scarlet and tried to take the gun from him. It took a bit of effort, but it didn’t seem particularly difficult. As soon as the gun was out of Scarlet’s hands, Ronin put his hand to the sword at his side and-
-cut-
The world snapped back into place, only this time, Ronin was standing on the other side of the room holding the rifle in an unthreatening position.
“Hey, how did you?!” Scarlet shouted at no one in particular before looking at Ronin. “Give me that!” He lunged towards Ronin but was swiftly dodged, landing himself onto the ground.
Was I the only one who saw Ronin move? Something was definitely going on with him. First the whole deal with the Grim Reaper, and now this. He knows something that the others don’t.
[ cut ]
“Look, Blaise, I’m sorry. I wasn’t actually going to shoot you, I promise,” Scarlet was apologizing profusely to the man he tried to murder in cold blood just a few minutes ago. We had already gotten through the elevator and were currently evacuating the van. “Just like Ronin said, the gun wasn’t even loaded.”
Blaise sighed. “Fine, I get it. I trust you enough to know you would never kill someone unless it was absolutely necessary.”
But Scarlet did try to kill someone. I remember when he shot me in the head, back when Noe and him were fighting. It might have been reset, but Scarlet would know about that since he’s able to see inside of a projection, right?
“Hold on, didn’t you kill me earlier when you were fighting Noe?” I asked.
“Uh… No…? I think I would remember that,” Scarlet replied.
“At least you remember trying to, and succeeding at, killing me, right Blaise?” I queried.
“I remember trying to, but modern-day samurai here put a stop to that,” Blaise answered.
Why don’t they remember?
“I never would have tried to kill you. If I did end up hurting you, so long as your soul hasn’t left your body Eden can probably fix you right up,” Scarlet explained. “Even damage to the brain is repairable by his standards.”
Wow, Eden seems quite powerful, who would have known? That still doesn’t explain the reason nobody remembers those times. I wasn’t just seeing things, right?
“Say, did any of you actually see Ronin take Scarlet’s gun away?”
“Nope,” said Scarlet.
“Negative,” added Blaise.
“No, I saw nothing,” Noe said. She immediately looked me in the eyes with a signal of recognition. I don’t know exactly how I knew, but I was pretty sure that Noe saw everything go down.
“Well, that doesn’t really matter now,” Ronin said. “We’re supposed to take the unconscious one to Eden, right?”
“Yeah, her having any memories of the incident would be a massive problem,” Scarlet explained. “Eden can use his ability to remove her memory so that she won’t remember any of the specifics, if she remembers anything at all.”
That sucks, but it’s to be expected. Government operations have to be kept secret, so I can’t blame them for erasing Brooklyn’s memory.
“Say, why are we taking the girl and not any of the other people caught up in the attack?” Ronin asked.
“Because she potentially knows about Blaise and you, which is a much bigger issue than her remembering jumping into the harbor,” Scarlet said. “I wish we didn’t have to do this, but it’s necessary for secrecy.”
Just like I thought. The people aren’t allowed to know. Those that are supposed to follow are left in the dark. This is the system I’ve always hated, but there’s nothing to be done about it now. It would have been better if Brooklyn and I had never been involved in this.
The five of us, well, the four of us that were conscious more accurately, walked up to the entrance to the facility. There, waiting for us, was Eden, still in his wheelchair.
“Good evening again, Mr. Rose,” Eden seemed to greet Scarlet in particular.
“It’s not even the evening right now, it’s like 11 am at the latest,” Scarlet replied. “Let’s get inside.”
“It’s good to see you as well, Mr. Abner,” Eden said to Blaise. “I trust you won’t be staying with us for long?”
Blaise looked at Eden with recognition, it was obvious that the two had known each other for a long while. “Actually, it’s looking like I might stick around this time.”
[ cut ]
“We’re inside the elevator now. Yet again, sorry for trying to shoot you, Blaise,” Scarlet had moved to the driver’s seat after Ronin took his rifle from him. There was an aura of self-admitted shame that surrounded Scarlet, as though he would be drowned in his own self-pity. This wasn’t the first time he would apologize, and it wouldn’t be the last.
“You’re gonna have to do something better than that, ma’am,” Blaise was still mocking him, but Scarlet refused to bite back at this point.
“Hey Ronin” I turned towards the swordsman, “can I ask a favor of you?”
“Yeah, kid. What’s up?” Ronin replied.
“I want you to teach me how to fight. I want to be able to hold my ground against other sorcerers, like Blaise, and you seem to be the best candidate for teaching me,” I said. “I know that it might be a hassle, but that’s what I want more than anything else right now.”
“Sure, I can’t turn down a potential pupil. That would be doing a disservice to my own teacher,” Ronin said, lighting up a cigarette as he spoke.
Scarlet must have smelled the burning tobacco from the other room. “Hey, no smoking in here!”
[ chapter end ]