Sef's heart was calm as the guards fastened his wrists on the metal crucifix. In front of him was Erze, and in front of her were hooded figures assembled like a three columned choir. Those in red occupied the right side, those in black occupied the left, while the middle was left for two individuals. Parvanos who sat at the lowest step, and the queen of heaven who stood at the top most level.
She was dressed in a glittering gown, and was veiled like a bride yet to meet her groom. A human from the head down to the waist, but a hell hound starting from the hips to the claws of her four reptilian legs. Her left hand held a staff with an eight-rayed sun as its head, and her right carried a black orb that hovered a few inches chest above her fingertips.
“brothers and sisters!”
Parvanos broke away from the assembly and walked towards Erze, summoning applauses with every step he took. “tonight is the night of harvest! Tonight our queen sheds her lesser vessel, and take on a greater one!”
“as above, so below! As above, so below!”
The hoods bowed to their queen and chanted without cease. At first it sounded like a chorus of normal people, but with every repetition, the voices became less human and more beastly, turning from words understood by the ear, into growls that forced a sinister grin on Sef's face.
“time to say goodbye, Sef"
Parvanos raised a hand, and the queen opened her mouth in response. Out of it came a white serpent that slithered across the air and bit Erze on the neck. Her face was blocked by the crucifix and her screams were drowned by the chants, but the way her fingers dug on to the metal showed how much pain she endured.
“so we meet again Sef"
Another hooded man appeared before Sef carrying a crucifix on one hand and Bel on another. “here's your request. Enjoy losing your treasure beside it"
He planted the iron cross next to Sef and hanged the chain on Bel's wrists around its head, making her scream as her shoulders and joints were forced to carry all the weight.
Sef did not take his eyes away from Erze, but allowed the little girl's screams to fuel his rage. Soon enough, thoughts best left unspoken filled his mind, making the hooded man turn to him in excitement.
“oh what did I just hear? Is it true? Do you really want to rip my throat?”
With a calm exterior, Sef lowered his gaze and replaced his thoughts with insults only he could speak. As expected, a heavy hand grabbed his neck and forced him to look up again, but before the mind reader could spit a word, Erze's screams rose above the chants. She flailed like a beast in its last struggle to survive, rocking her crucifix as the snake pumped silver venom in her body.
“there, there” Myrno wrapped an arm around Sef's shoulders and pointed at the snake's head. “I'm sure your witty nutcase already figured some of this out, but see that silver liquid leaking out of the goddesses' tongue? Yes, that's her in elixir form. A minute from now, all of her will be inside your girl, all you'll do is watch her take over"
Fear, sorrow, anger. All once well kept now raged inside Sef without restrictions. There was not much time left, he needed to start his plan now, and it starts with a desperate glance, a plea of help to the monster chained beside him.
“finally!” Myrno walked back to Bel and traced her face with a finger. “master was right, you do have something under your sleeve”
“Sef! Help me! I'm scared!” Bel begged Sef, but all he gave her was a despaired gaze and a whispered apology.
“so let's see...” Myrno pulled a knife from his cloak and pressed its blade on the little girl's cheek. “you want this girl to look at the goddess, then something will happen right? Very well...”
Blood splattered on Sef's face and screams pierced his ears. He wanted to look away, but his conscience, or what was left of it, froze his neck in place. This was his idea, if someone must be tainted by it, that someone must be him.
“Papa... I'm scared... It's so dark...” Bel's voice broke into sobs, but instead of tears, it was blood that gushed out of the holes where her eyes once sat.
“see this Sef?” Myrno dangled the knife in front of Sef and slowly plucked the eyeballs skewered in it. “this is your plan that I just ruined just now. Do you have anything else? Better attempt it now, the transfer is about to be complete"
“thank you Myrno, you're truly the best tool Paravanos have"
“ha, stop bluffing! I can read you like a book!”
A sinister grin etched itself on Sef’s face. “go ahead then, read me"
Myrno's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened in fear. “you... what did you do?”
“oh it's not me” Sef said. “you're the one with free hands"
“master! The gir---"
Before Myrno could finish his warning, an endless number of glass chains bursted out of Bel's eye sockets. They shackled everything they came in contact with, and pulled them apart like twigs. Only Parvanos remained intact, hovering above the chaos as he carried a queen with a headless serpent dangling from her mouth.
“I see, this is why Sef did it"
Bel appeared out of the chains and stared unblinkingly at Sef. Nothing about her appearance suggetsed a change, it was the unseen things that revealled it. The air around her was forbidding and the emptiness of her gaze screamed uncertainty. She was no longer the sweet girl he travelled with, but a monster disturb from its slumber.
“s-so...” Sef flashed a nervous smile. “we meet again"
“who is it?” Belfred undid Sef's bonds. “who is him that blinded my Faith?”
“you probably killed him by now"
“how about him that flies? Is him involved?”
Sef inhaled to suppress his laughter. “yes, his the one behind all of this, he even called your daughter a pet"
The chains shot to the ceiling and swarmed Parvanos from all sides. Bones cracked and blood showered the floor, but when the frenzy subsided, no corpse was found.
“hm, looks like my soul wasn't silenced after all. Is it because a wasn't touched by the chains?”
Parvanos appeared in front of Bel's crucifix with a hand scratching his beardless chin. The queen was no longer with him, nor was she seen in any corner of the hall. A clear hint that the immortal's soul was truly in play.
“a phantom?” Belfred asked, ordering another cluster of chains to stand like cobras around him.
“watch your mouth failed one" Parvanos said. “you may have a very formidable spirit, but don’t ever think you'll stand against me"
“him is the one who should bite his tongue. Him will pay for hurting my Faith!”
“um, about that...” Sef scratched his head. “I think we should leave that for another day”
“is Sef siding with him?”
“no, Sef is saying we should escape now"
Belfred sent a chain around Sef'’s neck. “is Sef telling me to back down? Is Sef not mad for my Faith?!”
Sef grabbed the chain and returned his eyes on Parvanos, begging for the Belfred to do the same. “Sef... wants your Faith... to be corrected! It won't happen... if we die here!”
Belfred's icy demeanor dissolved into a face of realization and surprise. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped, and his chains cocooned around him and Sef, forming a dark room no one else could enter.
“what is Sef's plan?” he asked
“can't... breath...” Sef said.
The chokehold transfered to his wrist. “there, tell me now"
“I'm not sure where we are exactly, but we need to get to the northern sea's gate as fast as possible”
“myself does not know the place”
“just harmonize with my soul and you'll see it"
“myself warns you now Sef. This will not be an easy escape. Once myself goes to that place, myself can no longer keep your enemies at bay. They will attack you together with their goddess"
Despite of the darknes covering his eyes, Sef reached out a hand and trusted the monster's vision. “we can't stay here either, you know Sure, your soul may silence Parvanos now, but I'm sure he'll eventually find a way around it"
“very well"
As soon as the monster's fingers locked with Sef's a darker version of Bel's song invaded his body. However, unlike last time, it only took a second for him to harmonize with it.
“myself didn't not expect to be tamed so easily. Myself is impressed" Belfred said.
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Sef chuckled. “this isn’t the first time I heard your soul you know”
“myself doesn't recall doing this before"
“yours may sound nastier, but it's just the same as your daughter's"
The cocoon of of chains swirled back behind the Belfred and revealled Erze sprawled on his feet. “state your command please"
Sef scooped Erze, gazed at the nearest window and visualized a door similar to the one at the foot of their prison. “snare"
In exchange for the monster's disappearance, the dormant mass of chains turned into a flood of iron ropes that swept Sef and Erze along. It climbed the walls, drilled through the window and flowed down to the castle's front yard like lava dripping out of a volcano.
The castle's giant doors creaked open, and released a horde of hounds ridden by cultists with missing limbs. Some were half dead, while others were fuelled by revenge. Regardless, Sef did not care. Erze was crying, and she has yet to open her eyes. There was nothing more important now than to know why.
“wake up” Belfred said, slapping a chain on his face.
“what was that for?!” Sef asked.
“myself did it to help Sef focus. The pursuers are ganing ground"
Sef lared at the chain, and grudgingly looked over his shoulder. The monster was right, the hounds were now near enough to leap on him, and before he can do anything about it, three of them did exactly that.
“snare"
Chains caught the voids midair and dragged them back to the horde, causing clusters to stumble and be trampled under the vicious current of rampaging feet.
“worry about Erze later, command me now!” Belfred said.
Sef frowned at Erze, but decided to oblige in the end. He crossed his legs, locked his hands and immersed himself at the song knocking at the door of his senses.
“snare”
One front runner after another, the chains snared every foot that came close enough to spring forward. At the same time, the flood doubled its speed and reached the stair case faster than Sef expected, turning the possibility of the horde catching up into a mere afterthought.
“we did it!” Sef shouted.
“Sef shouldn't be complacent” Belfred said.
“loosen up, there's no way they'd catch... us...”
The air on Sef's lungs evaporated as he caught sight of the sky. It was a plain black canvas when they got out of the castle, but now, silver stars occupied it from every corner, descending towards them like arrows from the gods.
“cage!”
He crouched on top of Erze and recreated the shell of chains from earlier. In a heartbeat, the sound of metal slithering across stone drowned in the noise of fire falling from heaven.
“myself cannot protect Sef forever” Belfred said.
Sef took one last glance at Erze before embracing her as tight as he could. He was scared, uncertain of what his in coming foolishness will result to. But as his partner's tears soaked his face, and her hushed sobs entered his ears, he was reminded onf why they were here in the first place. On why they chose to leave that peaceful place and charged into hell's heart itself.
“remove your chains and run as fast as you can”
“will Sef and Erze be fine?”
Sef closed his eyes. “don't worry, I'll make sure we will"
As soon as the shell broke apart, Sef drew every ounce of his forbidden authority and directed the queen’s projectiles to his back. At first, it was as if a rain of burning knives dug into his skin. But as his flesh thinned, and his bones became exposed, his sense of touch was erased completely.
“is Sef alright?! Myself needs to know! Sef!”
The monster's voice reached Sef like a mysterious foreign language. He received it loud and clear, but failed to digest what it meant. To make things worse, his limbs lost all of their strength and his mouth gulped air like a fish. The peak of lameness displayed on top of the girl who mocked it the most.
“how pathetic" a voice said. It did not ring inside Sef's head nor come across as mystery. He understood it, not because his damaged brain was healed but because it came from the depths of his soul.
“what do you want?” Sef asked grudgingly.
The voice let out a mocking chuckle. “that's my line boy"
“no it's not. You're not the kind to help anyone"
“you're not just anyone. You're Or---"
“bla bla bla! I'll accept your help. Thank you very much!”
The voice sighed. “why do you hate that name so much?”
Sef ignored him. “I need lift to the northern gate and a stop to these hot silver orbs. Can you do that?”
“that's quite a request. Are you prepared to pay for it?”
“take as much suffering as you want. It's not like I'll die or anything"
The voice sighed again. “you disappoint me in every encounter”
The corner's of Sef’s mouth curled up. “that's the plan”
Instead of biting to the taunt, the voice kept its silence and froze the silver orbs above Sef's back. In a heartbeat, the slanted terrain of stairs became a flat floor of still water. The horde from behind turned into the horizon and the wall's distant roof morphed into a looming door before them, waiting to be opened by those who sought salvation.
“myself is impressed. Sef found a way yet again"
Sef forced a grin. “enough of that. Open the gate now"
“myself has a problem. This door denies contact with spirits”
“return to human form then"
The monster obeyed, but instead of yanking the lock open, he placed his arms next to door and revealled how puny they were compared to the thick metal bar fastening it.
Sef rolled his eyes. “puppet string"
Chains coiled around his body and forced him to stand. With stiff steps and arms reached out, he guided himself towards the door, reserving the remainder of his strength for his hands to use.
“well, well, isn't this scene familiar"
An arm hooked Sef's neck from behind, as a thin blade sprouted out of his chest. It sucked away his will to move and pushed his exhausted mind to its limits. How? Since when? These were the questions that pestered him, and as Erze walked passed by, the answer became less exciting to hear.
“betrayer!”
The monster sent its flood of chains at Erze, but rather than evading, she snapped her fingers and reduced the iron wave into a harmless shower of flowers.
“that's enough of your spirit" she said in a bored tone. “I already figured it out. It doesn't bother me anymore"
Belfred appeared between Sef and Erze. “why did Erze betray Sef? Sef sacrificed for Erze!”
Disgust crumpled Erze’s face. “so you're truly just a wild beast. How disappointing. I thought you were smarter than you look"
“and myself thought Erze was kinder than her words"
“not... her...” Sef whispered.
Belfred glanced at him. “what does Sef mean?”
“eyes here, simple one" Erze placed a hand in her face and swiped it as if she was removing a mask. Darkness gushed form the top of her head down to her feet, and when it faded, her true identity was revealled.
“but how?” Belfred stumbled backwards. “myself could've seen him, myself could've dissolved his disguise easily"
“you could, but the question is...” Parvanos snapped again, and his face morphed back into Erze's. “do you want to?”
“where... Er... ze...” Sef asked.
“aw, how adorable. You really found something you cared for haven't you, experiment one?”
“we go... to Pandor... a...”
“no, your struggle ends here"
Parvanos raised a hand, and a flurry of silver orbs fell on Belfred. His screams pierced Sef's ears and the light of his burning body filled his eyes, only to subside after the queen’s towering frame materialized from the blaze.
“is he the disruptor?” she asked in a song-like voice.
Parvanos pointed at the charred body beneath her feet. “you already stepped on the right insect your majesty. Don't waste your arrows on him"
The queen back away and aimed another cluster of orbs Belfred. “I shall dispose this thing quickly then"
For the first time after a thousand years, Sef found himself truly trapped in a corner. His body, will and trump card have all been crushed. There was nothing more he can do, nothing more he can give.
“farewell mad beast”
With the queen's hand pointed at the monster, her silver orbs swelled and fell. They engulfed Belfred's body and burned the life out of his screams, reducing him into stillness and silence.
“Bel...” Sef considered begging for mercy as he stared at the girl. However, before a word could escape his lips, black fluid fell from the sky and extinguished the flames.
The queen immediately showered it with fire, but instead being consumed, the black mud gave birth to a pair of cloaked figures that forced her back. One was tall and thin, while the other had cuffs dangling from the wrists.
“this stops now, little one" the chained one said, her voice reaching Sef like a memorized lullaby.
“ho?” Parvanos smirked. “you may be the infamous red lady, but don't fool yourself in thinking you can defeat a god"
“I'm not here to defeat her”
The cloaked girl removed her covering and beamed at Sef. Her eyes were still as beautiful as before, but the confidence they once exuded was now gone, burried underneath immense guilt.
“your majetsy” Parvanos stomped. “these livestocks are rebelling against you, punish them!”
Erze approached the god without a fear in the world. “please don't listen to him anymore. You've suffered enough from his lies"
The queen fired orbs at her feet and forced her to kneel. “you're not worthy to speak in my presence"
Unlike the Erze Sef knew, the girl before him did not stand, but humbled herself even more. She kissed the waters and stretched her arms like a beggar asking for a coin.
“please remember who you are. You're father is waiting for you"
The queen stepped on Erze's hand. “I'm a god, how dare you talk to me as a mortal"
“you're not a god. You're Celena Nightcount, daughter of Vanaker the thirteenth, my... my descendant”
Like a mirror suffering its first crack, the queen's distant eyes let out a glint of humanity. It started with a mere drop, which became a streak of water rolling down her left cheek. A clear sign that somewhere inside her still lies the girl Vanaker wished to free.
“you're majesty---"
“silence!”
The queen summoned a circle of orbs around Parvanos. “you will stay there and be quiet. I must hear what this woman has to say"
Erze did not waste a second. She sat up and looked the queen in the eye, completely defenseless, yet at the same time, unafraid. “the man behind you knew about the curse in our blood. He took advantage of your weakness, and turned you into what you are now"
“that can't be... I'm the queen of heaven... I'm not human...”
The other cloaked person revealled his tear-soaked face. “please come back Celena, papa is here now! Be my daughter again!”
The queen pressed her hands against her eyes. “no! I can't! I already failed you!”
Vanaker approached his daughter with open arms. “that's not true. I was the one who failed. I should've considered your feelings instead of forcing you to my will"
“no... I killed so many people... I can't be fixed anymore...”
“even if that's true, I still want you back. Please Celena, let's give each other a chance!”
“don't come any closer!”
Orbs emerged above the queen's head and fired at Vanaker who accepted them like a gift. However, Erze blocked them with her chest and grabbed the goddesses’ arms, clinging to it as if it was the most important thing in the world.
“you can be fixed" she said firmly. “I know a place where every wrong can be corrected, where every sin can be forgiven. I'll go there no matter what! So please reclaim yourself and come with us, let’s make ourselves right!”
The queen's resistance crumbled. She no longer summoned her orbs, nor push Erze away. All she did was stand in silence, blinking at Vanaker using eyes filled with child-like wonder.
“so this is how it ends"
Parvanos dispersed into a flock of crows and reassembled outside of the cage. “what a shame, getting so close only to find yourself back on the starting line"
Vanaker pulled out a spear from his chest. “don’t worry, I'll make sure you reach the finish line after this”
“big words for a withered man"
Parvanos raised a hand, and in an instant, the empty sea became occupied with a mob of hooded men armed with silver-flamed torches. They stood in one organized line and chanted arcane words in pefect synchrony, causing the flames above their heads to launch themselves at Vanaker.
“you need to go now!”
With crystalized blood serving as his armor, the old man welcomed the flames and freed Sef from the chains. He then carried him, Erze and Bel to the gate and smiled at them bitterly.
“I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you. I should've listened to you back in the castle"
Sef forced a smile. “come... with us...”
Vanaker blocked a fireball with his hand. “as you can see, that's not possible at the moment"
“don't be a pessimist now!” Erze said. “you've already come this far! I won't allow anymore sacrifices!”
Celena set a portion of the enemies ablaze and took Erze's hands. “my lady, it's a pleasure and an honor to meet you in the flesh. I will cherish this moment forever"
“stop this nonsense! You two will come with us!”
Vanaker shook his head. “Celena still bears some of the queen's soul. If we escape with you, they'll just use her as a means to track you down"
Erze’s glared at her hands. “this is all my fault. If not for my crimes, you won't be here now"
Vanaker poked at Sef's chest. “my blood now flows inside the death charmer's body, and a part of my daughter's soul is now inside you. That means even if we die here, we’ll still be alive through you"
“no, you'll survive! You'll come---
Celena covered Erze's mouth and kissed her forhead. “good bye, red lady. May you find the redemption you seek"
Before Erze could free her mouth, the girl reached the gate's lock and yanked it open. Light invaded everything, and immense gravity took hold of their minds, leaving them powerless to stop the mob from closing in around the two Nightcounts.