Alley sits in silence on the passenger side of the car as I drive the black cab towards the von Amsterg manor. The traffic gradually becomes heavier and heavier, with servants directing the cars and guests towards the manor. And just ahead of us, parked by the side of the road in the middle of a line of luxury vehicles is the mobile hobo base, or more prosaically known as the SUV. A five minute walk from the manor's entrance. The Voice had picked a good location to deploy the SUV.

"Alright. We are coming up on the getaway vehicle." I say to Alley who looks up in surprise, "You know what you have to do?"

Alley merely nods in silence, resigned to her role in this affair. Though quite frankly, she is freaking out over nothing. Alley will be spending the entire time chilling in The Voice's place of power, literally the safest place in The City once shit hits the fan. Short of Fate actually descending from its divine realm to throw down, there's nothing in this world that can breach the SUV.

"You'll be fine. Just remember the plan and be ready to move out once I bring the package over. Savvy?" I clap Alley on the shoulder as a form of encouragement.

"Yes. I got it." Alley whispers, her composure steadying. Good. She's getting into her required role. Despite Alley's natural misgivings, she's still caught in The Voice's web. being driven along the path that will carry this world to its true end.

I stop the cab and Alley disembarks without another word, walking towards the SUV. I then continue driving the black cab towards the manor's main entrance.

"You are not going to wear the hood?" The Voice rasps unhappily from the earpiece.

"We've been through this already. You said I didn't need to full armor set to shield the core from Celeste." I explain, "That means I can wear a gas mask to protect myself from the sedatives being thrown about."

"Its a perfectly good hood." The Voice argues, "I have already spawned it in the cab for this mission. Furthermore, the gas will not affect you at all. The artificial core renders you completely immune."

"I am not going to build up stress just for the sake of your fashion choices, OK?" I grumble back at The Voice, "Have you spawned the gas mask yet? We are going to reach the manor's gates soon."

The glove compartment pops open revealing both the gas mask and the executioner's hood within. I reach over and take the gas mask, placing it on my lap, while pointedly ignoring the executioner's hood staring at me accusingly.

"There's still time to change your mind." The Voice prompts.

"Not happening." I respond, slamming the glove compartment shut, "You got the other stuff I asked for ready as well?"

"Yes." The Voice rumbles, "I have stocked the boot of this vehicle with more than enough munitions and weaponry for you to make a nuisance of yourself once we have been cut off by the servant. I have also added several additional touches to increase the drama of the situation."

"Additions? Drama?" I start asking worriedly, "We didn't discuss anything like this earlier."

"This mission is at its base a false flag operation." The Voice explains, "I have therefore provided weapons and ammunition associated with the Legion for your use. Feel free to cause as many casualties and as much collateral damage as you can."

"Uh, would anybody be actually fooled by this?" I quiz as the black cab joins a long queue that trudges forward at a snail's pace, "I am not exactly an unknown quantity at this point and don't exactly have a history of working with the Legion."

"It does not matter." The Voice states, "The general public is our audience, not the people in the know. With the paparazzi lapping up your performance and the very obvious evidence of Legion involvement that you will leave behind, no one will challenge our manufactured account of events, not openly at least."

"Its still not going to fool Gustav." I object, "He has been intimately involved with the Legion this whole time. Gustav might try something behind closed doors."

The Voice laughs, "I am well aware of that. I have prepared for Gustav's interference, Transmigrator. Suffice it to say, he will go along with the lie, whether he likes it or not."

"Everything is under control then?" I question, a feeling of unease creeping over me. The Voice has clearly kept part of the plan secret from me. I don't like it, flying partially blind like this, but I am in way too deep to back out now.

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"Indeed." The Voice answers, "So do your part with an easy heart, Transmigrator. Matters are moving in accordance to their ordained paths."

"If you say so." I grunt, "Hey, this line is moving really slowly. Will we even reach the manor in time for the wedding?"

"Hold a moment." The Voice rumbles, "Ah, I see. Fate is interfering in an attempt to close your window of opportunity to carry out the mission. Gustav's staff are diverting the cars away from the manor on the ground that there are already too many vehicles parked inside."

"I can't leave the cab." I complain, "The gear I need to put on our show is all stored inside the boot."

"You may need to." The Voice says, "I detect that the manor's staff are hurrying the event to start despite not all the guests having arrived yet. You may not have the time to tarry any further."

I think for a moment, chewing on my lip, "Where exactly is the wedding being held?"

"On the manor's grounds, right in front of the entrance to the building proper." The Voice answers, "I cannot sense the presence of the Hero, but intercepted communications informs me that the pastor is being summoned to the courtyard right now. We are running out of time."

"Open a line to Alley on the SUV's radio." I answer, "And hold on to your butt."

...

"This is it Irene." Celeste whispers excitedly to me, "I am so happy for you."

I steady my nerves as I stride down the red carpet laid down on the grounds of the von Amsterg manor, walking past seats filled with assembled dignitaries. The long wedding gown trails gracefully behind me as Celeste takes up the rear as my bridesmaid. It all looks so perfect, but underneath the smiling faces around me is the real truth.

Everyone is laughing at me.

Kira stands by herself in a corner, waiting for the signal to begin her performance, a look of complete bewilderment on her face. Sera in the maid uniform glares at me venomously, a tray of drinks balanced on one hand while the other clutches at her saber. Everyone knows that these two are going to be Tensei's mistresses in the future. No matter how much Celeste pleaded, Tensei adamantly refused to cut either of them loose. This marriage is merely a matter of form, the reality is that its completely bogus. Tensei is not marrying me out of love, but out of a sense of obligation.

As we pass the front row of the seats, I meet Gustav's expressionless gaze with one of my own. By his side is Rose, who openly sneers at me derisively. How can I make this marriage work when everyone is so implacably against me? I can't keep counting on Celeste to stay in my corner. Sooner or later, she will leave, if only to go back to the Academy. Then I will be left all by myself, surrounded on all sides.

What am I going to do?

Before I know it, Celeste and I stand before the pastor as the organ continues to play. Tensei draws abreast of me, with a butler standing in for the best man. Tensei had originally wanted Ken as his best man, but that was no longer possible after Ken was sent by his family to an insane asylum. The story I heard was that Ken just snapped one day at the Academy.

"Dearly beloved ..." the pastor begins his canned speech, but Tensei cuts the man off.

"I do." Tensei says.

"Pardon?" the pastor starts, clearly off balance.

"I do." Tensei repeats as he looks squarely at me, "Please say yes Irene. Let's try to make this work. Together."

I smile, blinking tears from my eyes. Maybe things are not so bad after all. In that single moment, I found the boy that I had fell in love with not so long ago.

"I -" but before I can complete the words, a loud crashing noise erupts from the main gate. We all turn back to the source of the commotion.

"I OBJECT!" a loud shout comes from a black cab barreling through the gate, running over several of Gustav's butlers. The driver swerves the vehicle hard, aiming it towards a cluster of seats filled with guests. The cab plows into the guests, sending cries of panic and pain into the air, before finally slamming the brakes.

I recognize that voice. Its Gallant. There's no one else it could be.

"No!" Celeste moans in distress, "He's here! The bad man is here!"

"Go and hide Celeste." I instruct while summoning my spirit sword, "I will deal with Gallant."

"Go on." Tensei says while taking his place beside me, "Irene and I will hold him off. Get to safety."

"Mn! Yes!" Celeste nods as she runs into the manor, "I will pray for both of you! Come back safe!"

I allow myself a brief laugh at how sweet Celeste is, even in these circumstances. That moment ends once Gallant steps out of the cab, clad in a gas mask and black trench coat. A butler rushes forward to apprehend him, but Gallant's arm shoots forward, blasting clear through the butler's torso. As the bloody corpse topples over, Celeste takes a deep breath to sing her song, but Gallant chucks a grenade in her direction, which explodes in a cloud of thick fog. The cloud spreads rapidly, and anyone caught within it collapses to the ground.

Gustav and Rose are surrounded protectively by their staff and Sera pounces at Gallant with her saber drawn. But Gallant does not even break his stride as he casually knocks Sera aside with one hand. A grenade is tossed at Gustav's group but Rose springs into action, erecting a protective bubble around them with her magic. As the grenade explodes and releases another cloud of gas, the bubble flickers briefly, but ultimately keeps the gas out.

Gallant merely shrugs, ignoring Gustav and Rose as he makes his way towards Tensei and I. Rose's shield may keep her and Gustav safe from the gas, but it also removes them from the fight. I watch with growing trepidation as Gallant brutalizes yet another butler that tries to intercept him, this time by uppercutting the butler's head clean off. There's no doubt about it, he's here for either Tensei or myself.

"Together. We fight him together Irene." Tensei says, summoning his own spirit sword, "We can do it. I believe in you."

The butler's head lands between Tensei and I with a bloody splat as Gallant finally stands directly in front of us. This is it. I square my shoulders and draw a deep breath.

"I believe in you as well Tensei." I declare loudly, "I believe in us!"

Both of us point our swords at Gallant, who for some reason is trying to hold back laughter.

"No one cares, Big Tits." Gallant sniggers as he tosses one of his grenades at our feet before we can react. With a bang, the fog swallows me whole.

Leaving only darkness.