Period 15: The Dark Evangel

It was well past curfew when a stark-naked Mero snuck back into her dorm room. Yuna was laying on her bed playing a game, when she heard the window opening.

"Welcome baaaa -" The second she looked up from her game she saw her roommate climbing through the window without a stich of clothing on her. Yuna instantly dropped her head to the mattress and pretended to be asleep. She had been somewhat surprised that she had stayed out so late, but it's not like it was that uncommon to break curfew. But why in the world was she naked?! What had she been doing?! No, she couldn't think about it. I didn't see anything. Nope nothing at all. She thought to herself, squeezing her eyes shut as tight as she could. Meanwhile, Mero furiously stomped around the room.

"I can't believe this! I've never been so humiliated in my life! This indignity will not stand! I swear in the name of the creator she will pay! I can't just stand around here while she's doing lord knows what. I've got to go after her." She reached for the doorknob, but before she could even turn it Yuna leaped across the room and grabbed her by the arm.

"Whoa, whoa, where do you think you're going?!"

"Yuna-san," Mero said in a low voice. "Excuse my rudeness, but you will unhand me this instant."

"Uh, sorry" She said letting her go. "But you can't go at right now, you're naked!" Mero rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I will get dressed first, but then I'm leaving."

"No, no that's not the problem, well it's not the only problem. If you sneak out right now, you're gonna get caught by Nitta sensei. You'll just get us all in trouble!" Mero frowned. "Come on whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait till morning right?" She sighed.

"Fine, tomorrow then."

X

The next day in class Mero's face seemed to be set in a permanent scowl. Evangeline was absent. Right this second, she was probably in the dean's office telling Konoemon all about her, while she was stuck in class. She stared at the clock and tapped her foot impatiently for the entire lecture. She was emitting so much negative energy it was impossible not to notice. As soon as the bell rang, she headed straight for the door.

"Hey, Mero," Yuna called after her."

"What?" She snapped angrily.

"Er uh, never mind."' She said retreating.

"What's up with her?" Asuna asked.

"No idea." Yuna shrugged. "She snuck out last night, and when she came back . . ." She blushed at the memory. "Uh, well whatever it is, I think she probably wants to be alone right now."

"Sure . . ."

Mero marched to Konoemon's office and threw open the door. The old man sitting behind the desk looked up at his guest.

"Ah, Mero-chan. What can I do for-"

"Where is she?" She demanded.

"What?" Konoemon asked confused.

"What did she tell you?"

"Who?"

"Evangeline!"

"I don't know, I haven't seen her all-" She didn't wait for him to finish before storming off. She had to find Evangeline. She didn't bother going to her remaining classes, she spent the rest of the morning searching the school.

"My my, where are you going in such a hurry?" Someone said from behind her. She turned around. It was Evangeline, and Chachamaru was right behind her.

"Where were you today?" Mero growled.

"I was sleeping." She said casually.

"What?"

"Don't believe me? I used up a bit too much magic last night, so I was napping on the roof."

". . ." Mero glared at her suspiciously.

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"I haven't told anyone your secret. I always keep my word. Besides I can't expose you without exposing myself. It'll be mutually assured destruction."

"Or," Mero said raising an arm. "I could eliminate you here and now."

"Oh, you want to pick up where we left off last night? Are you sure about that? It's true I can't use magic right now, but I doubt you could defeat Chachamaru with your power sealed away."

"Urk!" Her hand unconsciously drifted to the seal on her arm.

"I thought as much. And even if you could, the old man would definitely notice. So the two of us are stuck with each other."

"Are you telling me to just stand by and let you do whatever you please?"

"Relax. Just like I told you last night, my only goal is to escape from here. Frankly I don't really care what you do, as long as you don't interfere with me." Mero clenched her fist.

"And you expect me to trust you?"

"Ha, ha, hell no. Only a fool would trust stranger at their word. But moving against one another in this situation would be even more foolish. Don't worry, I won't be able to do anything until the next full moon anyway. But for now, I think I'd like to take another nap. Come on Chachamaru." They walked straight past her, while Mero stood there shaking with anger.

X

Who is Evangeline McDowell? She had no idea, but she had already guessed at her origins. She was at a complete disadvantage. Something she intended to correct. Yuna was still in class, so Mero locked herself in her room and sealed the door with magic, just like she'd done on her first day. She pulled out her magic index and connected to the mahou-net. The words on the page were almost irrelevant. There was some information physically printed into the book, but most important were the magic circles that connected to the vast network of information, that was the mahou-net. Maintained and updated twenty-four seven by countless minor spirits and familiars, it was by far the largest database of magical knowledge.

"Evangeline A. K. McDowell." She said out loud. Immediately a dozen different mana screens appeared hovering above the book. Little transparent boxes filled with pictures and big blocks of text in response to her search. She bit her lip. She had been hoping to find something, but there was absolutely no way there would be this much information on any average vampire. She began reading. "Evangelina Athanasia Ecaterina Macdovell, also known as the dark gospel, or dark evangel, the undying mage, the puppet master. . ." She scrolled down. "The visitation of woe, the disciple of discord, the queen of calamity- argth!" She swiped her hand and dispelled the screen. "Useless!" Most of the articles were vague at best. She kept swiping through windows, until she found one that told her something that actually seemed relevant.

"Believed to have been born in the eastern kingdom of France in the late 14th century, Evangeline A. K. McDowell is widely considered the most powerful high daylight walking vampire of the modern era." A high daylight walker? So she wasn't just an ordinary vampire. "There is little confirmed information about her early life, but she matches the description of several young girls executed under suspicion of witchcraft in the middle ages. In the following decades almost all the reported vampire attacks throughout Europe are credited to her. Her power continued to grow over the next century. She is considered by many to be the most powerful dark mage who has ever lived." Mero immediately closed the window. The life maker was the greatest dark mage who ever lived. Or ever will. If they didn't even know that, then the article clearly couldn't be trusted. She pulled up a new article from a different source.

"In the mid 16th century, Megalomesembria issued her a bounty of six million drachma. Her bounty was frozen in 1988, after her battle with Nagi Springfeild." She tensed a little as she read the name. "She has never been seen since. While there is much speculation about her current whereabouts, Nagi Springfeild has refused to speak on the matter. Her last known location was Kantou Japan." I suppose Nagi sealed her in the school. She continued reading through the articles. In addition to dark and ice magic, she was apparently also a master of doll magic, but there was nothing about her ever taking a partner. In fact, based on everything she read, it seemed like Evangeline always worked alone, and she could find no information on Karakuri Chachamaru. She had amassed quite the reputation as a world class criminal in both the magic world and earth and had become something of a 'boogeyman' in the magic community. One image depicted Evangeline facing an entire fleet of Megalomesembrian soldiers. Mero tapped it with her finger, and the image enlarged and began to move. The soldiers blasted her with projectile magic. All the blasts ricocheted harmlessly off her magic barrier. She smiled wickedly, before gunning them down with hundreds of hailstone spears. Mero watched as an Aegis battleship entered the fray. She laughed manically as she avoided all the enormous ship's attacks. Then with one massive spell she froze the entire battlefield, including the ship and all the soldiers. The clip ended, and Mero closed all the windows. She had seen enough. It was time to tell the life maker.

X

"So, does this vampire have a name?" The life maker asked.

"Her name is Evangeline McDowell Master." Mero answered. "Please allow me to-"

"Evangeline? Evangelina Ecaterina Macdovell? Are you sure?"

"Yes Master." The lifemaker's shoulder's shook, then she threw back her head and let loose a long hearty laugh. "Uh, Master?" Mero raised an eyebrow.

"Truly?" Her master said between howls. "So she truly- and you mean to say, all this time she was- ha, ha, oh Evangelina! And Nagi? Oh this is too much!"

"Master please, this is serious! What are we going to do?" The mage of the beginning finally composed herself.

"You needn't concern yourself with Evangelina. Just let her be for now." Had she misheard her? Impossible her hearing was perfect.

"But-but master, what do you mean by that?"

"Exactly as I said. Evangelina won't bother us." She said waving away the question.

"But how can you be sure?"

"According to what you've told me, her magic is sealed now, correct?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"B-But even so, that's no guarantee-"

"Averruncus!" Mero immediately stiffened up at her master's voice. "I said it's fine. Don't distract yourself with anything unnecessary. Just complete your mission, and everything will be fine.

"Yes Master."