//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: Embrace of Light and Dark // by Knight of Crows //------------------------------// Cassiel POV Well let me summarize things up until now. So bitch is likely conspiring with the Church of Three (Three Heroes Church, same thing) and both are not only trying to get rid of us, but bitch is trying to kill Melty so she'll be crown princess. Apparently they were recording the "kidnapping" and changed the footage a lot, blood, murderous smiles, the essentials. So Naofumi decided we should go to Siltvelt because Melromarc is trying so damn hard to keep us from getting there. Our camp was found and after a short run we (everyone but me) were cornered by the soldiers, bitch, and the other "Heroes". "That's it, you've got nowhere left to run. You're surrounded, even you have to admit that. Cease your resistance and release princess Melty at once!" Itsuki demanded. "What's this 'release' business? It's not like I ever tied her up or anything." Naofumi said. "Quit lying to us, we have all the proof we need now." Motoyasu said triumphantly. "Please Sir Heroes, I'm perfectly fine as you can well see! The Shield Hero kept watch over me, making sure I was safe!" Melty defended Naofumi. "Wait a minute, this whole thing is happening because Naofumi abducted you." Ren said. "This is all a misunderstanding, you see someone is plotting to have me killed. I asked him to take me with him and to protect my life!" Melty explained. "He's protecting you? Come on!" "What advantage could the Shield Hero possibly stand to gain by abducting me?" Naofumi nodded. "The queen told me this is the time for all of us to work together, it's the only way we'll be able to thwart the Catastrophes. Our world can't withstand anymore of these ridiculous, pointless conflicts! Put your weapons away, please?" "Like she said, this whole thing was a setup from the beginning. I have no secrets, I'll tell you everything I know, and then I'll-" "I command you not to listen to him." Ah, there's bitch. "That lying Devil possesses a brainwashing-" I shot Thundara at the cliff to shut her up. "I swear everything that comes out of your mouth is poison! Jesus Christ woman do you ever not lie?" I asked, amazed at her persistence. "Let me guess, you were going to say he can brainwash people with his Shield right? The timing for this reveal is just a little too perfect don't you think? When and how did you learn the base form of his Shield could somehow control people?" I'm not holding back with her right now. "Let me guess, the Church discovered heretics in places he's visited right? Coincidentally every single one was saved by him: Lut Village twice, the town Motoyasu gave that cursed seed to, the town with the dead dragon and the epidemic caused by it, those starving villagers Itsuki abandoned, and most recently the last town attacked by the Waves. That sounds more like gratitude than worship to me." "Cursed seed?" Motoyasu asked quietly. "Do we have a guarantee that it can't? What kind of proof can you give to convince us her claims are false?" Ren asked. "The simple facts the king still hates him and no one is trying to kill each other right now should be proof enough. If he wanted to brainwash anyone now would be the time when he could make everyone here his servants. Good enough reason?" I answered his question with my own. "Now let's cut to the chase shall we? None of us trust the bitch with Melty, we do however trust you, we don't trust you to not be unwilling pawns in her death if she does go with you. So let's just skip to the part where I fight the Three of you at once and they escape with the good princess yeah?" "What?" Bitch asked absolutely pissed. I drew Lionheart as Filo took the opportunity to transform and fly off with the others. I dashed forward to engage Ren after freezing Itsuki in place, CQC and archers don't go well after all. While keeping close to Ren, I was keeping watch on Itsuki and the others. "Cassiel, just stop this!" Ren said, our weapons locked against one another. I pushed him back and shot him with Blizzard. "Crimson Blade!" He blocked my spell with his. "We already tried resolving this peacefully, but you idiots have a nasty habit of believing everything that comes out of her mouth." I responded. I threw Dawn as a shuriken at him after planting a few Fire bombs on it, he didn't notice that detail and was blown away. He quickly regained his footing, but I was already on him with Lionheart, flipped so the back of the keyblade was facing him, and a Fira bomb found it's way close to it's face after he blocked it. He was knocked back again, as I was closing in on him, Itsuki found an opportunity to shoot me. "So now you want to play?" I asked as I turned my attention to him "One Thousand Swords!" I turned back to Ren just in time to see a few dozen spectral swords flying toward me. "Meteor Shot!" I heard Itsuki shout. "Barrier!" I blocked both their attacks just fast enough and turned my complete attention to the others. (While Cassiel is fighting Ren and Itsuki) Motoyasu threw something at Filo and forced her to revert to her other form. While the others were downed and Motoyasu was practically molesting Filo, the bitch shot up a flare, afterward she kept bombarding Naofumi, Melty, and Raphtalia was nowhere to be seen, having cloaked herself. Naofumi brought out the Rage Shield as the knights mobilized to attack him and Raphtalia used her magic sword to stop the bitch's attempt to kill Melty. Filo escaped Motoyasu, and Naofumi blew up the path with the others on his side and me over here still. I moved to the end of the path and Naofumi threw the Church's rosary to me. "Give that to Ren." He said before running away. I turned back around to see so many people to slaughter, sadly they're off limits. "The Devil may have escaped, but you're trapped with nowhere to run! Kill him!" Bitch ordered. I shot all the knights and mages in their knees in a little over a second before using Dark Fira to trap everyone here. "Me? Trapped? Hehehe that's a funny joke. No, you're all trapped here with me! Let me ask you something, I fought Glass to a stalemate and she wiped the floor with everyone, what makes you think you can beat me even at half my base power? What about when I bring out my darkness? This must be how Glass felt." "Don't do this Cassiel." Ren said. "Or what? I'm certain I can beat all of you at once, that reminds me." I dashed towards the bitch and blasted her into the rocks knocking her out cold. "Myne!" Motoyasu cried out. "You bastard! Lightning Spear!" I dodge rolled to the side and shot him with Thundara. He was still standing which kind of surprised me. "Chao-" "Stopra!" He was frozen in time and I wanted to test something. "Tell me if your perception of time stopped as well." I told him as I threw away his Spear and bashed him a few times in the face with the guard. "Ren, Naofumi wanted me to give this to you. I'm guessing he thinks you can get to the bottom of this. See that you do." I threw the rosary to him and brought out my wings after releasing Itsuki who was still trapped. "OWOWOWOW WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?' Motoyasu asked after the spell ended. I turned away. "Well that answers that question. I expect re-" An arrow flew past my head and embedded itself in the rock (really would've expected that to not happen). I turned back to the other Three then back to the arrow a few times. I pointed to Itsuki. "That didn't come from you." I pointed behind about 30° to his side. "Found you!" I shot several arrows over there and heard a scream. "Learn to aim jackass!" And with that I flew away. So much for fighting all Three. After catching up with the others we took our leave and noticed the bitch started a damn forest fire. I guess we're arsonists now, how someone like her is still even allowed near the throne eludes me. The next day we arrived in Raphtalia's old home, there was a noble Melty trusted and he let us stay until we were ready to leave. Unfortunately the place was overrun by knights and Melty was taken by another noble who I already want to kill and the one who let us stay was taken. After everything calmed down, Naofumi decided we would go retrieve Melty, though I suspect he'll also free the slaves and the good noble as well. Arriving at the city Melty is being held in we saw a lot of Demi Humans banging on the gate demanding their lord be returned. One worthy of his position if the 'lower class' love him that much. We used the distraction at the gate to sneak inside and a little while later we learned where Melty was and made our way to her. Once we found her the noble tried using her as a hostage and held a knife to her throat. I appeared out of the SR and grabbed the knife by the blade. "Nice try." I said and punched him in the face with enough force to send him flying into the wall. "I hear you're a fan of torture? So am I! Let's compare notes shall we?" I lit my hand with Dark Fire as to not kill him and grabbed his face causing him to scream. "I want to see despair in your eyes as your face warps in agony! Show me what I want and you'll live longer!" After a few more seconds I backed off and let Raphtalia have a go. She's the one with a grudge, not me. She took a few strikes from his whip then cut the whip, forcing him into the wall. He begged for his life, but she wasn't hearing any of it. She didn't kill him, still hasn't, but she's close, and I can't allow that. "Wait! Wait a moment! You'd all be dead, the whole lot of you would've died like dogs if I hadn't taken you in like that!" The noble whose name I still haven't cared enough to learn begged. "You keep your mouth shut! You think I can forgive the atrocities you've commited? Not 'til I've died, I'll never forgive what you've done!" She's closer now. If Naofumi doesn't stop her I will. "I'm sorry, I was wrong! I'll- I'll apologize, I swear!" "This scumbag here, he took Rifana and he..." She raised her blade, ready to strike. "No! Please no!" He's crying now. Raphtalia was probably about to kill him, but Naofumi stopped her. "Raphtalia." She stopped. "I can't imagine how you feel, but will killing him help you get closure? You've become stronger over time, and not just with your sword." Naofumi said. I moved towards her and placed my hand on hers. "I read once a quote from a man who probably spoke from experience. 'Don't hunt them because they wronged you. Hunt them because what they did was wrong. One makes you selfish, the other makes you a hero.' I never told you about when I had my vengeance. Nothing changed, the nightmares, the pain, the beatings, nothing. If you truly want him dead then give me the word and I'll send his head soaring past the gate." She lowered her sword. "You're a monster, a man who put Demi Humans through Hell, then killed them. I'll never forgive you! But if I kill you, I won't be any different than the disgusting worm you are. So I've decided to let you live, that way you can atone for the sins you've commited in this place." "Damn you Demi Human! You scum, now you die!" He drew his sword and attacked her. After disarming her she stabbed him with her mana sword and he backed away, tripping over his whip and crashing through the window to his death. After healing the good noble whose name I also haven't cared enough to learn we went back to an underground entrance Raphtalia found earlier. It was there that the bastard who just died kept his slaves and tortured them. Turns out a few of Raphtalia's friends were down there, Rifana wasn't so lucky though, she'd been dead long enough that only bones remained. After freeing the slaves we went back up to find the guy who fell earlier still alive and kneeling before some kind of monument. "Oh supreme God, grant me the power to rend the Devil asunder!" The area around him lit up. Turns out that monument was a seal created by previous Heroes against a powerful monster which then proceeded to stomp on him. Did I forget to mention that monster was a dinosaur? A T-Rex at that? Well we're already Dragonslayers, why not add this to the list?