As the sun set to mark the beginning of the night, Xion and Marcus created a small but powerful knight to rescue Dolan from those who had taken him. Xion felt responsible for it; his PTSD overwhelmed him at the worst possible moment when he was trying to have fun and get to know Dolan. He leans his back against the wall in his room while thinking about him.
Lucy approached the miserable child.
"Hey Xion…"
"Oh, is it time already?" he asked with no expression.
Lucy noticed the redness in his eyes from crying, guilt clearly weighing on him as he blamed his PTSD for Dolan's kidnapping. Xion's gaze was fixed on the window, lost in the glow of the golden moon lingering in the night sky.
…
Outside the border, in a strange, desolate, abandoned tavern, there was a hidden cellar that served as the clandestine entrance to a cult organization. This was the Cult of Apocalypse, a sinister group worshiping an ancient Primordial being associated with destruction and rebirth. The group's true name remains unknown, but they desperately seek Trinity's blood to resurrect the powerful and malevolent entity. Dolan was confined in a damp, iron-barred cell underground. He regained consciousness a few minutes after being thrown inside, and his eyes carefully scanned the dim, oppressive surroundings, taking in every detail of the cold stone walls and faint flickering light.
The walls are too thick for me to use a sword…
Dolan then looked up to see if any sunlight was filtering through, but all he saw was a dull, flickering glow from a solitary electric-powered lamp hanging from the ceiling. The lamp's dull light cast weak shadows across the room, highlighting the stark simplicity of the space.
"It appears our sacrifice has finally regained consciousness. I apologize if my men were too rough with you. Once again, I'm astonished to see someone with albinism within Trinity Blood. Tell me, where is the crystal?" the man in the black-and-red robe demanded sternly. Dolan felt puzzled by the question; he could have meant any crystal.
Dolan spoke weakly, "I'm not sure what you mean by crystals…"
"I'm referring to the Genesis Crystal that a traitor carelessly left behind in your shop. This mysterious gem conceals a hidden pathway of False Divinity and possesses the power of a humanoid dragon who once shattered the very laws of Judgment. But it will only respond to the blood of a Trinity."
The crystal gleams like a ruby, faintly bearing the mark of one of the 12 Gods. As the man inquired, Dolan strained to catch the leader's face more clearly, but the dim light obscured any discernible features.
Dolan tried to think it through. He didn't remember a crystal left in the store; only one person came to mind, Xion. "Your face says it all. I did hear there was a boy who claimed to be a Trinity who was adopted into your family. Maybe I should pay a visit?"
"Then do it," Dolan muttered.
The man in the dark, flowing robe chuckled softly before departing the dimly lit prison chamber. It appeared that the mercenaries he had employed to apprehend the target had failed to capture the correct Trinity, whose identity remained elusive.
"Find the true child of Trinity and bring him to me," he commanded his assassins, who bowed in obedience. Soon, the day of resurrection will arrive at last, signaling the triumphant return of the awakened Trinity. I seek the blood of this divine, enlightened entity to fulfill an ancient prophecy. He thought of making his way to an artificial altar, a manufacturer holding the world in one hand.
…
It was 8:30 pm, and still no clue where Dolan might have gone. Xion sighed deeply and headed downstairs. As he glanced at the photos lining the wall, he saw the cheerful smiles of the four. Desperate to help but unsure how, he thought, I need a way to find Dolan—if only I could become a soldier. No, I have to do this on my own, without relying on those techniques, he resolved, stretching his arms as he watched the golden moon gradually obscured by dark clouds. Suddenly, he caught sight of a faint shadow darting past the living room. Meanwhile, Lucy and Marcus were out searching nearby for any clues about where Dolan might be hidden.
"Who's There?" Xion asked, drawing out a Kitchen knife.
A strange tension filled the air; he sensed their presence but couldn't see or pinpoint them. Their murderous intent seeped into the room, choking the child with dread—still so young, unable to breathe. Suddenly, like a predator stalking its prey in complete silence, the Assassins emerged from every side. Though faster and more agile, Xion's fighting skills were minimal, but Kiryuu was ready to face them.
Xion swiftly seized the attacker approaching from his left, forcefully hurling them toward the one sneaking up from behind. Without hesitation, he delivered a powerful palm strike to the chest from the right, then swiftly executed a single-leg takedown to pin him down.
Back in my world, I never once condoned violence, but that didn't mean I studied and taught myself all the martial arts that existed.
He was grateful for the opportunity to use a few of the techniques. Although there was a problem, Xion's body is completely weaker than Dolan's. He forgot one more, which came from above, knocking the poor boy out with a chop to the neck.
Crap… I let my guard down…
Or did he?
When Lucy and Marcus got home, they found their house in total wreckage. This was truly strange. The city of Blackband has been quiet, but when Xion appeared, everything went to hell.
"We need to find them now!"
"Don't worry… the trap has been sprung," Lucy said, her sadistic grin widening. It appears Xion left a blood trail just before he was captured. Marcus was stunned that his wife could orchestrate this, but then again, she's the strongest Knight, armed with a sword against those wielding guns.
"Let's rally everyone up."
…
In the shadowed confines of the Cult of Apocalypses, Dolan slumped on a battered wooden seat, chained helplessly to the wall. His face was a mask of despair and torment, embodying a soul broken by hopelessness. Suddenly, the cell door swung open with a creak, and Xion was hurled inside, battered and bloodied, a stark reminder of the brutal world outside.
"Xion..? Xion?" Dolan called out. It seemed as if the boy wasn't breathing at all. The cult leader, Jester, reappeared. "Sorry about your
brother; he needed to be punished for his behavior against me."
Xion made fun of Jester for telling him about the cult's goal to revive a powerful being. However, to Xion's surprise, he took this opportunity to laugh while being questioned about the Genesis Crystal.
"I'll make you pay for that!" Dolan said, his eyes filled with hatred, his silver showing it.
Jester chuckled; he couldn't help but laugh at Dolan's expression. Without mercy, he kicked Xion's body over to him, who remained lifeless.
"Ohh! I'm so scared. Take a sample of his blood, we need to begin the preparations. And make sure he's alive, we're going to need every drop of blood."
"As you wish, Jester?" The two robbers bowed and produced a scalpel. They employed healing magic to mend his body while extracting blood. Typically, blood is deep crimson, but Xion's was a vivid violet.
"So this is Trinity's blood? I must say, it has a pretty color. Though again, what branch of the family did you come from, Xion Trinity?" Jester wondered as Dolan struggled to break free.
Get up, Xion, I need you to get up…
Though Xion was taken out of the cell, they were headed to the Alter, where there was a ritual circle carved into the very stoned ground. Almost forty members waited there as they watched the kid being dragged to the circle.
"My dear brothers and sisters, today marks the start of our mission as the Cult of Apocalypse to wipe out the Gods. For centuries, we have
battled against true evil— the Ascenders, who embody traits of gods and mythical beasts. They stole from us, robbed us of our humanity, and ravaged the land we inhabit. Through the sacrifice of a Trinity, we can unleash a catastrophe even the gods could not overcome." The members cheered as the child, tied to the altar and struggling to stay conscious, praised the Jester for his speech. He truly hated Ascenders. Suddenly, Xion burst into laughter.
You're really clueless...
"What did you say, livestock?" Jester asked, holding back his rage.
"I mean, if gods exist, they must have hated me this much to sacrifice me like this... Humans, Gods, Dragons—no matter how you see them,
they're all the same," he muttered irritably. Honestly, Xion already harbored a deep resentment toward the gods for the life they had given him.
"Silence, livestock..." Suddenly, the heavy wooden door to the altar was blasted open with a loud bang. It seemed the party had finally arrived, their footsteps echoing loudly as they entered.
"What held you up so long?" he questioned fiercely, panting heavily. "He's bleeding out!"
Marcus scratched the back of his head, "We had to deal with a lot of the spies that were sent to the city. Now hang on, we're going to save you and end this mess." He said, pointing his longsword at Jester.