**A few days ago**
Ulrich had awoken in a hospital bed in the Valley Kingdom. In the same room were Milo and Kiki in beds of their own. Milo was across him, and had been awake long before, but had been keeping to herself. Kiki was in a bed in the corner, facing the wall, apparently having fallen asleep. She had only arrived yesterday, dropped off by Ryoku and Greed after interrogation at the Den.
Ulrich was fairly busted up after that fight with Havoc. It had been about two days—almost three—since he passed out and found himself here. From the news he had received, Syemore was no more, and the only ones left were the top officers to take the brunt of the punishment on his behalf: Terek, Henza, Kiki, Milo, and himself.
They had a few treatments left here in the Valley Medical Center, but after this, the three of them were stationed for Tartarus, a prison designed for the worst of the worst criminal mages. It wasn't just any ordinary prison—this was a place designed only for those who had committed extreme crimes and for those on death row.
They and others like Henza were scheduled to be stationed there in a few days' time—the only other one already on his way there was Terek, since he was in custody before any of them.
Henza was in another room, separate from theirs, after his surgery. One that Ulrich, Milo, and Kiki had just been in earlier, but had been transferred here for some reason—a regular patient room for commoners… Someone of high authority had requested their transition, but why?
Ulrich felt odd about this. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but he thought that he deserved any form of punishment at this point. Such things happen to a man who blindly follows another man with evil intentions.
He sighed. "You know you deserve this… Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Ulrich… Own up to it." His voice was quiet but loud enough for Milo to hear.
She said nothing and kept to herself, lying down and staring at the ceiling.
"I know you heard me talking to myself, Milo… What do you think they're going to do with us?" Ulrich spoke, hoping she would reply, but she did not.
"Ah fine, I get it… We both got our asses handed to us by those Black Wolves. I still can't believe we lost to them… Even our magic items didn't help. We truly are losers."
Still no reply, even though he pressed on the mental wound.
"To be honest, even when I think back at it, I'm not even angry… That Behemoth Primal user—Havoc… He could have killed me with that final attack, but… he didn't. I don't know if that was a blessing or a curse because, well… I'm alive, but… I also now must face the consequences of my actions." He let out another sigh. "Tartarus seems fitting for us… I hear they serve crabcakes on Tuesdays."
Milo finally snorted out a laugh after he said that. An obvious move from Ulrich, but it worked. He shared the laugh with her, then looked up at the plain hospital ceiling as well. He had been sitting up on his bed with his arms forward, hands together, and fingers crossed, observing his wrists prior.
"They didn't even use magic-enhancing items like we did… and they still beat us." He paused. "I wonder what would have happened if we hadn't chosen the short cut and relied on enhancements to win. Instead of magic items. Instead of Kiki having to be possessed for more power… Do you think we could have achieved the same strength as they if we had just worked for it?" He wasn't expecting an answer to that. He was just talking to talk now. It was almost like a therapy session at this point.
But then Milo finally replied, "Perhaps…" almost under her breath. Ulrich was pleasantly surprised. "She used a weapon, but it was no magic item. She just needed something to cut me with… They were both so confident too," she went on to say.
"Havoc and the girl? Ophelia, was it?" Ulrich asked.
"No, Ophelia and her sister…" Milo corrected.
Ulrich didn't understand what she meant by 'sister', but he let her sit with herself on the thought.
She sat there for a moment remembering her fight with Raeyn. She also thought of Ophelia and how confident in herself she was even with something like a 'defect' and having to wear an eyepatch because of her heterochromatic eyes—though it wasn't much of a defect at all.
Milo looked at her reflection on a mirror to her side, thinking of insignificant things like her height and the funny name of her magic ability—how she had always been self-conscious about those things. And here was a mage like Ophelia who was cursed with the eyes of her twin and them having to share one body… oh, the story behind that… but regardless, she didn't let her setbacks get in the way of being her true self—confident, attractive… and not just attractive physically, but attractive in mind and character, her outlook. Then Raeyn, who was confident in a different way. Her presence, her power, her… selflessness. Because she wasn't fighting for herself, but rather for her sister and the ones she cares about—the Black Wolves. Both had qualities she longed for, but didn't quite know how to grasp.
After a good minute, Ulrich spoke again, "It's probably too late for us, but given the chance, I would have made amends and chosen to do things the right way this time. Maybe then I can even see a glimpse of what true strength looks like."
He thought back to his last moments before Havoc defeated him. The difference in power was drastic. It could hardly be considered comparable… In the end, he remembered begging for his life; he couldn't even die like a man. All he kept thinking was how pathetic he was in those last moments… But he didn't feel sorry for himself. Rather, he liked to think that it had humbled him instead, even if it was only a little.
It was then that a familiar voice entered the room along with a few others—ironically, from the ones they had both just been talking and thinking about. "Well, look who it is! Glad you made it out alive, Tubs!"
When Ulrich faced the door, he was surprised and was at a loss for words… Why had they— "You… You're—"
"That's right, turtle boy. It's me. The guy who kicked your ass."
"Havoc! You don't have to be so blunt about it." Another more friendly voice spoke in reply from behind. This one was familiar, too.
"So what? I know it, he knows it, you know it—we all know it… I'm not one to beat around the bush, Ryo."
Then, after them, a female entered last. Her hair was black, layered over a longer blonde in the back. She had a black eyepatch over her right eye and the other exposed—a dark purple eye that caught Milo's gaze, a distinguishable feature. "Oh! Well, if it isn't gassy girl! Hi, hi!"
"Ophelia! You too!? … You two!" Ryo slumped. "Keeper, don't any of you Black Wolves have empathy or restraint?" he said, gesturing with his hands in the air to both Ulrich and Milo not to be offended.
"It's fine. We deserve it. After all the trouble we caused, it's really the least derogatory punishment." Ulrich replied, his once-pompous attitude completely out the window. It was as if Havoc had blasted that part of him away instead of Ulrich's physical self.
"You see, Ryo? Just chill out, man."
"That doesn't make it any more acceptable, Havoc. It just pardons your rude behavior."
"I think you're a stiff that needs to loosen up a bit. Come on. World's a lot better without a shit up your ass… Or was it spit?"
Ophelia giggled at his folly. "It's dick, dumbass."
"Dick? Makes sense, but why does it still sound wrong? …"
We lost to these idiots? Ulrich and Milo thought.
Ryo sighed, then composed himself before he spoke, "Anyway. Ulrich, Milo, and Kiki… I'll get to the point as to why we are here today."
As Ulrich turned his head slightly to listen, Milo propped her head with her arm, lying on her side and facing them.
"As you can tell, you were stationed in a regular civilian hospitalization room. This wasn't by mistake. You see. You were sent here to be picked up."
"Yes, we know… to Tartarus."
"Not quite." Ryo injected serendipitously. Ulrich and Milo gave him curious looks. "Captain Belle of the Golden Rose Knights has issued a new… service… for lack of a better word for it. Since none of the Blue Phoenix Knights are to go through Trial, due to Syemore's actions and you all following under his lead, many of your Guild will be sentenced to prison directly for a length of time or Tartarus for life, depending on the roles you played—skipping the Trial entirely. Because of your three's positions, you would be sent to Tartarus along with your Vice Captain…" They remained silent, wondering what point he was trying to make. They were also curious about his choice of wording with that last part—'Vice Captain', singular… "There were some of us, however, who thought this to be just a bit unfair—some of whom are in front of you right now, myself included."
He paused for a moment and surveyed them. Ryo then looked to the back of the room where Kiki was. She had seemed asleep with her back turned to them all this whole time. "Now about this service… Because of Captain Belle's status in the Valley, she can choose a few convicts to pardon from their current sentence, and instead have them participate in community service through a company she started. Those convicts, being you three."
Ulrich and Milo's eyes widened, and Kiki, who was presumably sleeping, had opened one eye as she listened in to Ryo's proposal.
"From here on, you three will be members of Arabella Housekeeping and will serve your time with the Black Wolves."
There was a moment of silence. And then Milo had busted out in laughter. It was the happiest she had been until now. Ophelia gave her a pleasant smile, and it was neither of discontent nor of mockery. Rather, it was a mixture of relief and irony put together. Even Ulrich gave her a faint smile, and, unbeknownst to all of them, Kiki smiled for her as well as she continued to face the wall.
It was at this time the dots were at last connecting…
"WAIT! THE BLACK WOLVES?! SO THAT MEANS—" Finally, Kiki emerged, shouting at them all, "I will be a maid for my Demi!?"
"It's good to see that you're doing okay, Kiki," Ryo said to her. "However, like we discussed just yesterday before we dropped you off here… His name is not Demi nor is he Demi. When you arrive, you will address them as Master and Misses. In other words, you will address him as—"
"Master Greed!" she said a little too enthusiastically. The room went silent for a comical minute. And Ophelia had begun to give her a jeering look. "Sorry… what I meant was—I understand." A changed expression. She seemed almost disappointed, but with her head tilted down so the others couldn't see the blush on her cheeks and the coquettish smile on her face.
"Let's get one thing straight, lastly…" Ryo's tone shifted drastically. "Though this is a gift and, quite frankly, a second chance for you three… If you do anything to go back on the grace that has been given to you, the three of us here"—he referenced Havoc, Ophelia, and himself—"will put a stop to you personally… By lawful execution."
They all glared at each other. More so, they glared at the ones they fought—Milo to Ophelia, Kiki to Ryo, and Ulrich to Havoc. All of them had solemn looks on their faces.
Havoc then gestured with his thumb, trailing it across his neck in the air, followed by a squishing sound from his mouth.
"Do I make myself clear?" Ryo said; a stern command that demanded respect, and a face like one should not cross.
"Understood," the three ex-Blue Phoenix Knights said unanimously.
Ryo's expression changed completely, his usual serenity and carefree demeanor arriving like a welcomed morning sun. "Good! Now let's talk about your attire…"
After that, Ryo continued talking, discussing their duties and when they would begin training for housekeeping.
***
**Present. Wolves' Den**
Drakthor stood in the middle of this once-pristine entrance hall of the Den. He took two steps to his sides, simply to widen his stance, and then he lowered his head slightly.
Right now, even as he hunched over, head lowered, he still towered over Kiki, who was only about five-foot-three, and Milo, who was kneeling just behind her on her left. Ulrich stood at the landing a few steps up and Alice peeked around him to see.
"Now, what can three maids do against a Head Officer of Riot Gang?" Drakthor mocked.
"Riot Gang…" Kiki repeated.
Amused, Drakthor focused his attention fully on her. "That's correct. I, Drakthor, lead a group called the Nightbanes, and we are a faction from a much larger group called Riot Gang." He flicked his head to the side, speaking to his men, "Don't be rude, men, say hello to the brave maids."
His crew cackled and shrieked hideously in mockery. "It's a pleasure," Drakthor finished with a courteous hand to his chest.
Kiki's garden shears barked at Drakthor, whose face was only a few feet away from her. She gave a disinterested look and responded, "Save us your disrespect. You're nothing but thugs… remain that way. It makes me hate you less."
Drakthor howled and commented, "You truly are brave! To taunt an opponent who is clearly stronger than you…" He clicked his tongue in a disapproving and sarcastic manner. "You must have never tasted true defeat. The type that makes you reconsider yourselves, or perhaps even give up altogether."
Shadows formed over the Arabella Maids' eyes. That was a careless comment.
"Stronger?" Kiki said gently, her soft voice piercing through the sounds of chatter, and getting a hold of Drakthor's attention. "You think you are stronger? No… I've seen true strength." She recalled Greed's face the first time she had actually met him—not as Demi. "When I looked into his eyes, I knew… I knew he was different than any mage…" The room went silent. "Not a single one of you knows what true strength is like—you never will. No one compares to Master Greed!"
Drakthor's eyes squinted, saying under his breath, "Master Greed…"
"So, your presence, regardless of who you are…" Kiki's pink eyes met the black void of his with the same intensity. "Doesn't hit as hard as you think it does."
Drakthor's eyes widened with ecstasy, elated at this girl's spirit. His wicked smile grew from ear to ear.
"Also…" Kiki's rage rose, her hair rising from the buildup of aura around her. "Don't you dare utter my Master's name from your filthy mouth!"
She reeled in the garden shears, and the toon shark grew a larger head; its face was intimidating as it shadowed even Drakthor. She then thrusted the shears forward, meeting the giant toon shark to his face. He smiled menacingly at it as he let it crash into him, catching it with his armored hands from the outside of its mouth. It pushed him back a few feet; the pressure blew a gust of wind at the Nightbanes that Milo used to her advantage, swinging her dented steel beam to make the gust stronger and blow them back out from whence they came.
One after another, the grunts flew out. Kiki yelled, "Now! Ulrich!" And he dashed from the landing, jumping over past her and Drakthor, transforming into his full Primal form in the air.
"Primal Magic: Leomantoise Tempest!"
His arms and legs changed, becoming tough and rubbery. His skin grew textured, enlarging beyond his original form as clawed hooves and monstrous legs emerged. His face shape-shifted, becoming one with his gray-olive armor, which draped down himself, covering him almost completely in a hardened shell.
The head resembled that of a lion's and a turtle's at the same time. Massive sharp teeth—like large tusks—protruded from his mouth along with an armored mane carved out from his shell of a body.
The only things missing were the golden cuffs and chains he had on when he fought Havoc at the Crimson Dragon's castle, which boosted his Primal magic.
When he had fully transformed, he landed just behind Drakthor, blasting away the surrounding Nightbanes there with the force of a fallen building. He cratered the ground, causing a small earthquake, and made the other Nightbanes stagger upon his entrance; some unlucky ones had even been crushed under him.
Ulrich towered over even Drakthor now in his full Leomantoise form—their backs to each other as Drakthor glanced behind, still pushing against Kiki's garden shears.
Ulrich's eyes glowed yellow and intimidating, proud, as if he were the Black Wolves' ordained statue. The court was his and his alone to occupy—visitors unwelcome.
"Let's see you best this form. I, Ulrich, am the giant Leomantoise of Arabella Housekeeping!" he roared, his voice ethereal and powerful amongst the hundreds of oppressors before him.
With one charge from his mouth, he emitted a beam that grazed over a crowd of nearby Nightbanes, blasting them away as the aftershock lagged.
The mix of liquid and heat from his mouth formed a new element. Without moving, he cast an incantation that caused the wind to pick up from below.
Due do a mage needing a hand sign and incantation to cast bigger spells, Primal users were able to work around this once in their fully transformed state. For a mage, the act of forming a hand sign is used to gather the mana around them, and the act of chanting an incantation is used to release that mana in the form of their unique magic ability.
As for beasts, since the larger the beast determines whether or not it has magic, the act of 'gathering' their mana is already stored within their bodies. And as for the incantation, spells of any kind are formed from the perception of the user. For a beast, that could be in the form of a roar or screech, and for beings—unique spell names.
On the outside, the act is similar to that of silent spell casters like Star and Kiki; the only difference is that silent spell casters don't need to envision this. And since Ulrich is still a human, he stood in between both realms of mage and beast.
"Primal Magic: Elemental Manipulation: Cyclone Charge!"
The gust carried small pebbles and particles, slowly intensifying around him as it created a large cyclone. The wind lifted some Nightbanes off the ground, clustering them above. Though not as powerful as the time he fought Havoc, it was still enough to get the job done. However, though he had taken out a few Nightbanes, there were still hundreds more when he looked around.
Another group charged at him as his Cyclone dissipated. They climbed and attacked from vulnerable angles.
Damn… I don't think I have enough power on my own to fend them off myself… he thought. I need to hold them off until Master Code and Havoc come back… If only I had my braces… No! You don't need them! You stopped wearing them for a reason, remember!?
***
Ulrich recalled that day at the hospital. Havoc approached him by his patient bed, and he met his glance and said nothing.
Havoc then grabbed his wrist, surprising him.
He saw the traces of the golden cuffs Ulrich had worn previously and simply looked for a moment before putting his arm back down.
"You rely too much on your magic items. That's why you lost. It's okay to use an item if it helps you fight, but to rely on it solely is what weaklings do."
Havoc's hypersensitive senses could tell him—by the way he sat, the way he locked eyes without wavering, and his demeanor—that Ulrich had a desire to get stronger. He had a similar desire himself once—and still does—so he brought him up the same way he had been, brash as it may have seemed.
Ulrich looked down at his wrists and agreed silently. When Havoc watched him, he closed his eyes and sighed before saying, "Also… You gotta lose this…" He stretched out a finger and poked Ulrich in the gut.
He gasped, then faced Havoc. "What—what are you trying to say?" he frantically replied.
"I'm trying to say you're fat. You gotta lose that."
"You can't just!—"
"Well, I just did. And if you got a problem with that, then fix it."
Ulrich bit his tongue and clicked it in response.
"How do you expect to deliver in a fight if your body can't keep up with what you want it to do? At that point, you deserved to lose. Lesson number one—failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Remember that."
Ulrich's eyes gleamed at the words. No one had ever spoken to him this way before. He was born gifted with natural abilities, not having to work hard for his strength. His family was rich, and he got whatever he wanted. So, to listen to the words of someone who treated him the complete opposite of what he was used to—direct. It hit him in a pleasantly unexpected way; it was refreshing to say the least.
He couldn't help but feel inspired by that. He decided then to rise to the challenge, making an oath to be better than he was in that moment.
***
Ulrich tackled an army of Nightbanes outside the Wolves' Den head on.
The Nightbanes tore through him, their combined group attacks pushing him harder than he could handle. They even managed to make him take a step back from his immovable stance.
A group of six jumped him, and Ulrich cast a shield of wind, blowing them away. From below, another group of four flanked him at his blind spot. He pushed his heavy body up onto two hind legs and back down, causing an earthquake, crushing them beneath.
From all sides again, a group of eight surrounded him, charging directly at the center. One of the Nightbanes cast Lightning magic, followed by another casting Hydro magic below.
He grunted from the shock and relentless attacks. "Annoying pests! Get lost!" Ulrich roared as he charged another beam from his mouth. When the beam released, he triggered an explosion around himself that only he was able to endure, wiping away the group and another group behind them that was ready for the next wave of attacks.
Through the smoke, Ulrich's intimidating form stood—the only one standing as the Nightbanes he defeated lay at his large hooves.
Another group began to back away at this time, growing cautious. There, his enormous silhouette glowed, ferocious yellow eyes beaming down upon them.
"Is this guy really a Leomantoise type?" one of the Nightbanes asked the other.
"The hell do you think?"
"Then why can't we beat it even with our numbers? What the fuck is he on!?"
When he emerged from the smoke, Ulrich snarled a primal roar, blowing it away and frightening them further.
"I won't let any one of you scum pass! You are all ants beneath my feet… Cower!"
Behind him, Kiki was in her own battle against the boss of the group.
As she held off Drakthor with her toon shark garden shears, she pushed him, moving him closer outside the blown-out wall of the Wolves' Den.
Drakthor was impressed by the girl's strength despite her petite figure. Kiki's unique ability allowed her to turn any tangible object into a comic distortion—A.K.A., a cartoon, but it didn't stop there. Her ability, Comic Distortion magic, didn't just allow her to change the physical appearance of objects; it also allowed her to restructure the human anatomy at the molecular level. Right now, she had restructured her bones and muscles with strength that could match even Drakthor, who was more than twice her size. The caveat, of course, was that it also transformed her bones and muscles into cartoons.
Hehehehe… Hehehehe… chilling laughs echoed from within her skin as it rippled with pushed-out faces from all over herself. She pushed Drakthor further back.
"Interesting ability you have there, girl. My group specializes in collecting unique abilities… Forget your duties here. What say you join us? I could use someone of your skills in the Nightbanes. I also knew Syemore, your former Captain… With my strength, we can avenge him together."
Kiki observed Drakthor curiously, then said, "Tempting… avenge Syemore you say?" Their push against each other creaked and moaned the floors. "I always had a thing for strong men. When they ask, I follow… That's why I followed Syemore and then Demi when I offered my body to him. I let these men use and abuse me until I was nothing more than just their doll. I enjoyed it… and the reason I did was because they enjoyed it. They enjoyed ruling over me—little Kimiko—Kiki. I was their loyal plaything that did whatever they asked of me. And I wanted to relish the enjoyment with them. Become one with them. I thought that if I did that, I would eventually find…"
She lowered her head and shadows formed over her pink eyes, dimming them. Drakthor's eyes twitched as he felt himself starting to struggle. How? Against her!?
"But he was so strong, and yet… unlike the others, he didn't ask me to follow him." She nearly trembled as she spoke, but not to Drakthor—rather, to someone else who wasn't present. "I still wonder why… Why you didn't ask me then."
***
**A week ago**
"Untie her," Greed said flatly.
"You sure? What if she attacks?"
"Then that's her choice."
Kiki was tied to a gothic chair, and the room was well-lit, letting the peaceful sun's rays into this moving room.
The Wolves' Den had been on a constant lap around the Valley since the lever to move it had been broken. The light panned from left to right on the floor, split by the occasional shadow as the sounds of muffled chugging lived rent-free in her head for a time.
Her head was lowered and her face was unseen from where Greed and Ryo stood, a few feet across. Her blue and pink pigtails draped down to both sides of her head, leaving no view of her eyes.
Ryo reluctantly obliged, and with a quick snap of his finger, he burned the ties on her. But just as quickly, she bolted aggressively toward Greed; her arm had turned into a cannon that chuckled as she pointed it at his temple.
Ryo reacted, but when he did, her other arm morphed into another cannon that pointed in his direction. "One move from you, Ryoku, and after I blow off his head, I'll blast you as well," Kiki threatened. "And with you unguarded as you are… You're easy pickings."
Unphased and hands in his pockets, Greed replied, "So that's your choice?"
She whipped her head back to him, demanding, "Where's Syemore?"
"Dead. I killed him."
"Lies!" she yelled as she shoved the cannon's barrel into his head. His expression was unreadable, calm like there was no threat in the room.
"You don't have to believe me… Just make sure, before you pull the trigger, that it was your choice to do so and not someone else's."
"The fuck does that mean!?"
He locked his eyes onto her, unwavering. "So what's it gonna be?"
Ryo did and said nothing as Greed spoke to her. She snarled, staring into his eyes with her vibrant pink ones, scanning—looking for something. For weakness. But she couldn't find it.
"How?" she finally asked after a tense moment, the cannon still stuck to Greed's head.
He said nothing as his glower softened.
With each moment, she began to shrink, until she yelled and pointed the cannon to the window and shot, shattering it amongst the tears she shed. Bang! Shatter!
He remained silent as the tall window exploded to the side of them and a mere piece of glass had cut open his cheek. And he bled.
Calmly, Greed at last replied, "Why didn't you shoot me?"
"Because!" she shouted back quickly, but didn't have anything else to add.
"Is it because I look like him?"
She gasped, and her eyes widened, focusing on his face now. Her lips trembled and she struggled to find the words.
"Let's get one thing straight here," Greed took the lead. "I am not Demi, and he is not me. We made a deal in the past, and that was it. Whatever he was to you and what you were to him has nothing to do with me… Don't let the fact that I 'look' like him be why you can't seal the deal."
Kiki hesitated. The words she wanted to say didn't come out, leaving her flustered, trying to gather herself.
It was so swift and without sound, but she did not hear or see him move closer to her. He grabbed her arm, which was still in the shape of a cannon, and pointed it back at his head. "So shoot."
"Greed!" Ryo finally reacted, and Greed simply threw up his other hand, stopping him without words.
"I killed her captain, and now her lover is gone too…"
Kiki squealed at his words. She was caught off guard that he knew her true feelings for Demi, "H-H-How did you—"
He only stared her down, like he was waiting for her to break.
Her eyes gleamed; the moving sunlight flickered in her eyes as he went on, catching her off guard once again. "They were abusive, weren't they?"
"They loved me!" she spat, almost offended by that careless question… or had it just been the truth? "They… loved me!"
The cannon slipped past his hand and pressed onto his head again, onto his forehead—the trail of blood from his cheek gushing still.
And his eyes—cold, yet warm all in the same. "Did they? If I loved someone, I'd make it clear. And they'd know it. There would be no shadow of a doubt. They wouldn't have to second-guess themselves just as you are right now."
"SHUT UP!" she yelled, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"
He grabbed her cannon-shaped hand once more and lowered it without any effort. He then pressed it and it morphed back into her normal hand, as if it had been told to flee by his command. What was left was a bandaged and burnt hand in all its rawness.
Greed gently held it, staring with soft eyes all the while. He saw what happened when Ryo was burning Demi. He saw Demi cry out for her to save him, ignoring the fact that she could very well die if she went to him. She touched the wall of fire and lightning with her bare hand—ignoring the pain for the one whom she thought loved her with equal ferocity.
He wasn't sure why he could see this. Perhaps Demi's memories were still lingering in his head… but there was only one thing wrong with that theory. For it was not Demi's…
Kiki recalled it. Her actions frozen as she relived the thought at the sight of her own hand. She couldn't tell what emotion it was. It was as if the feeling she thought was 'love' was not truly what it was, and this moment was revealing to her now what it could actually—unapologetically—be.
Right in front of her now…
Was I wrong about what I considered to be love? Is this… is this what it really—
"It must hurt," he said, interrupting her thought. "To know you did it all for them, and never truly know yourself if what you did was ever reciprocated… even with them gone." He brushed her palm with his fingers, and she winced at the slight touch—wound still fresh. "No one should be left alone to wonder if they were ever loved, especially by those whom they chose to love." His eyes squinted as if somehow feeling the pain she had felt, both physically and emotionally. "At the end of the day, it was still your choice… Had I gone through what you have, I would have done the same."
She only stared at him with watery, wide open eyes.
When his eyes met hers again, he let go of her hand and proceeded to walk away, wiping his bloodied cheek at last.
Kiki shook her head, still in awe, the water in her eyes whipping away. She then pointed her other hand, still in cannon form, away from Ryo and faced it at Greed, while she hid her other wounded one behind her as if also trying to hide her shame.
"I've heard about your power. How it can overpower or even wipe away physical and magical damage… so why?" she asked. "Why didn't you protect yourself from that mere piece of glass that scraped your face just now?"
He stopped and didn't face her as he replied, "I didn't need it here."
She shuddered. She could kill him right now if that were the case. Just one shot to the back of his head would be all it took to get her revenge.
But would it be worth it?
"This was initially supposed to be an interrogation about why Demi was the demon that possessed you and what you were doing with him, but…" Her arm trembled as he spoke, even as she desperately tried to steady it. "I already found the reason."
His last words struck a chord. He had read her like a book, and she was exposed for what she truly was. A loveless, desperate girl searching for true love even if the ones she had sought it from were the same ones to rip it away and leave her to die. To be left flayed open like that, in this moment to her, was the worst kind of punishment.
"Bring her to the hospital. Her hand needs attention," Greed said to Ryo. And he was gone.
Kiki's cannon was still pointed even as he closed the door, replaying every word he said in her head.
At last, she gave up, lowering her arm and slouching upright onto the floor, "I'm done fighting, Ryo… just please… take me away already."
Her other hand changed back to normal as Ryo walked over to help her up. He could sense no hostility from her any longer.
***
**Present**
Drakthor continued to struggle with the mouth of the giant toon shark.
Kiki casually went on with her outspoken thoughts, "I thought I loved Syemore and Demi because they asked me to be with them, but they only wanted a pawn. That was not 'love'… It had to take one male… one male who, even with a gun pointed to his head, didn't even need his own power to show me how strong he was."
Completely struggling now, Drakthor couldn't believe this girl was besting him in a clash of strength like this.
"So when you ask me to join you, my heart fluttered, but only for a second… Because that was the old me. The old me that still longs to follow a strong man… But the truth is… the 'strength' you claim to have does not compare to his. It does not make me want to follow you like his compels me to…"
She clenched a hand to her heart like it was aching, still looking down with shadows over her eyes; she held Drakthor at bay with one dainty arm effortlessly as if he was nothing at all. Drakthor's eyes burned ferociously, like she was also mocking his strength.
"And it never will… even if… even if he does not feel the same way, I will willingly follow him. I think that is what true love looks like… to allow the other a choice—a choice to be who they truly are, freely without worrying if they will be tossed to the side. It is that very reason that I choose to love him—to love Master Greed!"
Kiki raised her head, and her pink eyes blazed with intense passion, tears streaming from them that could only be expressed by someone in love—or someone completely obsessed…
The aura around her rose and a wave of goose bumps rippled throughout her body—her bones and muscles singing as she roared, giving her the strength to blow away Drakthor from the entrance hall and onto the court clearing along with his fellow Nightbanes.
For Milo, it was confidence. For Ulrich, it was for true strength. And for her… was for the one she loved.
As Drakthor flew out into the court, he first flew over Ulrich, who caught him in his peripheral… With one quick motion, he focused his mana on his legs, recalling what Havoc had said, How do you expect to deliver in a fight if your body can't keep up with what you want it to do?
"I can…" His monstrous legs cracked the ground. His muscles bolstered from them. "I will…" His mana exploded, brewing a strength within that carried his will forward, and then his enormous body along with it. "Deliver!"
He jumped into the air from a powerful push, leaping off the ground and leaving a large crater below. When Drakthor saw Ulrich shooting towards him, he flipped his large body to face him, "I think not!"
Crossing his arms in front of him to block, he attempted to form a shield from his black armor; however, he was surprised when nothing happened… What? he thought, remaining vulnerable, high in the sky.
"Aw, did you think it would be that easy?" Milo taunted.
From below, she sauntered into the courtyard with the heavy steel beam propped over her shoulder. Behind her was a white gas, the same that she had emitted from earlier in her fight against Drakthor, now increasingly potent. She pulled a cigarette from one of the pockets of her maid's dress and lighted it effortlessly in the air with the other mixed in gas.
She threw the cigarette in her mouth and said, "Remember that Nullifying gas I tried to use on you earlier? Well, while you were preoccupied with little-ole Kiki, I snuck up and cast a wall of Nullifying gas behind you… and guess who passed right through it?"
"You cunt!" Drakthor yelled as his black armor shrank, revealing his pale skin from beneath.
"What's that? I can't hear your bitching from way up there!"
In that very same moment, Ulrich was still en route, shooting upward into the air towards Drakthor—who was now defenseless. His leaping charge had neared him directly under where he was, ready to clash onto him with his impenetrable shell.
And Drakthor could do nothing to mitigate the calamitous impact. Nothing except receive it.
They collided, and the force was so strong, it shot Drakthor raging upward, further into the sky. He flew so high and so fast that his back led the charge, flailing and shooting upward at an intense speed. Below, his fellow Nightbanes were caught in shock as their infamous leader had just been skyrocketed out of bounds by three of the Black Wolf Knights' maids.
Kiki sashayed into the courtyard from behind and passed by Milo just a little ahead her, her gases having no effect on her current enhanced state. Milo held a hand to her face with cigarette in hand all the while.
With a cute pose—extending her left arm out, palms facing, upside down with a peace sign—Kiki proclaimed to the remaining masses of the Nightbanes, "Arabella Housekeeping, at your service!"
It was then, Ulrich plummeted back onto the scene, causing a light blast of wind from behind Kiki and Milo, and positioning himself perfectly by their side. The gust and light debris were like fireworks as Arabella Housekeeping had made themselves known upon the Black Wolves' courts, properly greeting their uninvited guests.