This chapter has a preview at the beginning
Sophie, Fiona, and Lina met Aschenputtel. She wants their help to regain her blood within herself. At first, Sophie and Fiona hesitated, but then they agreed. Then they realized something was wrong with the city and encountered Siegfried. Siegfried is a young man who was also pulled in by the black hole. He is searching for his younger sister and has a contract spirit named Hendrik Reineke. He showed Lina, Sophie, Fiona, and Aschenputtel the lower side of the ship… and that in truth only the rich live above… anyway, they were discovered by the robots and now they are being hunted.
(End of the preview)
Sophie: "Hahh.."
They hid.
Fiona: "And what do we do now? It's gotten even worse.."
Sophie: "Yeah."
Siegfried: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Siegfried, I'm sorry, but you're the only one who can help us. The people don't know you, so… could you maybe gather information? Go with Aschenputtel… Aschenputtel… sorry… you need to cut your hair."
Aschenputtel: "What?"
Sophie: "That way you'll be harder to recognize."
Aschenputtel: "Ahh… ok… ok… and how do I do that?"
Sophie: "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
(A few minutes later)
Aschenputtel: "Hahh."
Sophie: "Done."
Aschenputtel: "Well… not too bad.."
They set off.
Sophie: "And what do we do?"
Fiona: "Wait."
Lina: "Hmm."
Siegfried and Aschenputtel set off.
Siegfried: "You seem to be getting used to it slowly."
Aschenputtel: "Hahh… well… whatever.."
Siegfried: "Hmm… what's going on there?"
Aschenputtel: "Oh… I… I feel it… a lot of my blood is here… not much, but still.."
Siegfried: "A museum… but only… for couples.."
Aschenputtel: "Uh.."
They went further.
Guard: "Excuse me, are you a couple?"
Siegfried: "Of course..."
Aschenputtel: "Yes… hehe… we are.."
Guard: "Hmm…"
Siegfried: "What do we do now… he doesn't believe us.."
Aschenputtel: "…..Hahh."
She held his cheek…
Siegfried: "Huhh!"
(Meanwhile)
Sophie: "Hmm… ughh.."
Fiona: "Hmm?"
Lina: "Something wrong?"
Sophie: "No… just a kind of shock."
(Back to Siegfried and Aschenputtel)
Siegfried: "Ugh… (blushes).."
Guard: "Alright… you may enter."
Aschenputtel: "Thank you very much."
They went inside.
Siegfried: "You… you kissed me."
Aschenputtel: "I had no choice…"
Siegfried: "Hahhh… but why the rush… you're not blushing, are you?"
Aschenputtel: "Shut up… disgusting.."
Siegfried: "Say… do the Death Siblings even brush their teeth or are they all like you?"
Aschenputtel: "…mm."
She stopped.
Aschenputtel: "Hey.."
Siegfried: "What?"
Aschenputtel: "That's enough, okay… everyone treats me like I'm a monster."
Siegfried: "You are a monster."
Aschenputtel: "I'm not!"
She turned around.
Aschenputtel: "Ghhh.."
Siegfried: "Ughh…"
Aschenputtel: "Seriously… but you know what… if you treat me like a monster… then you have no right to be surprised when I kill people…"
Siegfried: "Huh?"
Aschenputtel: "So… every time you call me a monster… I'll kill someone."
She aimed her blood at a couple…
(Splach!)
Unknown man: "Urk!"
Unknown woman: "Urk… ghh."
They collapsed dead. Siegfried caught the woman.
Siegfried: "Why!"
Aschenputtel: "I'm a monster… hmph… you said it yourself."
Siegfried: "Ghh…."
He carefully hid the bodies in the fireplace.
Siegfried: "Alright… I'm sorry for hurting you."
Aschenputtel: "Hmm?"
Siegfried: "But why did you kill them… they did nothing wrong."
Aschenputtel: "Hmph… a monster doesn't kill the one who calls it a monster… but an innocent… so that person regrets ever having the stupid idea to call me that…"
Siegfried: "Hmm…"
Aschenputtel: "Now let's focus on the mission… look there… there… there… that's my damn blood!"
Siegfried: "Where… ugh."
It was a large glass container.
Museum employee: "This here… is the blood of our beautiful mother… Aschenputtel… with her blonde, beautiful hair."
Aschenputtel: "(sweats)… I… have red hair.."
Siegfried: "(sweats)… oh… maybe they're mistaken."
Aschenputtel: "No… beautiful women are often described as blonde… even though I don't think blonde is that pretty."
Siegfried: "You're actually right."
Unknown child: "Mama… Papa… has anyone seen Mama and Papa?"
Siegfried: "Huh?… look…"
Aschenputtel: "It's just a child who probably lost their parents in the commotion…"
She moved closer to the glass.
Aschenputtel: "That is my blood…"
Siegfried: "Hmm."
Guard: "Bodies… there are bodies!"
The people in the museum began to scream and run.
Guard: "Wait… nobody move!"
Child: "No… Papa… Mama!"
Aschenputtel: "Ugh… no… they… they… they had a child."
Siegfried: "Ugh… those… were their parents… hm."
He looked at Aschenputtel… she was trembling…
Aschenputtel: "…hahh… I… I made a child… an orphan…"
Siegfried: "What were you thinking… they were a couple… it was obvious, damn it.."
Aschenputtel: "Ughh…"
Siegfried: "See… this is exactly what happens when you don't think before acting… now you made a child an orphan… that's… what a monster does."
Aschenputtel: "Stop!"
She pushed him away and ran off.
Guard: "Stop!"
Aschenputtel: "Shut up!"
(Splach!)
His head exploded… she ran away.
Siegfried: "Oh… uh… I… think… I really messed up…"
(A few minutes later)
Sophie: "Oh… look, there's Siegfried."
Fiona: "Where is… Aschenputtel?"
Lina: "Huh?"
Siegfried: "Uh… I… think… we have a small problem."
Sophie: "Huh?"
Fiona: "Hmm?"
He told them everything…
Sophie: "Ugh… great… perfect timing for an emotional breakdown."
Fiona: "Hahhh… it's fine… I'll go look for her… you guys too… be careful Lina and Sophie… best if you remove your Dark Umbrella clothing so it's harder to identify us."
They searched for Aschenputtel.
Sophie: "Hey… hey… come out, we don't have time for games."
Lina: "Aschenputtel… hey…"
Siegfried and Fiona also searched.
Siegfried: "Hmm… not here…"
He found nothing.
Fiona: "Hahhh… Aschenputtel…"
Aschenputtel: "Here.."
Fiona: "Huh?… uh…"
She was in a tree.
Aschenputtel: "Uh… I'm stuck…"
Fiona: "How did you even get up there?"
Aschenputtel: "No idea… climbed… just wanted to help that cat… but then it jumped away… and now I'm stuck…"
Fiona: "Hahh… not a better excuse."
Aschenputtel: "Hahh… are you going to call me a monster too now?"
Fiona: "No, sweetheart… now come down… psst… psst."
Aschenputtel: "Huh?… ahh… go ahead and make fun of me…"
Fiona: "What's wrong with you… it's not normal for you to get this angry."
Aschenputtel: "Hmm."
Fiona: "What is it?… everyone has been called a monster…"
Aschenputtel: "But I'm not a monster… yes… maybe… I did terrible things… okay… but still… I decided to live a peaceful life… and yet I was called that… I know I cursed many people… I know I'm mean… but others were mean to me too!… when I'm mean, everyone says oh she's mean… but when someone is mean to me… everyone laughs… isn't that unfair!… I took care of my siblings… and they threw me out… I took care of those children back then because they were orphans… and then they tried to kill me… and called me a monster…"
Sophie: "Huh."
Fiona: "Shhh."
Sophie had arrived too and heard her…
Fiona: "Hmm."
Sophie: "Ugh.."
Fiona: "Hey… of course that's unfair… I think it's good that you admit hurting people is wrong… that shows you're not a monster… so please come down."
Aschenputtel: "No… I don't want these powers anymore… I can only control myself because I don't have them… if I get them back… I'll become a monster again."
Sophie: "Hahh… great job, Siegfried."
Fiona: "I'm going to smack him so hard when I see him again… making him babysit in this time… hmph…"
Aschenputtel: "…I didn't know they had a child… I kill people, yes… but… I never wanted to hurt a child…"
Sophie: "Hey… what's done is done… they were nobles… so maybe they were assholes.."
Fiona: "That's not a good explanation, Sophie…"
Aschenputtel: "Aha… I thought you should respect the dead… see… when I disrespected that homeless man, you said oh you can't do that… but now you mock the death of the rich… what's that?… or is it okay to kill the rich?"
Sophie: "Uh… that's not what I meant…"
Fiona: "Hahh… Aschenputtel… come down… please… we're attracting attention…"
Aschenputtel: "Yeah… fine…"
She came down.
Aschenputtel: "Satisfied… so… we're looking for my blood… it's in the museum…"
Sophie: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Hahh.."
Aschenputtel: "Huh?… that child from earlier."
Sophie: "Huh?"
Fiona: "What?… the one in the museum?"
Aschenputtel: "Yes…"
The child was in the street… almost got run over…
Aschenputtel: "Huh!"
(Crash!)
Child: "Ugh… huh…"
The vehicle was stopped… by Aschenputtel's hand.
Aschenputtel: "Ghh… hey… what are you doing in the street?"
Child: "Oh… uh… sorry… I wanted to run away."
Aschenputtel: "Why?"
Child: "My parents are dead… that means… they'll take me to that place… please…"
Aschenputtel: "What place?"
Child: "…that… place… I don't know where it is… but orphaned children are taken there… and then disappear…"
Aschenputtel: "Oh… then come with us."
She took the child with her.
Sophie: "Hey, where are you going?"
Fiona: "Hahh."
Siegfried: "Oh, there you are."
Lina: "Did you find her?"
Sophie: "Yes… follow us!"
They hurried…
(A few minutes later)
Sophie: "Hahh… what… was that about?"
Aschenputtel: "That… that child… talked about a place… hey… where is that place… what is it exactly?"
Child: "I only know it's at the end of the city… there are people who say orphaned children are taken there… and then disappear…"
Sophie: "Huh?"
Fiona: "A place…?"
Siegfried: "Hmm… maybe that's the energy source…"
Sophie: "Yeah… I thought so too."
Aschenputtel: "Uh."
Child: "My parents were mean… but the only reason I stayed with them was because I was afraid I'd end up there… at that place…"
Sophie: "I see…"
Aschenputtel: "Uh…"
Siegfried: "Hmm."
Lina: "Go ahead… I'll take care of the child."
Aschenputtel: "Oh… okay…"
They left the child with Lina and set off.
Sophie: "Well… turns out they really were bad people."
Fiona: "Lucky."
Aschenputtel: "Hmph… hahh… well… as long as I get my powers back… I'll be happy."
Siegfried: "Listen… I'm sorry about earlier."
Aschenputtel: "It's fine… Siegfriedchen…"
They made their way toward the end of the city…
Sophie: "Hmm… Siegfried, do you know where the place is?"
Siegfried: "Of course… it's near a graveyard… we need to be careful not to get caught…"
The city was no longer quiet… guards and robots everywhere… the ship kept floating… the ropes made their usual creaking sounds under air and pressure… airships still hovered above… a city that looks cool from the outside, but once you live here… you realize it's not peaceful at all… Meltow, the capital of Dnilpo, has lived for years without a mayor, king, or anything… this is the perfect place for the rich to do whatever they want…
Sophie: "Hahh…"
Siegfried: "We're here."
Sophie: "Hm."
Fiona: "Alright… but damn, there are a lot of guards."
Aschenputtel: "That was to be expected…"
Sophie: "Mhm."
(Several hours earlier)
Lilly: "Hahhh… Zoe.."
Zoe: "Mother… I'm so sorry."
Lilly: "It's alright, dear… it will be over soon… your punishment will finally end…"
Zoe: "It… hurts, mother."
Lilly: "You still have to endure it… just one more month."
Gerrard: "Mother…"
Lilly: "Yes."
Gerrard: "I heard Aschenputtel is in Dnilpo, in the Slavic Empire."
Lilly: "Yes…"
Gerrard: "You knew?"
Lilly: "Yes… she told me during our last meeting… why?"
Gerrard: "Well… are you sure it's a good idea to just let her go?"
Lilly: "Gerrard… she is my older sister… she took care of me… besides, don't worry… for now I don't think Aschenputtel is dangerous."
Gerrard: "Hmm…"
Lilly: "How is Naomi?"
Gerrard: "Uh… (blushes)… good…"
Lilly: "Hehe… are you already engaged?"
Gerrard: "Yes… hehe… she's just worried about Cossette and Fiona…"
Lilly: "Hehe… understandable… it's been a long time… almost a year…"
Gerrard: "Mhm… she must be busy… with Fiona, right?"
Lilly: "Hmm… Cossette is safer with her… because Cossette loves Fiona… she's like a sister or aunt to her…"
Zoe: "Mama."
Lilly: "It's okay, dear… it's okay…"
Gerrard: "Don't you think it's enough now? I think Zoe has suffered enough."
Lilly: "She killed a child."
Gerrard: "But in that case… it was a Nemesis… you should give her a lighter punishment… I don't think Zoe can last much longer."
Lilly: "Hmm… alright… alright… give me the rest of her body."
Zoe: "Mmm…"
They placed it in a bathroom…
Lilly: "In about… three hours she should wake up…"
Gerrard: "Okay…"
(A few hours later)
Gerrard: "Zoe… Zoe…"
He opened the bathroom.
Zoe: "Ughh… hhhhh…"
Gerrard: "Welcome back."
Zoe: "Ghhhh…"
She only had a blanket to cover herself.
Gerrard: "Here, your clothes… mother is waiting for you."
Zoe: "Hahh…"
She went to her.
Lilly: "Hey Zoe, dear…"
Zoe: "Mother… (cough)… I'm sorry…"
Lilly: "It's alright, dear… it was only a Nemesis… maybe I was too harsh on you…"
Zoe: "Hahh… no… I deserved it… hahhh… but please… next time… a smaller punishment… hahhh…"
Lilly: "Hmm… something's not right…"
Zoe: "Ugh… (cough)…"
Lilly: "Gerrard… something's wrong with her… her skin is melting."
Gerrard: "Her body can't handle it… quick… let's take her somewhere else…"
Lilly: "Zoe…"
Zoe: "Hahh…"
They carried her away.
Lilly: "No… no… child, please… I'm sorry… I was too harsh on you…"
Zoe: "Hahh… it hurts…"
Lilly: "Of course, dear… hold on… I'll take care of you… don't worry… come on, quickly."
Gerrard: "Naomi… open the door."
Naomi: "Huh… ugh… alright."
She opened the door.
Zoe: "Ghhh…"
Lilly: "Everything will be fine, Zoe… everything will be fine… I'll take care of you… your body has endured too much."