At last, they had their vacation, but even vacations must come to an end sometimes… and so it would.
(Several weeks later)
Maid: "Hello… Master Cerny… Huhh!"
Several corpses lay on the floor.
Maid: "Master Cerny!!!"
(A few days later)
Ms. Valentine: "Are the Lilly Moon free?"
Dark Umbrella Member: "Yes."
Ms. Valentine: "Good… is Sophie free?"
Dark Umbrella Member: "We heard she caught a cold…"
Ms. Valentine: "I see. And Lina?"
Dark Umbrella Member: "Too inexperienced… for this mission."
Ms. Valentine: "Hmmm… how about Fiona?… And Marcus often does missions with the Lilly Moon."
Dark Umbrella Member: "Yes… that could work."
Ms. Valentine: "Okay… give them the mission."
(A few hours later)
Marcus: "Hahh… hello…"
Sophie: "(Cough)… Marcus… but… what are you doing here?"
Marcus: "I have a mission… and Ms. Valentine wants me to do it with you… but you're sick so only with Fiona… Lina is still new."
Sophie: "(Cough)… okay… come in."
He walked inside.
Marcus: "Hmmm…"
Fiona: "Marcus?…"
Marcus: "Oh, there you are Fiona. We have a mission."
Fiona: "Hmm?… With you… me?.. hmmm… Ah yes, it's about the kidnapping of that Cerny daughter… I was told the Lilly Moon were handling it, but you're coming too… and we'll work as a pair."
Marcus: "Mhm…"
Sophie: "(Cough)… okay."
Meliodas: "Hmm… (Yawns)… I still have appointments… oh dear."
Fiona: "Alright then, let's go."
Marcus: "Okay…"
They set off… by ship.
Marcus: "Hmmm…"
Fiona: "Where exactly are we going now?"
Marcus: "There's a clue… namely the romantic castle Hluboká… in Eager Brünn."
Fiona: "Eager Brünn what… okay."
Marcus: "Won't take long."
(A few hours later)
Marcus: "This is it."
Fiona: "In the middle of the clouds?"
Marcus: "Yeah…"
They walked inside…
Marcus: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Huh… what is it Mr. Herold?"
Mr. Herold: "Don't go in there!"
Fiona: "Marcus… wait!"
Marcus: "Huh!"
Suddenly the door opened and several hands appeared…
Marcus: "Ugh…"
Fiona: "Marcus no!"
She grabbed his hand and both were pulled in…
(Swoosh!)
The two were separated…
Marcus: "Ughh…"
(Meanwhile)
Fiona: "Ugh… where am I… huh…"
Several flower petals fell… one landed on Fiona's hand.
Fiona: "Ughh… petals?"
She stood up.
Fiona: "Where am I…?"
It was a castle, but it looked different from the one before…
Fiona: "Ughh…"
She stood up.
Fiona: "Hahhh… this is strange…"
She walked forward and looked around…
Fiona: "Hahhh… Crane?"
Crane: "Fiona… are you alright?"
Fiona: "Yeah… I think I got separated from Marcus."
Crane: "Didn't know you two were a couple."
Fiona: "Not like that, idiot… the paths."
Crane: "Oh…"
Fiona: "What do I do now…"
Crane: "No idea… apparently that door led to another dimension."
Fiona: "You're kidding me?… Another dimension?… That's just great… so I have to find a way out?"
Crane: "Yep."
Fiona: "Hahhh… alright… I don't need to worry… I'm a human with very few fears."
She continued walking.
Fiona: "A small garden… hmmm…"
She looked around.
Fiona: "That building there… it reminds me of something… at least the way it's built… that's the old-fashioned style of Eager Brünn castles… Eager Brünn is also called the city of castles… or Land of the Castle… hmmm… we… apparently are still inside the romantic castle Hluboká or a similar castle… the garden is closed off… that's not good, which means I need to go inside."
She went in.
Crane: "Hmm."
Fiona: "You're a crow… but please don't crow right now, okay?"
Crane: "Okay."
Fiona: "Hmmm…"
She looked around…
Crane: "What's that on the floor and walls?"
Fiona: "Huh."
They were red stains.
Fiona: "Hh…"
She touched them and smelled them.
Fiona: "Blood… and fresh too… someone was here…"
Crane: "Someone's injured?"
Fiona: "Yeah… could be…"
Crane: "Hmm…"
She walked onward while Crane flew beside her.
Crane: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Huhh…"
She hid.
Crane: "What is it?"
Fiona: "Shhh… there's something there…"
Crane: "Huh."
She slightly opened the door… and right there she saw it… directly in front of her… an eye… from a person…
Fiona: "AAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
Out of fear she fell to the floor…
Fiona: "Hahhh… hahh."
Crane: "Huh!"
It was a corpse hanging from the ceiling.
Fiona: "Hahh… hahhh… hahhh… hahhh… hahh… hahhh…"
Crane: "She's… dead…"
Fiona: "Ughh… (Cough)… yeah… apparently."
She stood up.
Fiona: "Hahh…"
Crane: "Why did you scream so loudly? You've seen enough corpses already."
Fiona: "I know… but… something like this…"
Crane: "Yeah, you're right… whoever it was… it wasn't killed by any human."
The organs fell out… the person was drained of blood… all the blood was on the floor.
Fiona: "Dead…"
Crane: "Hmm."
Fiona: "Maybe the same blood from earlier… no… looks old."
Crane: "Yeah… this must've happened months ago at least."
Fiona: "Hahhh…"
She walked inside.
Fiona: "Ughh…"
Flies…
Fiona: "Hahhh…"
Crane: "This isn't good, Fiona… wherever you landed… this doesn't look like a peaceful place."
Fiona: "Hah."
Crane: "Hmm…"
Several corpses… impaled… or dead… some completely torn apart…
Fiona: "…Where the hell did Marcus and I end up…"
Crane: "Hmm…"
(Crash!)
Fiona: "Ugh."
Crane: "Uhh."
(Thud!)
Fiona: "Huh."
Crane: "Hide!"
She looked around… she hid inside a wardrobe… inside was a corpse… she hid behind the corpse.
Fiona: "Hahh."
Unknown: "ROAAARRRRRRRRR… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"
(Crash!)
The door opened…
Fiona: "Hahhh… hahhh… hahhh… ugh."
She covered her mouth because its appearance… was horrifying… a very slender monster-like being… with two sharp hands… but the disturbing part was… its head… rather, its mouth… was completely open…
Unknown: "Hhhh… Hhhh… rorrr."
(Splach!)
Suddenly it was pierced by something.
Fiona: "Ughhhhh."
Crane: "What is… that…"
It was another monster… huge… it wore a mask made of skin… human skin… it killed the creature effortlessly…
It opened the wardrobe… but it saw the corpse… Fiona hid behind it…
Fiona: "Mmm… (...damn it… I'm scared).."
(Pump!) (Pump!) (Pump!) (Pump!) (Pump!)
Unknown: "Hhhh…"
Fiona: "Mmmmm… (I can't hold my breath much longer)…"
Crane: "Mmm…"
The monster closed it again and left.
Crane: "Mmm."
It left the room.
Fiona: "Hahhh… hahhh… hhhh…"
Crane: "Are you okay?"
Fiona: "Ohh… I survived… I used this poor person's corpse…"
Crane: "Should we leave?"
Fiona: "Are you kidding me… I can't feel my legs… I've never been this scared… hahhh… honestly I'd rather stay here…"
Crane: "Then you could starve…"
Fiona: "Hahhh… okay… okay… give me a minute please… hahh…"
Crane: "Okay."
(Meanwhile)
Marcus: "Hahhh… damn it… where did we land now… I wonder if Fiona's alright…"
No matter what, they were now trapped here and had to find a way out… but was the girl really here?
Marcus: "Hmmmm… huh…"
Several corpses on the ground.
Marcus: "More corpses?…"
He touched the blood…
Marcus: "This one is even fresh… that's not good at all… something here seems to be killing people… but they have strange symbols…"
It looked like a sickle.
Marcus: "A sickle… wait a second, I've seen that before…"
He pulled out a book covered in symbols… he looked around… behind him a monster appeared… just as it leapt at him, a dark figure appeared and sliced it apart.
(Splach!)
Marcus: "Hahhh… now the book's covered in blood too… well… ahh… there it is… the symbol of Miran… Miran is a secret organization founded by Oz… this can't be true… we're here… in a place of Miran?… this is really not good… I need to find Fiona… she's definitely in danger too…"
(Meanwhile)
Marcus searched for Fiona and Fiona searched for Marcus.
Fiona: "Hahhh… hahhh… in this room there's a staircase leading upward…"
Crane: "Do you think this is a good place?"
Fiona: "Either way I have no choice… you can hide if you want."
Crane: "No need."
They went upstairs. Crane flew while Fiona climbed with her feet.
Fiona: "Hmmm…"
Crane: "Look… a ventilation shaft."
Fiona: "Huh?... Oh… that's good."
Unknown: "Rarrrrr.."
Fiona: "Ughh…"
Crane: "Hurry before it comes."
Fiona: "Ghh."
She climbed up and crawled inside.
(Crash!)
Fiona: "Hhhh… hhhh…"
Crane: "That was close… it almost got us."
Fiona: "Where do you think this castle leads…"
Crane: "Hmm…"
Fiona: "The ventilation here is huge… that's good… I'll look around…"
Crane: "Good idea… then maybe there's an exit."
Fiona: "We'll see."
She moved forward… looking through the vents below.
Crane: "More corpses…"
Fiona: "Yeah…"
Crane: "And now?"
Fiona: "Keep moving…"
They continued… until they heard something…
Crane: "Hmm?"
Fiona: "Huh?.."
Crane: "Sounds like… singing."
Fiona: "Yeah… like in… opera…"
They followed the singing and looked through…
Crane: "Ugh."
Fiona: "Ugh…"
Several people in long black suits and hooded robes… on the floor lay a girl.
Crane: "Mmhh."
Fiona: "That's her… that's the kidnapped girl."
Crane: "What?… what are they planning to do with her?"
Fiona: "Looks… like a ritual… for dark magic…"
Crane: "And the creatures down there?"
Fiona: "No idea if they're connected… but we need to stop them."
Crane: "Huh… how?"
Fiona: "Hahh… there has to be a way… we can't just watch… hmmm… I got it… Mr. Herold… hey…"
Mr. Herold: "Hmm?"
Fiona: "Please give me something like glass to throw."
Mr. Herold: "Okay… here."
Something came out of the hat… it was a lamp.
Fiona: "Thanks…"
She dropped the lamp through the vent.
(Crash!)
Unknown Masked Figure: "Hmmm."
Fiona: "Those masks… they're Miran people… I've heard of them before…"
They followed the sound where the lamp shattered. Only three stayed behind with the girl. That was when Fiona took advantage of it… she crawled to another vent… opened it and climbed down.
Unknown Masked Figure: "…mmm!.."
She grabbed his head and smashed it against the wall.
Unknown Masked Figure: "What was that?"
Crane: "Ugh."
She hid.
Unknown Masked Figure: "Hey… what happened?"
Then she approached the other one, grabbed his throat and choked him unconscious…
Unknown Masked Figure: "Ugh… Eindri!"
She stabbed him in the throat with her knife.
Unknown Masked Figure: "Ugghh…"
He fell dead to the floor.
Fiona: "Hahhh… damn it, now my clothes are stained with blood… whatever."
She went to the girl, untied her restraints and carried her on her back.
Fiona: "Got you… little one… hold on… ugh…"
The door opened… they quickly moved away.
Fiona: "Ughh… hhhh…"
Crane: "Go… go…"
She hid.
Masked Figure: "What is going on here?!... what happened here… who dares interfere with us…"
Fiona: "Hahhh…"
One of the masked figures stretched out his hand… an eye emerged from it.
(Gulp!)
Masked Figure: "Where… are you… hmmm… I can't see you but I can smell you… a woman… early twenties… hmmm… hmph… hehehe…"
Fiona: "Ughh..."
Masked Figure: "There! Go after her!"
They ran toward her… but there was only Fiona's Victorian dress… she had taken it off so the scent would lure them there.
Crane: "Clever idea."
Fiona: "Yeah… maybe…"
Crane: "Let's hurry before they see us… that wouldn't be good. The girl doesn't look injured."
Fiona: "No… she's just unconscious."
Crane: "Okay."
This time they hid inside a room.
Fiona: "Hahhh… hahhh…"
Crane: "Hmm?… the girl seems to be slowly waking up."
Fiona: "Hmm?... she's not injured… at least not seriously… but… what did they do to her to make her sleep this deeply?"
Crane: "Hmm..."
Fiona: "Hahhh… I hope Marcus finds my jacket… I don't like walking around in just an undershirt… it's cold here too."
Crane: "Anyway… we need to find a way out…"
(Meanwhile)
Marcus: "Huh?... I just heard something… what's going on here… it came from upstairs."
He went upstairs.
Marcus: "Ughh…"
He saw a masked figure… he hid.
Masked Figure: "Find the woman and the child… quickly."
Marcus: "Ughh… he means Fiona… but who's the child?... Did Fiona find Dina Cerny?… They're in danger. I need to do something… hmm."
He quietly sneaked toward one of them…
Marcus: "Shhh…"
Masked Figure: "Mmm."
Marcus: "Tell me… what are you planning to do with the girl?"
Masked Figure: "…I'll say nothing… I won't tell you."
He wanted to scream but Marcus slit his throat immediately.
(Splach)
Masked Figure: "Ughhrrrr…"
He fell dead to the floor.
Marcus: "Idiot…"
He removed the mask… but the person… didn't look human at all… they had no eyes… and the mouth… was sewn shut…
Masked Figure: "(silent)"
Marcus: "What… is this… are these even humans… no… wait, I've heard about this before… Miran members perform a spell to prove their loyalty… it blinds them… although blind, their senses become stronger… like smell… the mouths are sewn shut, but how can they still speak?"
He touched the mouth.
Marcus: "Ahh… they're only partially sewn shut… I see… what a disgusting bunch… from what I can tell you're after the girl and Fiona… hmph… bad luck for you, because I'm going to help her… hmmm… wait a second, this dress… this is Fiona's dress…"
He picked it up.
Marcus: "Hmmm… I could smell it and maybe use my powers to find her… but how will Fiona react if she finds out?"
(Imagine)
Marcus: "Hey…"
Fiona: "What… you smelled my dress?... Pervert…"
(End of imagination)
Marcus: "Maybe she'd react differently."
(Imagine)
Marcus: "Hm?"
Fiona: "Oh my Marcus… you remembered my scent… do you carry me that deeply in your heart?…"
(Smooch)
She kissed his cheek.
(End of imagination)
Marcus: "(Sweating)… I… don't think… that would happen… but… it's for helping."
He smelled it.
Marcus: "Hmm… hmmm… hey… can you find her, Rufus?"
A black bat appeared.
Marcus: "Can you find it?... You know the scent now."
Rufus: "Sure."
Rufus is Marcus's contract partner…
Rufus: "Follow me."
Marcus: "Alright… (Cough)… (...I don't know if I should feel happy because I smelled it or ashamed… hmmm… one thing I'll say… she sweats way more than expected… but hey… I don't really care).."
Rufus: "There."
Marcus: "Crane!... oh and Fiona!"
Fiona: "Ugh… woow woow… Marcus… move!"
Marcus: "Huh?"
Several monsters were behind her.
Marcus: "Hööö!!!!….."
Fiona: "Run!"
She grabbed his hand and ran.
Marcus: "Hah… what the hell is going on here?"
Fiona: "No idea… just run… oh crap…"
Marcus: "You found the girl already… that's great, then we can leave now."
Fiona: "Yeah… maybe if we find an exit… huh?.."
Marcus: "Hö?"
The monsters were… gone…
Marcus: "But why?"
Fiona: "Hmmm?"
Crane: "A barrier… we thought those monsters were following us… but they were only an illusion…"
Marcus: "Oh."
Fiona: "Great… ran all that way for nothing… but whatever… ohh… you have my jacket… wait a second, the way Rufus is looking at me… and clinging… did you smell my dress?"
Marcus: "Yeah."
Fiona: "Crazy that you don't even deny it."
Marcus: "You wouldn't have believed me if I said no anyway… one thing though… you sweat a lot."
Fiona: "Hahhh… yeah… maybe…"
Marcus: "Sorry, I had to smell it… otherwise I wouldn't have found you."
Fiona: "No problem… as long as… you didn't go too far down there."
Marcus: "Huh?.. ohh… pleasure… no, don't worry… I don't do that… (so I was neither called a pervert nor got a kiss on the cheek… well whatever)…"
Fiona: "Hey… why are you looking disappointed?"
Marcus: "What, me?... Not at all…"
Rufus: "Probably because he hoped you'd give him something."
Marcus: "You bastard!"
Fiona: "Ohh… sure."
Marcus: "Huh?"
She patted his head.
Marcus: "Hey…"
Fiona: "Good boy."
Marcus: "Leave the 'boy' part out… mmmm…"
Fiona: "Are you pouting?... thought only girls did that."
Marcus: "Ey…"
Fiona: "How cute."
Marcus: "Ohhh… you're really mean sometimes!"
Fiona: "Only girls say 'mean' too…"
Marcus: "Gghhhhh..... Ohhh… forget it, let's just get out of here…"
Fiona: "Alright then…"
Rufus: "Hehehe."
Marcus: "Jerk…"