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Notes:
-I try to correct the hot spring part in the last chapter18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlyHe0ZWo0
-“(conversation in pact channel that only the one linked to the pact may hear)”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOMIWmFPjN
- "arte/ special chant/ armatization true name"
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Ch38 Curse Break
“Finally got you two.” An old familiar voice echoed in the dark corridor, a light is slowly approaching with a steady beat of steps.
“I should have known you two have an accident again when you both don’t return at such time.” The old man holds his lantern and comes forward to two kids here. For some reason, they sit in the opposite direction, showing unpleasantness on their face, the arrival of the old man seems to heat the frozen air in the secret atrium of a ruin.
“Sorey, Mikleo. What is it this time? Let’s talk after going back to Elysia, sitting here won’t solve things.” The elder sighed and commanded.
“Yes, Gramps.” Sorey and Mikleo chorused dully. When they responded to gramps at the almost same time, they gazed at each other unhappily and then avoid to look at each other on the way back Elysia, no one make a sound, but only steady steps can be heard.
They kneel with the tops of the feet flat on the floor and sit on the soles after they entered gramps house.
“I see you two had a dispute again, let’s talk it out, start from Mikleo,” Gramps suggested.
Then Mikleo starts to explain how they fall in the traps and indicate Sorey’s fault in the ruin exploration, and Sorey interrupts by stating Mikleo’s fault in the exploration as a disagreement.
“Both of you, stop!” Gramps hits two heads with his stick.
“Both of you have the fault in this, but both of you didn’t indicate that out or trying to prevent it at that time, why is that?.” Gramps indicated.
“.......Sorry, I am too angry at that time.” child Sorey apologized with a downcast expression when he started to realize his fault.
“.......Sorry, I was trying to make you understand my point by letting you actually experience it.” Mikleo also apologized for his actions.
Both of them are too small and they haven’t got a correct mindset and communicating skills at the beginning, so they always have unpleasantness at the beginning. Gramps is the one who teaches them how to act correctly and how to treat a friend at the time.
“A friend should stop the friend to do something wrong and to pull them from danger. Don’t you worry about Sorey, Mikleo?” Gramps asked.
“Of course I am!” Child Mikleo exclaimed.
“Then you know you should try to stop Sorey and try to talk your thought out until he understands it,” Gramps stated.
“Understand, I will talk properly next time,” Mikleo answered and nodded.
“Sorey, emotion may be a good thing sometime, but it may affect us badly too. It is normal that we have emotions, but we can’t let our emotions control us. You should try to control it to treat your friend when you have a bad time.” Gramps suggested.
“Yes, Gramps, I will try,” Sorey responded and nodded.
“Good, you two should communicate properly when exploring the ruin, since you don’t want me to go with you two next time.” Gramps joked.
“We will show you a great discovery next time, Gramps.” Both of the kids chorused.
"You two better show me haha."
He took a breath from the pipe and exhaled long. Although there was no tobacco in it, the air passing through the pipe did not become special, but he fell in love with this difficult to change a habit. Just as he loves what humans create, feelings that are hard to remove in his mind.
"I had a dream…."
"Do you mean you have given up?"
"No. I am archiving it, so it is more like a target now. Even though I am not sure I may see it comes true one day."
"Then we will archive it for you!"
"Haha, good to hear that."
"So what is your dream?"
"You will know it one day."
Zenrus smiles and sees 2 kids leaving his hut.
The wise old man smiled and watched the two. He knew that he was cultivating hope for the future, which was the first step to realize his dream. It is his long-cherished dream that Seraphim and people can understand each other. Many things happened that made him once retired and wanted to give up. He used to think that his dream was out of reach, but when he saw the two boys, the enthusiasm in his heart rekindled, and he really couldn't let go of his long-distance dream. That's why he wants to teach them so that they can always have a strong friendship, and also hope that they can affect the few people with high resonance. In this time of calamity, he can't be too optimistic. He also expected that he might not see the dream come true, but he did what he wanted to do. Maybe he can't see the moment when the dream is realized, but he is convinced that the dream will be passed on from this generation to the next generation, until the distant hopeful future.
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It is a distant memory.
The brown hair stared at his friend’s white cheeks and silly faces as if returning to the time when the two of them had been exploring silly around them. Once upon a time, the little relic was their world, and Gramps taught them the knowledge of the world at that time. Now he thinks of the old teachings and he feels nostalgic.
The youth, who had grown up to be the grand Shepherd, recalled in the break that the friendship was very wonderful, and he had known Mikleo for so long. They used to quarrel because of small things, and now they will not be quarrelsome about these things anymore. Still, he would ask himself, whether he is qualified as a friend? From the point of view of Grandpa's advice, maybe he is not qualified at all. He has a lot of things to make his friends worry, but he doesn't think he has done anything for them.
The fate is wonderful. Unconsciously, there are already so many people around him who support him. There are all kinds of people, these are his treasures. An everyday happy life is what he wants to protect. He used to be very greedy and wanted to save everything, but that was impossible. Friends stopped him from going the wrong way, set out to save what he could save, and was forced to learn to let go. He was grateful that without them He must be desperate. So he is determined to bring down Tartarus, for the sake of this little ‘world’ beside him. It is time for him to do something for his friends and be himself a Shepherd.
People around him: Pure Lailah, Early Bloomer Edna, calm Mikleo, knowledgeable Dezel, Oath keeper Zaveid, Alisha with beautiful smiles, Roes like bro, and also gentle Maotelus, cordial Eleanor and caring Velvet; this is the world around him. Although the world around him may still be a bit hustle and bustle, and sometimes it may be a bit disturbing to him, he still doesn't hate it all. He likes this world that makes him meet these friends.
“Hah, shy boy Mikleo,” Zaveid smirked.
“Edna has her way to tease Mikleo.” Sorey shows a helpless smile.
Even Mikleo fainted. Only Edna really has a way. Neither Velvet nor Mikleo can escape the magic of Edna. All hail Edna!
The thing starts after Velvet has just fainted.
“Edna, you have gone too far,” Eleanor stated.
“And you didn't stop me.” Edna teased.
“Anyway, let get a place for Velvet or Mikleo to rest. It is pretty enough to enjoy.” Lailah said.
“Once we get out the hot spring, our body will exchange back by time....” Eleanor stated her concern.
“Boy, close your eyes when we are out,” Lailah suggested.
“To say this by now?” Zaveid teased.
“Got it, we will close our eyes.” Sorey and Mikleo are both good boys.
“And I won't close my eyes.” Edna taunted.
“.....Why would you say this out?! Edna!” Mikleo stated in an embarrassment.
“I learn it from Velvet~” Edna quibbled for herself.
“...!!” Maybe the shyness to bear is over the limit just when Mikleo hearing his voice and Sorey’s voice go that way because of Velvet and Edna, he fainted by embarrassment after hearing the sentence.
“Mikleo!!” Sorey exclaimed when Mikleo fainted.
“The boy fainted too,” Zaveid announced.
“They both too shy, aren't they.” Edna teased.
“like youngers.” Lailah claps her hands with a smile.
The group finally quit the hot spring and bring those two fainted to rest in the change room. They gather in the lobby of the bathhouse, wait until their soul gets back to their own body. Another discussion started with Alpha when they are sitting in the lobby.
“Now we should be back on our purpose to come here,” Alpha said.
“Alpha, Beta. I hope you enjoy the spa.” Zaveid responded when he noticed Alpha and Beta didn’t speak in the spa.
“Indeed, a healthy soul resides in a healthy body and a healthy spirit. You should learn to relax, Alpha.” Lailah expressed her concern as Alpha’s traveling companion.
Alpha looks a little bit surprised with Lailah’s concern, he looks at her and answered: “......I enjoy the spa, but not in the way Zaveid did.”
“I have enjoyed just watching,” Beta smirked.
“Agreed. It is pretty weird to see Lailah acting this way.” Alpha chuckled, the whole thing of ‘Zaveid-in-Lailah’ is very impressive to him, now he knows about Zaveid at a new level.
Both Zaveid and Lailah smiled when they see Alpha cracks a small smile to them.
“You should be well behaved as the educator of children, Zaveid.” Lailah teased when Zaveid is now kind of the guardian of these two kids.
“I am sure they learn the right things.” Zaveid laughed.
“And about our original purpose……”
“I always questioned that why Zaveid brings me along with him.” Beta murmured.
“What? You follow when you don’t know all along?!” Lailah exclaimed.
“(.......I thought you tackled it, Zaveid.)” Alpha talked to Zaveid in the mind as he has formed squire pact with Sorey.
“(It is hard to think of a right reason without really telling her the truth.)” Zaveid answered in the mind. Both Zaveid and Alpha don’t want to tell the truth of being a clone to Beta, and it is hard to explain the reason for having a curse without mentioning her origin.
“(....Let’s think about it from now……)” Alpha sighed in mind.
"(It will be alright in the end.)" Sorey comforted.
“It is reckless to follow without knowing anything, Beta. Do you come because Zaveid tells you to come?” Edna commented.
“Remind me of Velvet….”Eleanor murmured when looking at fainted Velvet. She remembered Velvet took the mission to protect prince Percival without really knowing who is he in the first place.
“He told me someone cursed Sorey, Alpha and Velvet and maybe more people, they need to find someone to solve the curse. I come because I am worried about Alpha, but I don’t know why he calls me in.” Beta answered Edna.
“Because he knows you miss your brother so he called you in too. Isn’t it, Zaveid?” Edna analyzed and faked out the reason from what Beta just said.
“...!!Yes! Exactly. You are not saying out your desire every time, Beta. And I think it would be safer for you to have a check with the curse too!” Zaveid is very grateful to Edna.
“It is just…… Thanks, Zaveid.” Beta can’t deny what Zaveid says so she thanks him instead.
"(That's our smart Edna.)" Sorey appreciated.
“(Thank you, this help a lot, Edna!!)” Zaveid stated his thanks to Edna in the mind channel.
“(Yeah, you may pay me later.)”
“(need payment?!)”
“(Just joking.)”
“......Sorry to worry you, Beta.” Alpha apologized to Beta when he thought of all the years he left her behind but his ‘sister’ still worry about him.
“You don’t need to apologize, we are family.” Beta looked at Alpha and answered with a smile.
Alpha responded with a smile and bring up the topic again, they all come here to find Grimoire.
According to Rokurou’s word, Grimoire usually stays in the library in the basement of a building in Meirchio, he is willing to lead them the place. Since both Mikleo and Velvet still haven’t wakened, they decided to carry them to the place. Sorey carried Mikleo, Eleanor and Edna carried Velvet. Rokurou suggested to offer help in carrying Velvet, but Edna said she is kind of responsible to Velvet’s faint, so she will help with the carrying. They followed the war daemon to the basement of a typical building.
It is really typical when just looking inside the building, but it is different after going down the stair. The basement has a high headroom to allow some ‘natural light’ to fall into the indoor since the case is kinda similar to the place of Heavenly realm, it is suspicious enough to tell the place is built by seraphic arte.
Apparently, it is a small reading area with a red mat next to a fireplace, two wooden chairs with a small round table is the simple furniture layout to state its function. With a cup of tea and several books putting on the table, you may guess someone has been here several minutes ago. Around the area, there are large bookshelves lining up and behind, they have a certain height since it needs a ladder to aid picking books, there are corridors behind a list of bookshelves making here like a secret library.
“Grimoire, are you here?” Rokurou entered the basement and see no one here but a trace of presence, so he asked.
Soon, a normin with a little witch hat slowly walking out behind the bookshelf and respond: “Oh, you are back, Rokurou.”
“And you bring many guests here.” Grimoire added when she sees people behind Rokurou.
“Yes, please listen to us, we have a request.” Eleanor said.
“Ok, first, let’s take a seat and I will pull some tea for our guest. Help me with it, Rokurou.” Grimoire responded calmly.
“Ou!” Rokurou responded and followed behind.
-----------in the kitchen on the upper stair-------------
It has been a while since Rokurou last been here, still, he had stayed here for a long time with Grimoire, it is like his second home. He doesn’t feel strange to follow Grimoire’s order, and she didn’t order frequently. Now, it becomes a moment only Rokurou and Grimoire present in the place, Rokurou guesses Grimoire would like to have a moment with him to ask about things.
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“Have you met any great opponent? It has been a while.”
“It is not easy to meet one in a peaceful Era, but I still fight many dragons. I heard it is a pretty strong opponent that appeared this time, we need to fight it.” Rokurou answered with a sort of excitement.
“You are not gonna change.” Grimoire sighed and commented dryly.
“Yeah, I am this sort of daemon. Actually, I had a question, why would you help me even if I am a daemon.” Rokurou admitted it readily and asking the question he kept for a while.
“Daemon is no different from us seraphim or humans, it’s a living individual in this world, but it’s just a little different way of thinking. I don’t hate your way of thinking, so I accepted Eleanor’s request.” Grimoire answered with a casual tone, like talking something, not a big deal.
“I see, you are a kind seraph,” Rokurou commented.
“If you have lived as long as I have, you have seen a lot of things, and you will accept things naturally. Still, the trigger to cause me to deal with daemons deeply is the lady Calamity.” Grimoire said a tone that she has lived for a long time, it is not a fact, the seraph is a long-living creature if no accident happened.
“I see Velvet is with you, the old face as well. Why would Velvet out there? And with two identical faces of the past dead people present, like a curse.” Grimoire continued and indicated her question towards the clones.
“Seems Velvet has awakened. For the other part, I am not sure about, but they seem to be different people if you are talking about the people look like Artorius and Velvet.” Rokurou stated.
“If you are saying there is no need to worry about, let hear their request out. After all, it is asked by that girl. You have waited for her a pretty long time.” Grimoire said.
“Yeah, a really long time of a promise.” Rokurou smiled.
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Grimoire and Rokurou return the place with tea and snacks, except those two, fainted, everyone in the room sits on the mat and waits.
The situation of having cursed execution arte plants inside is told and explained by Alpha and Eleanor. Including the brief information, they know about the enemy.
“Oh. That’s the case.” Rokurou exclaimed as he finally understands the situation.
“I expect you to know about it.” Grimoire, Rose, and Eleanor chorused and sighed.
“Hardly, I only interested in the battle,” Rokurou responded with a big smile.
“I am surprised the arte is not activated yet.” Sorey doesn’t know how long the arte is planted inside, but it hasn’t affected his normal activity, it hasn’t caused pain to him.
“Tartarus has a strange pride. He likes to torture the enemies by his hand rather than defeat in a quick way. He won't activate the arte, no until an urgent situation.” Alpha explained.
“...........That’s is it.” Eleanor murmured while showing a bit of anger on her face. She felt angry when she thought of Tartarus’s way to torture Velvet. Although she said nothing about it, she remembers all the pain Velvet bears because of that man. To think of seeing the same expression from Velvet as the time she despaired, it reminded her of the helplessness in it and how this man is so hateful.
Seeing Eleanor's expression, Lailah lightly pats on Eleanor's shoulder to comfort.
“Disgusting,” Edna commented coldly on Tartarus. She is pretty much disgusted by him after know what he made Velvet to been through. Maybe they both like toying people but Tartarus did this way more disgusting.
Grimoire understood the situation and told Rokurou to move the fainted people to another empty room. She asked the suspected people to lay down and she activated a seraphic scanning arte to those people. A circular blue glyph shine and slowly passes through the objectives, turned into red color at the end of the analysis.
“I discovered the arte. It should be an arte lost in transmission of time. We never use the artes and so it should not be passed down.” Grimoire murmured.
“Still, do you know how to remove it?” Lailah worried when most of the people she knows are having the arte setting inside.
“This may need some time to analysis the arte structure, I would like some helpers. Rokurou, please search the list of books for us.” Grimoire said, she readily wrote down list of title on a paper and gave it to Rokurou.
“Ok, leave it to me.” Rokurou received the paper and proceeded with the order.
Then, Grimoire turns and stands next to Velvet. Taking a detailed look at Velvet's appearance, she sees a light scar on Velvet's neck. She wonders how did she get this, it is a fatal position for a wound. She could have guessed the girl has rushed through the hell again as she always did. She looks at the girl with a little nostalgic sight. Grimoire does not have a deep relationship with Velvet, they barely spoke with each other, even fewer than Bienfu, but this person had brought her a new sight on daemon and she brought her a student she is proud of. As an old acquaintance, she intended to solve Velvet's curse first.
“It is more convenient to do with the one who loses her consciousness, let’s start with Velvet.” She then casts a hypnotizing arte to prevent Velvet to wake in the process of deep analysis. Analysis arte spells are read out and expanded in the form of enlighten glyph in the air. The magical glyph turned red in the position of the heart.
“Expand,” Grimoire commanded, following his command, the glyph divided into two vertically laying on the air, light is linking two glyphs.
Along with the separating distance between two glyphs increasing, a series glowing magic circles are extended from the linking light and float in the air with an unknown pattern, it is verifiable that it is like a circle with eight swords extending from the center. Four swords from them ‘piece’ through four magical glyphs in the form of interlocking, the four circles are colored in red, yellow, blue and green respectively. All glyphs exhibited on the air when the analysis glyphs separated in their maximum distance. It is believed the glyphs shown on the air are all the glyph constructed the execution arte planted. At last, the circle extended and divided into twelve layers of circles, the twelves layers are twelves layers of different features.
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“Amazing, that is how the ancient seraphic artes constructed. A very rigorous structure of an arte of execution, to think that each layer has its own weave of 5 elemental features and there are 12 different layers of this. It is really designed to prevent anyone to solve the arte easily. It would like that to pass twelve judgments to disable the arte completely.” Grimoire explained from the observation.
“Can it be deconstructed?”
“It can, but it is time-consuming to do this, there is millions of ‘arte weave’ method to be substitute in it for each layer, we have 12 layers.”
“We don't mind. Let's give a try.”
“Each layer consist of the ‘arte weave’ with mini-lock between 5 elements, the void artes in the middle to hold all of the elements. We need all the elemental features of seraphim.”
“My element is Fire,” Lailah said.
“Earth,” Edna said.
"I am earth too." Alisha followed.
“I am wind,” Zaveid said.
"Also wind." Rose said.
“Meebo is Water.” Edna woke Mikleo and said.
“......Hey!” Mikleo expressed his dissatisfaction.
“My element is Void,” Eleanor said.
"All of you know my element is void," Maotelus said.
“Great, we have all. Then we need to find similar examples from the books to solve each layer.” Grimoire said and started to search examples from the books Rokurou just brought.
It spends hours in decomposing each layer. Since they don’t know the ‘arte weave’ using in each layer, Grimoire suggested dismissing the outermost 4 circles corresponding artes of opposite elements. The progress is slow that they spent 2 hours to break down one layer.
Eleanor: “I still wonder why there is such arte.....”
Lailah: “I am curious too, it seems to have a very ancient history that I haven't heard from Maotelus.”
Maotelus: “ It is because I still count as a Young one.....The most knowledgeable one will be teacher Grimoire.”
Grimoire: “Thanks, but there is still some seraphim more knowledgeable than me. The older one lived since the early historical time. When the seraphim just descended from heaven”
Eleanor thought of a seraph at this moment, so did Sorey, Mikleo, and Maotelus. The boys then tell the group that they are going out for something important.
Alpha: “ I heard that they extinct because of the curse of the dragon.”
Grimoire: “ Everything has an exception. There must be some seraphim lived from the cruel curse. Some continue to lead the seraphim and believe in humans, and some of them just gave up, went somewhere human is not existing.”
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Lailah: “With such a high rate in development, hard to find a place where humanity doesn’t exist.”
Grimoire: “ If there is no such place, then create it.”
“!! You don't mean?!” Eleanor immediately thought of something bad in her mind.
Grimoire: “Yes, some seraphim are fallen and corrupted even without the effect of malevolence. They abandon their oath, kill all the humans who became daemon or not. They created arte to separate the district from the earth in dimension, now the place can't be found, only if you find out the way to access.”
A portal than appears in the air and a pig comes out from it. Eleanor is surprised and grateful to see the seraph here. Indeed, they forgot that there is a seraph lived a longer time than Grimoire that also staying around this place.
Zui Fuu: “ That is also the reason why I am staying in front of the gate to heaven.”
“You come.” Grimoire talked steadily, seems like they already know about each other.
“Well, recent visitors just come and ask me for help. Seems there are no dragons and seraphim other from your group, I think I may just spend some time for a walk. Originally, here should be sealed in the other dimension where daemons, human, Seraphim can't come in easily, but thanks to someone there.” Zui Fuu said and watched Velvet lied there.
“It is not Velvet’s fault. I am the one who brings everyone here.” Sorey said as he came out from the portal with Maotelus and Mikleo.
“I mean she broke the seal 1500 years ago when she awakens the 4 Empyreans in that time.” Zui Fuu continued.
"But it was necessary," Maotelus said.
"And I am not really blaming her." Zui Fuu added, Sorey and Maotelus smiled as they heard.
“ Umm, did she duplicate herself?!” Zui Fuu asked while she sees Beta.
“....we are different people.” Beta sighed since she can’t count the time people mistook Velvet and her.
“The shock to wake Empyrean crack the dimension.....and the earthpulse point as the energy spot will be the easiest place to find dimension crack.” Eleanor analyzed.
Then Mikleo and Sorey are interested and asked about information about the dimension seal. They assume it is also a kind of seraphic arte in very ancient time and they think it may help with the progress in decomposition, so Sorey goes to search for the related book(since Mikleo needs to stay for the decomposing work). Rokurou has no other works so he followed and see if he may offer help to the boys.
“.....why would this arte be here?!” Zui Fuu finally recognized the expanded seraphic arte in the air and asked.
“Do you know about this arte?” Lailah asked.
Grimoire relieved: “Sure you will know about, you are one of the great ancient seraphim.”
“It is the oath arte of absolute loyalty in the Round table parliament of Twelve knights. There are laws for the oath, but it seems this is the advanced version from it.” Zui Fuu starts telling the unknown history of seraphim.
Grimoire: “ If you realize how the arte works then this saves much time.”
Zui Fuu: “ I will state the things I know about then. The basic arte consists of 12 seals by the name of 12 knights: Agravain, Bedivere, Galahad, Gareth, Gawain, Kay, Lancelot, Mordred, Percival, Tristan, Bors, and with the leader of the round table, Arthur.”
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Grimoire: “ So, those are the names of the 12 layers, is there any meaning behind it?”
Zui Fuu: “ The name represent different characteristic of artes of layers, 12 layers hold all kind of characteristics to symbolize the oath to bear the whole world. Among the name Although all layers are composed of 5 elements, there is a way to break each layer down with a single element."
"The base layer, Bedivere: the knight of loyalty, representing the seraphic arte of the oath of unchanged. If you need to decompose the layer, just release a very active arte that keep changing and releasing energy, the fire element will be the best. Since I see the layer has almost been decomposed, it just needs a little more energy to break the central lock of the void element. After breaking this layer, the whole arte would be opened like the lip is opened." Zui Fuu explained.
"Ok, so I will do it," Lailah said and cast bursting arte to the expanded arte.
"The second base layer, Garvin: The purge of Sun, Represent the arte of strength in the fire element. To decompose the layer, water element is required to invade the binding system in the arte weave. After invading the slits in the layer system, it should be easy to break by an icy blast at the center lock."
"It needs me in this then, " Mikleo said and proceed action as told.
Then the second layer broke successfully.
"The third layer, Kay: the knight of Survivor, representing the characteristic of self-repairing, that is healing arte in the seraphic arte. It is a bit hard to break the layer while it is capable to repair itself. I suggest keeping releasing energy in all elements to attack the recovering system faster than the speed it may repair itself." Zui Fuu continued.
All the seraphim here do as they are told, the layer is then broken down with several minutes of encountering.
"The fourth layer, Lancelot: the knight who possessed the highest skill in martial artes. Be careful, the layer will summon the weaken copy of seraph Lancelot as the guardian and the judgment to the proceeding of breakdown. It is one of the defensive mechanisms of the execution arte when three layers before being broken down." Zui Fuu warned.
The situation is exactly what she told, energy is blown out and shaped into a humanoid form. Soon it attacks the people in the surrounding. All seraphim here fight the energy with their best.
Just when the fight begins, Rokurou sensed it even in a place distanced from the workshop, he puts down the books and rushes to the battlefield there.
"Rokurou?" Sorey is surprised when he sees Rokurou ran away in excitement.
"Sorry, a fight is waiting me to join!"
The space of the workshop is large, but it is still within the building. The seraphim here is worrying that they will break the structure here if they use seraphic arte to fight. Therefore, they can't really fight with their full power here but to hold the time. Eleanor, Alisha, and Rose are using the martial arte skill of their human life without the strengthening of seraphic arte here to avoid any destruction to the place.
The fight is agglutinated until a quick strike as one entered.
"As I expected, Rokurou." Rose smiled as she sees Rokurou rushed here.
"I can't miss any fight!" Rokurou gave a big smile of excitement. He can tell the humanoid energy in front of him is a strong opponent.
"It is a headstrong request though, can you guys leave this guy to me?" Rokurou asked as he continued to confront it.
".....But!" Lailah and Mikleo chorused to resist the request as they are worried.
"It is fine, believe me, he is strong," Rose said.
"Yeah, he is a daemon who my brother admits." Edna followed.
"A war daemon who fight from a very ancient time who thirst for strength. He is stronger than you imagine." Eleanor added.
"That is why I am surprised when Velvet knocked him down," Rose said.
"I guess Velvet won him by luck with all the things calculated," Edna smirked.
"How can luck be calculated anyway?" Eleanor asked.
"Sometimes, 'human will' can cause things to happen. Like a sudden boost in concentration to control the timing. Well, it is just my guess anyway." Edna answered.
"Your hostility to human changed, Edna." Lailah smiled.
"Just a little." She guessed the humans around her do affect her view on human positively.
"Ok, you all agree on leaving it to Rokurou, then I agree too," Mikleo said.
"You guys may parallelly proceed the work as he is fighting Lancelot's copy. The fifth layer, Galahad: Pure Guardian blessed by Holy Grail, the representative of defensive arte. It is another defensive device of the arte like the third layer, but this layer may need all the energy to focus on one point to burst out the whole system." Zui Fuu continued.
"Right, let do this." Mikleo exclaimed, all the people output the power at the center point of the arte layer but it is still not enough to break the 'shield'.
Then Sorey comes back to the place with some books, some of the books are those Rokurou put down earlier when he rushed out of the library.
Sorey looks around to find out the situation, Rokurou is fighting humanoid energy and most of the seraphim are try their best to break down the layer.
"How is it going?" Sorey asked.
"We need a strong force to break the layer seal at a point but it seems our power is not enough," Mikleo stated.
"Why don't we try armatus?" Sorey said.
"It is indeed a solution." Lailah claps her hands to express her agreement.
"But how do we do when we need to solve Sorey's one after that? Sorey can't use armatus as the decomposition need the one lose his consciousness." Eleanor stated the concern.
"The squire can also perform an armatus," Lailah stated when watching Alpha.
"I will do whatever I can," Alpha said.
"We need all power at one point, how do you think to do it, Sorey?" Edna asked.
"All armatus at once."
"Seriously?! Armatizing everyone is too dangerous!" Mikleo exclaimed, it sounds dangerous and reckless, he has to stop Sorey from doing something silly.
"Are you sure? This may cause you a seriously heavy burden in the body, it may cause risk to your body too." Lailah stated the risk and she doesn't want Sorey to take the risk.
"Yeah, we may die because of the execution arte too. So I should at least give a try." Sorey stated with determination in his eyes.
"Ok then, don't push yourself too hard, you two," Zaveid said.
Now Sorey, Mikleo, Lailah, Edna, and Zaveid stand in a circle and put their left hand altogether.
"Fethmus Mioma, Luzrov Rulay, Hephsin Yulind, Fylk Zahdeya, become one and break the arte" Sorey spelled out the true name of the seraphim formed the pact with him one by one to initiate the armartus.
On top of their hands, it is the hand of Sorey, there is a glyph of Shepherd on his left-hand-fingerless glove. Blue energy ignites in the glyph and shines, it extends the coverage like a membrane, eventually wraps up all 4 seraphim with their ‘master’.
4 seraphim turn into their ‘soul form’, they turn into light rays like a Will-o’-the-wisp with their representing colors respectively. The rays fly around Sorey and all enter his body at once, the energy burst to the air at the moment the light rays entered, the energy painted the surrounding air into light red when it releases. The armartization proceeds as the holy white clothes materializing from the core of the main body extend to the limbs. The soul of Fire extends to wrap the limbs, the soul of Wind lengthen Sorey’s hair and form the ponytail, the soul of Water merge with the earrings which show the sound of nature and the soul of Earth shown in Sorey’s eyes for the firmness of will.
Then the white cape materialized with the golden glyph drawn out on the clothing. As a glyph of a golden sword shine in the main body part, the materialization of clothing ended. Sorey opened his eyes, they are golden color and they are filled with determination. The boy shows no fear of the risk of full armatization, he trusts all his friends here. Even just standing there, the sacred atmosphere can’t hide around Sorey.
As soon as the armatization finished, Sorey can't maintain his stand and sinks to his knee.
"Sorey!"
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"It's okay. I will be fine." Sorey responded and stand up again.
He materializes the great sword, it takes the form of an Executioner's Sword that it has no sharp head. The pure sacred energy shines in blue in the main body of the great sword. It shall give the execution by release the energy all in once.
“I will shatter it all!” Sorey shouted, he takes a step back and swing it in an upward perfect arc from a lower position.
The great sword is slashed on the layer of Galahad with the white-hot energy surrounding it. All the energy released in the trace of slash at once, causing a burst of wind on two sides of the sword when the air is cut. A strong light reveals as the sword and the arte layer crush together. It seems the energy from the sword and the energy to sustain the 'shield' are fighting against each other.
Meanwhile, Rokurou has defeated the guardian.
"Ha ahhhhhh!" with a battle cry, Sorey increases the power output on the sword.
Gradually, cracks appeared on the layer and extend all over the layer. The layer is broken down, but the sword doesn't stop. The momentum of the sword brings it slashes all the way through up, the following 6 layers are broken down as well. Only the last layer left.
As the arc finished, the great sword disappeared and Sorey fell and sat down the ground.
The armatization dismissed automatically and Sorey is breathing deeply and harshly when lying on the ground.
"You okay?! Sorey?" Mikleo exclaimed.
"I feel…..weary…." Sorey said while panting heavily.
"Rest now, we have only one layer left." Zaveid smiled and announced. Sorey smiled as he heard the news.
"The last layer, Arthur: the Ruler, representing the oath of Empyrean or main lord and the element of the void that to hold all the things in one. I am sorry that I cannot give a proper suggestion to break this layer. In the past, it is dismissed by the ruler himself." Zui Fuu said.
"Then I shall be the one to dismiss it." Maotelus steps forward. He prevents himself to interfere too much because of his oath, but he knows it is the time he must lend a hand now.
He closed his eyes and extends his right arm to the last layer.
"Dismiss, I command in name of the Empyrean of Void."
At a moment, the energy of Maotelus enters and flow into the glyph of the layer, the energy filled the glyph with light and the glyph slowly dissolved and disappeared in the air.
Execution arte deconstructed.
At the moment of silence, the space filled with untold excitement, they succeeded.
Yet, it is still hard to say things are solved before the scanning complete. Grimoire has discovered another arte planned inside Velvet previously but she didn't say it.
Grimoire returned her analyzing arte to the scanning form and continue the scanning. The arte is scanning the body horizontally. Starts from the position of the neck, the glyph turned into red again.
"Expand," Grimoire commanded and a red circle expands in the air.
However, before the circle fully opened, a strange wind bursts off everyone, strong and sharp enough to leave a wound on everyone at once.
The hypnotized person has awakened in a suspicious state, take a focused look, her eyes turned red. She is standing, no, she is trying to charge at anyone in view but she is dragged back by Eleanor there. Eleanor has found something wrong at the moment Velvet just 'wakes'.
The people in the surroundings slowly stand up and heal each other. No one realizes what is happening.
The arte still expanding and displaying in the air, it is a red glyph that half broken.
"Berserk Dominance….." Grimoire is healed by Lailah and she murmured when she sees the arte glyph form.
The Velvet supposed in slumber is opening her eyes, but she seems to look into nothing in eyes, hard to tell she is conscious at the moment. The eyes filled with blood-red, release a sense of danger.
"Velvet, why you---" Eleanor wants to ask but her words are cut by Velvet's action. Velvet swings her arm and tries to throws away Eleanor. The power required to perform the throw with a single hand would be large, but Velvet performs the act easily, it seems something gave her the power.
"Also the arte to control her consciousness and to make her berserk plants inside her…… The one who plants the seraphic artes is really despicable." Grimoire commented as she recognized the arte. That's also what Eleanor thought when she realized what is going on. She swears to beat down the one twists her friend's mind to let her painful.
"I am not going to let you hurt anyone here."
Eleanor is still catching Velvet's arm tightly to prevent herself being thrown away, but she is then hit on the ground by another swing.
"The formula is half broken by herself already, but the berserk part left. It is relatively simple to solve, but only under the circumstance of Velvet stay quiescent." Grimoire continued.
"I am ….trying to…." Eleanor said hardly at the moment her breast hit on the ground, and she still holds her hand to Velvet.
"That's the Velvet I has seen when she was trying to kill Sorey," Zaveid stated and cast a spell, the golden chains shoot out from the area under Velvet and constraints her.
Mikleo is not happy with what he heard in the sentence. They avoid to mention it to Mikleo once to prevent him holding hostility towards Velvet. He distrusts Velvet in some extent before he knew it, now he confirmed himself to distrust Velvet. He thought she is a dangerous person all along.
Edna is aware of Mikleo's expression, but she can't help much. Velvet has to earn his trust herself later.
" Healing circle! …… You mean….she is not herself now." Edna stated and cast healing arte to Eleanor.
"We can't hurt her….." Lailah mumbled. There are easier ways to stop her, but not in the situation to prevent hurting her. She too believed Velvet is a good person deep down despite the name she got. She has seen for what sort of person in basic she is in the past two days.
"I will stop her," Eleanor said.
With the help from Zaveid and Edna, Eleanor stands again and cast the spell to summon the gravitational field under Velvet, making her to be quiescent without hurting her.
And she is still getting up, looks like the chain constraint and the strengthen gravity are not effective enough to chain Velvet. Eleanor can't move as she is maintaining the gravitational field.
As Velvet got up again, she raised her gauntlet blade. Eleanor is in front of her, then the next step must be---
"Stop! VELVET! Wake UP!"
Velvet is suddenly pounced and fallen down by someone. Eleanor recovered from the shock and see the person before her. A reliable back view with the grand white cape.
"...Sorey! Thanks."
"You are welcome. I can't let her hurt you." The boy turned his head and said.
Eleanor looks surprised when she hears the sentence. She barely knows about him and is being a new friend. Yet Sorey cares about her already.
"Because I know she doesn't want to. A friend should stop the friend from doing things wrong, isn't it?" Sorey responds with a smile, he has always remembered gramps teaching in his heart.
Sometimes, Eleanor does see a reflection of herself in Sorey, they are doing things with a similar purpose. She may agree on Maotelus in this, she and Sorey are similar, it is possible that they would become a good friend too.
"Yeah," Eleanor said as she is doing the same thing as well. She will stop Velvet from doing something she will regret and will feel guilty about. She doesn't want her to bear more sin that she shouldn't bear.
Sorey can’t hold Velvet much longer as he has not fully recovered from the fragile status after the full armatization. Velvet easily pushes away from him and stands again. The former therion swings her blades in random ways and beats. Gauntlet blades, boot blades and her ‘claw’ are the weapons she holds. Although her claw is no longer there but only the automail, with a great force applied on the air, she generated the air claw to tear the air and creates air blades in the air. In the berserker mode, her power can’t be estimated directly.
“-------!” As she growled, she danced like a desperate beast. Eleanor tried to limit Velvet’s activity range and Sorey attack to stumble her down. Since Velvet doesn’t fight consciously, her strength increased but the flaws also increased.
“!!!” Now the berserker is stumbled.
Now, two people together to press on the former therion, the chain constrained her, the gravitational field adding weight on her.
Even when the whole body is constrained, she doesn't give up on struggling. She whimpers with dissatisfaction and gazes the two there with anger like a berserker. There is no burning spirit in her eyes like she once had as an avenger, this is anger towards nothing, the anger enforced on her, this is no way the Velvet Crowe they know.
All the more reason they stop her from hurting friends because she will blame herself for that and this is not even her fault. Sorey doesn't hold much stamina to move and constraint Velvet, but the enforced gravity helps him in this case.
Although Velvet is trying to lift up Sorey and Eleanor after she is pounced to lay down, the move is not easy to proceed in such posture, and she is stopped by the gravitational field and the chains of seraphic arte.
"Grant. To the chain of the planet engaged 5 elements, in the stars of the inner sea, respond the summon with my origin as fire with the blessing of the sun. The constraint of the ancient therion materializes here." Lailah cast a spell and a magical circle traces and expands upon Velvet with two people there.
"Limited launch. As the star shall tell you stories filled with blessings. Tranquilize and sleep... Avalon’s Cage!”
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As the chant is finished, the flame-colored magic circle slowly formed above Velvet, it did not release anything, but just rotated in the air and glowed. Velvet continued to resist at first but slowly slowed down and seemed to be calmed. The eyes also changed from empty anger to longing, staring straight at the magic circle.
“Here to clear thou eyes in chaos. You are a captive in a frenzy cage, clinging to madness. Let the cage breaks into pieces. Don’t stay in the shadow. You will see the exit of this broken cage, reaching the light and be free.”
Grimoire chants as she handles the half-broken berserk-&-control arte. The glyph is slowly broken as the words fade, and the clouds in Velvet’s eyes slowly cleared to return its original clear golden color.
Feeling the return of normal Velvet, Eleanor and Sorey relax and smile.
“Wakes, Child.” Grimoire chanted to wake Velvet from her hypnotization.
…….
In the time Velvet opens her eyes again, she sees the light. The eyes focus badly that she barely sees the true form of the light. She raised her bandaging left hand, sees if she could touch the light. Yet she only see blood strained on the bandages.
Now she sees what the light actually be, it takes the form similar to the constraining arte of therion.
“Urgh....” It feels like Velvet is having a serious headache when she wakes. She looks around and finds people are staying alert. Some of them are healing their wounds.
“You finally awake.” Eleanor relieved as a weight off her mind, she shows a tired smile.
Then Velvet noticed the place is dilapidated in an unnatural way, and some people have wounds there, like the nearest two. Sorey and Eleanor both are injured, it looks pretty awful on Eleanor.
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“What's.....happened?” Velvet noticed she is under an arte that limits her activity range like one set in Titania but they function differently.
Before anyone answers to her question, Velvet Crowe sees the blood on her bandaging automail.
“It was me…….”
She is too smart that she understands it immediately. There is no way a cold metal prosthetic bleeds, those warm blood must be others. At a moment, her heart fills with fears when she starts to realize the situation.
Both Sorey and Eleanor are worrying, they don’t want Velvet to have a bad feeling but Velvet has guessed out the answer already.
Without a doubt, Velvet hugs Eleanor, the only thing she does is to hold her tightly in the arms. She is too afraid of killing a friend again, like the time she killed Niko unconsciously. She still thought she killed Niko for the first when the werewolf daemons were trying to stop her. She can’t stop trembling while holding Eleanor tightly, she is afraid to lose Eleanor. She hates this happened again. She can’t afford to lose anyone again.
Velvet thought that it is all her fault, all those awful wounds are made by her. The hug is a silent redemption for her hurting a friend again.
Velvet never admits Eleanor as an important friend of her, she always trying to drive her away. She was not honest to herself and she doesn't notice the feeling inside her heart either. Yet now her body is fully obedient to her heart, Eleanor does have a position there. No matter how indifferent Velvet pretended to be, she thinks Eleanor is important deep in her heart. That is why she cares about her and she doesn’t want to see her turning into a dragon because of her.
“Sorry….I have been hurting you……” Velvet apologized.
It is a sincere apology to the things she did, also for the words, she said early to make Eleanor angry at her. She well aware of those cruel words could have hurt her dear friend. She has been the worst friend to her as she uses her all along.
".........I can't allow myself to kill a friend again.” Those words full of regret are told in a whisper.
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Eleanor is astonished by Velvet’s action, she never thought of a day to receive a hug from Velvet. She gladly accepts the hug and hugs back. Glad to know she has a position in Velvet.
"It's not your fault." She smiled and lightly sweeping Velvet’s back to relieve her trembling.
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“If I turn out like this again, you may…….” Velvet shares her fears in the silent hug.
Eleanor cuts her off and breaks the embrace from Velvet, puts her index finger lightly on Velvet’s lips to stop her speech.
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“It will not happen again, the arte is ruined. Even if it is unsolved, we will find out the solution together.”
Before Velvet finishes the sentence, Eleanor knows what she wants to say. Eleanor said as she hopes to stop Velvet from thinking that way again. There are always other ways and she would want a way to prevent Velvet to get hurt. Maybe she made mistakes but this is surely not her fault, she shall not take this as her fault.
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“I’ll be there by your side,” Eleanor added with a smile, she puts her hands on Velvet’s hand to calm her down.
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"......." Velvet blinked, she gazed at Eleanor silently. There's a sudden Velvet's heart miss a beat when she hears the sentence, not sure how this feeling is called. It may be a feeling she forgot a long time ago. It is as nostalgic as the feeling appeared when the Fake Niko said she doesn't care if she is a daemon in the dream Aball. That "Niko" acts the way she desired since it is only a dream, but it is not a dream, it is the true Eleanor here. Now she has come to understand there is people supporting her. Maybe it is not that bad to live.
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“It is really rare to see an honest Velvet.” Eleanor teased while pushing Velvet’s forehead with her index finger.
"Don't think too much about it. It is alright now." Sorey said while patting his hand on Velvet's head. It is an unconscious action of him to comfort others.
".....alright." Velvet turned away her head shyly.
Velvet still has doubts about the situation here, she remembers they are in a bathhouse last moment and here comes more seraphim joins them.
"Zui Fuu and Grimoire are also here….." Velvet murmured.
"Yeah, it has been a while. Let's explain it after we solved all the artes planted inside people." Grimoire suggested.
…………..
It turns out to be the same when they tackle Alpha's execution arte. However, the full armatization is too powerful to be used many times. When Sorey tried to use it again to break the arte, Lailah warned and stopped him from doing it too much time.
"Sorey-san, you are doing this too many times, I am afraid your body can't bear the burden again." Lailah worried.
"Yeah, you look extremely exhausted after the second time you perform it, you should take time to rest," Mikleo said.
"You are pushing yourself too hard," Zaveid stated.
"But….." Sorey mumbled.
"Shut up and rest," Edna ordered with her umbrella pointing at Sorey.
"Ok…." No doubt that Sorey's body would need to take time to recover.
“.........What are you talking about?” Velvet expressed her doubt.
“Oh, we are talking about armatization-----” Lailah answered.
“What?! It is dangerous!” Velvet immediately shouts out and cut off the sentence once she hears the word ‘ armatization’.
“Eh??” Lailah felt lost as she hears and Velvet looks really worrying, certainly, she is not joking.
“What? You are talking about the tech which would risk the user’s life to do it, isn’t it? How can you say something like this that peacefully?!” Velvet said in irritated tone. She can’t help but remember how the armatus users suffered and died as the power rampaged, Oscar is the most impressive one of them. She didn’t care about it since they were all enemy at that time, but Sorey is a friend, she can’t let this happen on him.
“Calm down, it won’t cause life, why are you worrying?” Edna stated.
“When I was the Lord of Calamity, the exorcist study the tech to armatus with the seraphim for the power. Most of them die just after using it. At last, I know that Artorius was using them as an experiment to figure out the method to armatus with the Innominat.” Velvet said.
“.........I never heard the origin of the armatus, but I ensure you that it is a safe technique to use.” Lailah ensured Velvet.
“ Like the completed formula Artorius used with Innominat. The seraphim had investigated the safe technique to gain power and fight the calamity with the human.” Eleanor added.
“ Yes, the seraphim we met before we fight Innominat said that once, and they got that we would need the ancient artifact for it,” Maotelus added.
“It has been 1500 years from your era, remember?” Zaveid smirks.
“Guess I should agree with the old man’s word.” Velvet sighed and admitted she is worrying too much.
“Old….old…..” Zaveid murmured.
“That’s pretty much the truth. Nothing to be worried about.” Lailah smiled.
Velvet then lower her head aside to stand with her hand holding her chin, considering something alone. Meanwhile, the group continues to discuss for the user of the full armartization. Alpha suggested to let him do this instead then since he wants to help his little sister as well. This will also be a test that whether he may be the person to break the arte layer when Grimoire tackles Sorey's curse. Since Grimoire needs the person in slumber while performing the act, Sorey must not be able to armatize for his case.
However, the result on Alpha is not positive, the full armatization maintains a second but quickly ended. The soul of the seraphim quit his body impulsively.
"Sorry, it seems your resonance is not enough to perform the full armatization. It will be extremely dangerous to continue." Lailah explained the case. It is a cruel fact that the technique needs some natural talent to proceed but not only the emotion be the fuel.
"....I see." Alpha is a bit disappointed that he can't do anything.
"We may need a person who has resonance as high as Sorey's level….." Lailah added.
Sorey had a high resonance in 500 years ago already, his resonance is boosted to another monster level by sleeping with the Empyrean for 500 years. The monstrous high resonance is what allows him to perform the full armatization and the resonance of Alpha is much lower than that.
"Among all of us, Velvet will be the one suitable for your terms,” Edna stated.
“You mean you would like to invite her as Sorey’s squire?” Zaveid asked.
Lailah, Sorey, Zaveid and Velvet don’t have a problem with that but only one seraph disagree with that.
“I am afraid I can’t agree with that.” Mikleo still holds his hostility and untrust of Velvet. Not only because Velvet was a lord of Calamity, but also because she has hurt Sorey. Conscious or not, it is fact.
“Someone is so stubborn.” Edna taunted.
“But Velvet is now the only one may perform the full armatization,” Lailah said.
“I don’t want to give my true name to her.” Mikleo insisted.
“Then let’s don’t give her any true name but form the squire pact,” Edna suggested while she has given her true name to Velvet sometimes ago and she is sure Lailah will give her name too.
“But then she will not able to----” Sorey mumbled.
“I’m fine to accept this.” Velvet stands out and makes a fist like she is prepared.
“Are you sure? I shall warn you that your life will be on the same line with Sorey after forming the pact.” Lailah asked to confirm.
“Sure. Then I will be able to help Sorey in the time Grimoire solve his arte.” Velvet answered without a doubt. After all, Sorey did save her back then and she has no problem to pay her life in this.
“Understand. Let’s begin.” Lailah admitted Velvet’s resolution.
“A new bud forms on the holy branch. Its flowers bring fruit. Its fruit begets seeds. The circle of destiny turns once more!” Lailah said the chant while taking both hands of Sorey and Velvet. Power surrounded Velvet gives to him in the form of a sacred magical circle with 4 swords.
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“Give life unto the will of the Shepherd, and let it be proof of their bond. Thy true name as a Squire shall be:” Lailah waited for Sorey's answer.
“Taesh Pumpus (faithful Velvet).”
After they formed the squire pact, they nod at each other and Lailah entered Velvet.
In the ocean of mind, Velvet and Lailah see each other isolated from the reality.
“Although Edna said let’s don’t give you any true name. I would like to bear my true name:” Lailah said and pass her true name to Velvet.
“ah?!!” Velvet listened to the words directly voiced in her head.
“ Now, recite that name! Harness the power that flows from it, and let it become your armor!” Lailah continued.
"....Eleanor.” Velvet turned her head and asked for permission for artmatus. It is really dangerous to do this without a sacred vessel, so she needs to ask.
“Let’s do it.” Eleanor noded.
“ Hephsin Yulind, Fethmus Mioma …………” Velvet recites aloud the name as to try the armatization and the blue light starts glowing and covered her body.
Lailah and Edna looks at each other and smiles as they both turns into the spirit, flies around Velvet.
Mikleo is shocked that Velvet already has Edna’s true name.
“............. Filk Zadeya .” After a while, Velvet recited Zaveid true name.
Not only Mikleo, even Zaveid himself felt surprised but the expression disappeared as soon as he turns into the spirit form and flies around Velvet.
“ Liwyeamesv Umuabiw .” It is the first try she also recites aloud Eleanor’s true name to try the void armatize while no sacred vessel for that. Eleanor also turns into a spirit and flies around Velvet.
They all enter her body at once, same things as Sorey happen on Velvet when the armatization begins. The enormous energy bursts and paints around with light red.
After the known real name was read out, the armatization began to perform the operation. Even after some explanation, as a human velvet in the old times, she still held a dubious attitude. Her personal impression of armatus was not good is the main reason. However, now she is powerless and has to rely on the power of the armatus. In order to help friends around, she has to recognize her own weaknesses and learn to rely on others.
That was something she learned when she was a younger human, and she forgot it as she didn’t admit herself as a human after the incident. Now, in order to respond her friend and live as a human again, she should memorize the feeling once again.
Under the reaction of the arte of armatus and the pact, the mana wraps her body in form of the tape of light while 4 seraphim turned into spirits and enter her body. The light applies the classical change of armatization onto Velvet with the pact linkage.
It was a complete change of velvet's impression. The clothes were knitted from black coats into holy white robes. The black hair was dyed golden white. The long hair has been extended to a length that can mop the floor. Under the gentle breeze of wind and magic weaving, lush long hair was tied neatly and elegantly. After completing her tiny task, the wind turned into a hair accessory with a large green feather.
The blessing of the earth simply fell along the legs to the heel and turned into golden feather decoration, but secretly strengthened the strength of the entire body.
The empty left-hand prosthesis was surrounded by the magic power of white and silver and became an extension of the magic power.
The materialization of the appearance ends with the sword glyph made of golden mana engraved into the chest. Although the appearance has completely changed from the original impression, when Velvet open her eyes, it still makes the other sure that she is velvet. The red pupil, although the same color as the Velvet under the domination of ‘Berserker dominance’, they are in scorching red, they are the expression as Velvet's Will as Fire.
When Full Armatization(Alter) was finished, Velvet stood and looked at her hands, feeling the power in her body. Just by standing, people may feel the weak mana kept overflowing and leaking.
“She doesn’t fell down immediately,” Alpha commented. He remembered even Sorey cannot keep standing when the armatization finished.
"It is probably because of the element of the void, it preserves the feature of Reconcile and Tolerate. It was a miracle that Sorey could complete the four major elements of full armatus, because it was a state achieved by the four major elements' restraint and balance, and the explosive power and reaction force were very large. But Velvet joined Eleanor at the end of armatus. The attributes of the void family can allow other elements to exist without colliding with each other, so the stability is higher, but the price is that the explosive power will be relatively reduced. " Grimoire explained.
Velvet has not felt such a surge of magic since she was born, and can't even believe that it is her own body. However, it is more correct to say that the body of the armatus is now shared with the 4 seraphim, Lailah, Zaveid, Edna and Eleanor, but the subjective consciousness is Velvet. Although the involved seraphim are similar, the appearance is different from Sorey. It is because she and Sorey are fundamentally different, so the pupil color and weapon are not the same.
“Materialize.” Velvet has a word in her mouth to assist her in the implementation of this weapon call. This is always her first armatization, and it is also the first cooperation with the seraphim, so everything is strange, but she must let herself be familiarized with them.
She doesn't know what the weapon will look like, but the concept of gathering magic and materializing it into a sword. The skeleton is unknown, the materials are unknown, and the technology is unknown. In this case, it is difficult to imagine the weapon. Mind: "You are like a sword without a sheath"
Based on this concept, the weapon is formed as a fantasy to complete the gathering, unlike Sorey’s execution sword, which symbolizes justice. In the hands of Velvet is a double-edged sword with a sword tip, a handle in the middle, and two poles like flame-shaped Blade. No one present has experience using it, but it is the best weapon that symbolizes Velvet. The sword's edge can be pointed straight at the target, unsheathed and may hurt the owner. Using this weapon may inadvertently cut herself off. This weapon itself reflects the years and years of the Velvet’s experience.
“Great Double-edged sword…not something familiar.”
Despite unfamiliar with it, she will complete her mission to destruct the execution arte.
She clenched her weapon and stood it upright on the ground. Even if she is not familiar with how to use it, she can only gather the magical mana.
That's right, the magic is gathered on the external sword tip, and only one hit can be wagered.
Excessive magical constriction makes the surrounding air pressure increase, the temperature rises, and the wind and dust visible to the naked eye.
The golden mana turned into a spiral-wrapped around the blade, and the magic burned into a body with the blade.
“Shatter into pieces!”
Presses the sword behind her and waves forward, breaking the ground, and hitting on the magical layer of Galahad with the magical power accumulated onto the sword front.
Excessive magic power flows in the center of the magic array, and excessively flows from the middle to destroy the magic structure. Same case as Sorey was then, several layers were abolished at one time. Until the end of the second layer was rebounded.
"?!" Unexpected energy rebound could not be defended efficiently in time, Eleanor takes the control of the body to spin the weapon and hold the rebounded energy, still, Velvet was ejected several feet.
“Rebounded?” Sorey rests aside to recover the stamina and mana but his eyes concern the operation here. He has observed how the energy rebounded when it met the end of the second layer.
“What’s happened?” Velvet murmured.
"The eleventh layer, Mordred: the knight of Betrayer, representing the characteristic of avenging, that is the reflective arte in the seraphic arte. In Sorey’s time, he has enough explosive power and pushing the power to break the layer, so he broke it with one strike, but it is lacked in your attack. Your armatus doesn’t suitable for explosive power output." Zui Fuu explained.
…………..
Now there is a conversation between the people in Velvet’s armatus.
“It is still possible to be reflected for one more strike…….” Velvet considered as she heard Zui Fuu’s opinion.
“Are you afraid of it?” Edna teased.
“It is not only my body, but you all will also feel the pain if we take the risk.” Velvet responded.
“......I see.” Edna silently accepted Velvet’s answer with satisfaction.
“Let’s find a method with lower risk.” Velvet suggested.
“I thought you would just do things on the rampage.” Lailah chuckled when she remembers how Velvet fought Rokurou back then.
“If she were just such a simple fool, she would n’t live today,” Zaveid smirked.
“I take that is a compliment.” Velvet said.
“It is. And there is a thing I want to ask you. How did you get my true name?” Zaveid asked.
“What? You didn’t give her your true name?! Why then…..” Lailah exclaimed.
“Yeah, I don’t remember I have given you my true name,” Zaveid stated.
“Call me despicable if you like. I just happened to hear it when you exchanged your true name with Eizen.” Velvet looks at Zaveid straight and answer.
“.....huh…..and you remember it until now?” Zaveid smirked with a light sigh. He can’t really blame her when he usually eavesdrops with his skills at the same time.
“.......Right.”
“Gosh…………. I am glad that someone remembered the name for that long, even just by a heard.”
“I am confident with memory.”
“Alright, now my true name formally bears to you, recite and call me if you need.” Zaveid smiled.
“Gladly have it.”
“Now, what’s the plan?” Eleanor asked.
“I wonder if I still have the therion power in this form.” Velvet wondered.
“It is impossible, you’re a human now.” Eleanor pointed out.
“What do you mean ‘ in this form’?” Edna asked.
“When I was a therion, I was able to break therion-sealing arte with my claw with the aid power I gain from the Sorcerer’s Ring. Back then, the power source of the therion claw is from the First Empyrean of Void--Innominat. If this means the basis of the power is a void element, I may be able to perform it again to break the arte in this case.” Velvet explained.
“Sounds like it would need the arm filled with the power of Void. As far as I know, the element of the void is able to tolerate other energy presence including malevolence for a while. This may be the reason the claw is able to decompose the sealing arte after granted a power. Yet, it may also cause your whole arm in the process of decomposition.” Eleanor analyzed and warned.
“My left arm is automail, hard enough for a try.” Velvet suggested.
“Still has her willful mind somehow.” Edna taunted.
In typical people’s perspective, Velvet is standing and do nothing while pondering. Finally, she leaves her weapon at the spot and walks to the extended glyph of the arte that only 2 layers left at last.
Velvet extends her left arm to approach the layer of Mordred. Her left arm is wrapped in silver light, like mana flowing on it normally, once she touches the glyph of ‘Mordred’ the mana flowing run rampaged like a flame, all the mana flowing towards the shoulder and to the main body.
“Devour!” At a moment, the Mordred layer dissolved into energy and flows into Velvet’s arm with the mana as if it is eaten.
“Works better than imagine----” as Velvet said, she fell a knee onto the ground and support her upper body with the left hand, the excessive mana are earthed in form of electricity. The armartization also dismissed in a sudden and all 4 seraphim rejected out in form of spirit, they turned humanoid again once they reach the earth.
“Are you okay, Velvet?” Sorey approached Velvet and stated his concern to her.
“.......just feel a little bit exhausting.” Velvet said while panting heavily. She planned to break the last layer as well but her mana storage is not enough for it under the high rate mana consumption.
“I have the same feeling after performed this too, now is your turn to rest.”
“So you have performed the armatization too.”
“Yeah, it has been like eating or drinking in my journey when I was a Shepherd, but it is the first time I perform the full armartization today,” Sorey said.
“You okay after that?” Velvet still worried about any negative effect that may be brought by the armartization even after experienced once.
“Just like I have said, exhausting, but it is an interesting experience.” Sorey smiled charmingly.
“I see.”
“By the way, your form of full armatus is shining an awe-inspiring. The weapon is also amazing, it is different than my weapons in armatus form.” Sorey praised with shiny eyes.
“....Is...is that so?!” Faced with sudden praise, Velvet was a little panicked and fell to the ground. Even if she didn't care about the appearance, she would be shy if she was praised so straightforwardly. She was not good at dealing with such a straightforward person.
“You….you okay? Did you hurt?!” Sorey panicked as Velvet fell to the ground, he thought Velvet hid her wounds and pretend to be normal. It is not something new on Velvet.
“I am fine, really.” Velvet expressed a small smile to comfort Sorey.
“??....Have anyone told you? You are beautiful when you smile, you should smile more.” Sorey simply expressed his opinion once he sees a small smile. In fact, Zaveid holds the same opinion on it.
Sorey always says things pure-heartly without an intention, that is the type Velvet feels difficult to handle.
“..... How can you always say such words?” Velvet turned her head away and murmured in a whisper when she already feels shy about the comment. The act of Velvet can’t prevent Sorey to see her ear reddening.
“Velvet, your ears are reddening.” Sorey honestly pointed it out.
“Sh….shu…..shut up! I know! You idiot!” Velvet was so shy that she wanted to stun Sorey directly to prevent him from seeing her reaction anymore, but Sorey was injured already. Next, the event here also needs Sorey's presence. After subtle thoughts, she just ran out Go to the snow outside to calm down herself.
“I thought she is exhausting. Should I go after her?” Sorey asked his companions, looks like he doesn’t know anything at all.
“No, just let her alone for a while, she will be back,” Maotelus stated with a chuckled while just finished to break the last layer.
Then, Sorey chuckled while looking to the direction Velvet just run away, seems a bit satisfying on her face.
“Are you sure Sorey is not a womanizer?” Rose whispered to Alisha as she sees the chuckled.
“Of course not, no as serious as Zaveid,” Alisha answered in a whisper.
“I agree with you, Alisha. Thanks to the Empyrean that Sorey has not got a negative effect from Zaveid in this way.” Lailah stated in a whisper.
“Mam’.....That’s harsh….” Zaveid whined in a whisper.
“No one tells you to hear their whisper.” Edna taunted.
Mikleo is the one who stays silent and looked to the direction Velvet just ran away. His doubt to her is not solved, he can’t trust her easily even Velvet now has known all true name except him.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Deconstructing the execution arte with 12oath layers linking together steps by steps. All the following people who suffer from the execution arte, including Sorey, Edna, Eleanor, Alpha, Velvet, Beta, are gradually solved with the help of all people here.
“You should state the reason you are here, Zui Fuu.” Velvet requested to the ancient seraph.
“I am requested to lend a hand by the boy there.” Zui Fuu pointed at Sorey.
“One moment, I thought it was an illusion, but now I see it is true. It is late for a greeting. Welcome back, Lord of Calamity.” Zui Fuu continued.
“I don’t think I am a welcome person to you.” Velvet stated.
“Sure you broke the seal here and leading the earth changed rampage after waking 4 lords so violently.” Zui Fuu slowly listed the things about Velvet.
“................”
“Yet you has sealed Innominat by yourself. You made your word come true. In conclusion, you did save the world. It was a selfless act of you.” Zui Fuu added.
“It is just, nothing I can lose.” when Velvet said this, she feels strong glare from Sorey and Eleanor.
“....in that time.” She added.
“Now your request is satisfied, what are you going to do, Rose?” Grimoire asked calmly.
“This is their request. I am just passing by, and will soon go back to our site. I guess it would be the same for Alisha, is it?” Rose answered.
“Yes, I am afraid something will happen in the time we are not there,” Alisha responded.
“What’s your next step? Rokurou.” Rose asked as she thought he will have his own plan.
“Seems they are going to fight a very strong one. Honestly, I would like to follow them, but I am afraid something will happen in the Magiland and our power may not enough to handle it.” Rokurou calmly answered.
“You thought there is a crisis too then.”
“Yeah, that my instinct as a fighter, so I will stay in the guild to help.”
“You sure? You may lose a chance to fight strong opponents.” Rose doubted.
“Sure the one called Tartarus is a strong one, but if I can’t protect what I want to protect, it can’t be considered strong. I live not only to challenge strong fighters but also to become stronger, to become one like Shigure, to fight large groups of enemies easily. In the time I still live, I will have the chance to join the fight anyway and I will go join it.” Rokurou smiled.
“It's really like the style of Rokurou, it's reassuring,” Alisha commented.
“Seems there is something change in Rokurou’s head too……” Velvet commented in murmuring.
“Wait, you say Tartarus.” Zui Fuu has a shock and takes a quick breath once she heard the name.
“Yes.”
“And you guys are going to fight him.” Zui Fuu repeated what she realized.
“Yes.”
“It seems that you are disagreeing with that, would you please tell us the reason?” Lailah asked politely.
“Tartarus is the son of sin……” Zui Fuu said.
“The son of sin?”
“In the distant past, when the era other than the dark Age, before the curse apply on earth and before we descend on earth. A seraph fell in love with a human, their child born as their result of love, his name Tartarus. His existence lead a storm to the stance to earth dweller, let the seraphim clearly divided into three groups: the group intended to deny humans, the group intended to peacefully exist with human and the neutral group. Being half-blood, Tartarus is seen as a mongrel by the proud seraphim. Thus he got the name of “ Son of sin,” and was being discriminated against. When the time seraphim descend to earth and the gate of heaven closed, he was responsible to witness the outcome of the curse, the doom day when the malevolence full out the earth. Since no seraph wants to bear the awful curse, the Late Round Table forced Tartarus to be the key node for the oath of the curse applying the law on the earth. He proud like a seraph, but also feels insecure about his identity. When the conversation for the wipeout of earth dwellers, he agreed with it without a doubt. I heard he was seal by King Clautin in the Dark Age later before he cause anything worse……”
“Now you know even King Claudin can’t defeat him completely, it is futile.” Zui Fuu added.
“I have known all the things you have just told. I felt like that guy has shown me his memory.”Velvet said while recalling pieces of memory that is not belong to her. She can’t recall when she get the memory, but they are existing in her head.
“I clearly know how weak am I in front of him.” Velvet added, she is not reconciled to do things under Tartarus.
“Then you should know how strong he is. The artes set inside you are just a small part of the ancient magic he had. He should have learn more than just this. There is no miracle. It is fu---” Zui Fuu repeated to warn the group.
“Enough of that ‘futile’, we will not stop just because it is ‘futile’.” Velvet is annoyed by the 'futile' comments from Zui Fuu. She has expected to get some practical advice other than 'futile'.
"I believe miracle does exist. Because it happened all around me. All the people I encounter are miracles to me, and we can create miracles together." Sorey said with hope.
"Sorey-san……" Lailah murmured with joy as she heard the boy’s words.
“.......As ever I knew you, you are not changed. Futile or not, we will do it.” Velvet said.
“You have not changed, like a sword as always. I am surprised and being grateful that you sealed Innominat in that time, but things like a miracle are not something always happen. The one you guys may face may possess the same strength as Innominat. You defeated him with the end you seal Innominat with yourself last time. And it is not possible to defeat Tartarus in this way, you are only human now.” Zui Fuu said.
“We will figure out other methods.”
“Looks like it will not change your mind no matter what I say.” Zui Fuu sighed.
“Maybe you should give them some hints instead,” Grimoire suggested.
“You are right. But I already say he is very strong. He is a half-blood, he doesn't possess the weakness like us seraphim to be weak to malevolence but he can use seraphic arte in all elements since he is the void element. Normally, a void element seraph can’t use the seraphic in other elements in an advanced way, but he ignores this weakness to train and attain the power…..”
”Apart from defeating him, I want to save him too." Sorey said.
"Sorey….." Mikleo murmured.
Velvet doesn’t show a response. She thought this is naive and she disagrees with the idea of saving Tartarus in her heart but she is also saved by Sorey, so she can’t fully disagree with him. Maybe he could find a way to rescue that miserable avenger.
"All I can tell is that he is not allowed to be existing by both human and seraphim, so he will hold hatred to both sides, he may hold hatred towards the whole world…...Just like once the Lord of Calamity here." Zui Fuu said.
"......."
"It is not! They are different. They are both betrayed, they are both not allowed to live, they both hold hatred, but Velvet's hatred came from love and Tartarus's hatred came from void. I warn you to take it back please." Eleanor defended her friend immediately, she can’t bear to see a friend get insulted.
"Yes, they made different choices at last. Surely they are different." Sorey said.
"Even if they made the same choice, it would be out of different reasons." Maotelus said.
It is not like Velvet can’t realize Tartarus’s thought, they both bring destruction and sadness to the world and they are rejected, still, she will never agree on the way he did. Somehow Velvet knows she herself is different from Tartarus somewhere inside her mind, but her friends have made it more clear to her. She has also known her friends have been watching over her. She is glad about that.
"Okay, I apologize for that. I shall take the words back. May I know why would you guys want to fight him?" Zui Fui said.
“You don't expect me to say something like saving the world, do you? I fight for myself. Since I am unpleasant with his act and I am not reconciled to do things for him, I shall make him pay for it.” Velvet said and remember the anger she forgotten when the despair filled her.
“ For the lives taken away under his orders and for my friend, I shall beat him..” Eleanor said while feeling the same way as Velvet, but most of the anger is holding for her friend’s suffering. She can hardly forgive Tartarus for making Velvet despair again when he is toying with all people here.
“ You have mentioned that he is the node of the curse. I suppose the curse will be solve once we defeat him. Right?” Sorey asked.
“.....Yes.”
“Then for the dream human to live harmonious with Seraphim, I shall end the sad chain of the loop,” Sorey claimed.
Lailah:" then human will not turn into hellion again…."
Edna: "and the seraphim will not turn into a dragon after that…."
Alpha:“ A better world without dragons and hellions.”
" A world even doesn’t need Shepherd and the Lord of Calamity to exist anymore……" Maotelus claimed with a tender tone. He has hoped that the world will not need a Shepherd to purify hellion and no Lord of Calamity made by despair again. This is still far from a world no one suffers but at least the chance to have someone like Velvet again will be lower.
Velvet: "phi….."
“ I see, I can only wish you guys may succeed." Zui Fuu knew the people here are not stopping their steps, she could only bless them.
The group leaves, leaving Grimoire and Zui Fuu there.
"I see your dream has come true already, Zenrus."
As Zui Fuu watch them walk away, by what the children say, at last, she sees the dream has come true even for a small group of people. Maybe she can expect more things other than futile from them. She should be happy that the children claim to solve the curse now. They reminded her once she hoped the curse disappeared from the world.
"Humans always give a surprise, isn't it?" Grimoire smirked.
"....Indeed."
-----------------------TBC-------------------
A.N.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMeTIf0PFW
Referred from ‘The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’ in the beginning…. I aimed to use the memory clip with meanings, and I hope it is obvious enough.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTJSSiiQBl
I didn't plan to add many settings but just solve the execution arte and etc. And let the whole team know about Tartarus. However, the way to solve the arte is boring so I add and expand gradually with setting comes up. Never thought the first time the presence of full armatization is here.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcMSweILSv
One thing I can't achieve in this chapter is to give average parts to all characters presented but I failed. I should really break the group so I don't need to draw so many people in the illustration.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡay7nE91E4j
It is time to fight back and let the curse of the world end.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJcY2llZwUg
