Chapter Forty-Seven – Creeping Death

Vin slowly stirred from his sleep, soft and warm. How long was it since he woke up feeling that way?

His eyes fluttered open, glancing around at his surroundings. All sandy floors and dank, foul smells. His eyes hardened, and a sigh slipped from his lips.

So much for getting his hopes up.

The soft sounds of snores drew his eyesight down to his lap, landing right at a bundle of long blond hair curled up right against his chest. Vin shifted slightly, enough to let him get a better look at Asia, who sat in between the Fallen's legs, leaning back and using his chest as a pillow.

Vin was shocked that – despite the circumstances – she managed to seem so serene.

Then again, she didn't have to go through what he did…

Vin shook his head, and gave Asia's shoulder a small nudge.

"Hey Asia, wake up." Vin whispered. "C'mon, time to go."

"Nggghh~" Asia let out an adorable groan as she sat up, her hands coming to wipe her eyes. "...Ise…"

Suddenly, the situation felt ten-times more awkward.

"A-Ah-! Vin!" Asia jolted a bit as she finally opened her eyes.

"Morning Asia." Vin tried to smile. "Sleep well?"

She just nodded.

"R-Right, uh…" Vin rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm sorry about earlier, I-"

"Vin, it's okay." Asia placed her hand overtop his own. "There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I guess…"

Asia fixed him with a look, and was about to open her mouth to protest, but right then, the third member of their little party emerged from the cave's entrance.

"Ah, you're both up, good." Purge jerked his head towards the exit. "Come top-side, I've got something to show you both."

Asia and Vin looked at each other for a moment, before they both took wary steps towards the exit.

"Oi, don't worry, the coast is clear. Looks like the horde's migrated west."

"Thank fuck for that." Vin growled. "So, what did you want to show us?"

As the two teens emerged back into the massive necropolis, they found Purge only a few feet away. Perched atop a short outcrop of old rubble, the masked man peered down the scope of a sniper rifle.

"You two, come on over here." Purge lowered his rifle and flagged them over.

"Safety's on." Purge tossed his rifle into Vin's hands, "Here kid, catch."

Vin held out one hand and caught the body of the falling rifle with ease. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Come up here." Vin followed the masked-man's instructions, "Now, look over here."

Vin raised the rifle to where Purge pointed. Peering down the zoomed, far-range lens of the scope, Vin could vaguely make out the shape of something far in the distance.

"What am I looking at?" Vin questioned. "Looks like the ruins of a battleground, same as everything else."

"Not just that, follow the path up." Purge hopped off the rubble pile, and headed towards Asia.

Vin did as instructed, following the pathway of the battlefield, which eventually ended at a large, ruined stone gateway which protected an old fortress of some kind? Its body was crumbling away, but the foundations of the building stood as firm as it did in its prime.

He analyzed the fortress, how the very back of the area seemed to shift from stone to blackened steel, a large chute leading like an umbilical cord upward into the walls of the cavern.

"What is that?" Vin asked aloud.

"That's our way out of here." Purge shouted over his shoulder. "Nekrothys has all these people abducted and turned into those monsters, but it only stands to reason that he has to have a way to get them in and out of here. That fortress is likely where that happens."

"Hmph. What about Nekrothys itself?"

"That's the difficult part: there's a high chance that big bastard is in there." Purge sighed. "But with that magical-jammer in place, there's no other exit."

"Well then, I guess we have our plan." Vin lowered the rifle and hopped off the rubble pile.

"Pretty much." Purge turned to Asia. "You most specialize in healing, right kid?"

"Y-Yes."

"You got any offensive spells in your kit?" Purge crossed his arms.

Asia looked to the ground and shook her head.

"You really should consider learning a few sometime." Purge chastised. "There's so many enemies down here that the kid and I are going to have a hard enough time just keeping ourselves alive, to say nothin' of protecting you on top of everything."

"I-I'm sorry…" Asia sniffled.

"Ah geez, spare the waterworks, kid. I'm not giving you an insult, I'm giving you advice." Purge reached for the back of his waist. "Have you ever fired a gun before?"

"I-I beg your-"

"Yes or no question, kid. Have you shot a firearm before?"

"No, sir." Asia shook her head.

"Alright, well you're going to learn now." Purge pulled a strange bronze revolver from one of his countless holsters and bandoliers. Flipping it around, he held the strange handgun out to Asia by the barrel.

"What is this?" Asia stared down at the bizarre construction.

While its shape was close enough to a normal revolver, the entire body was covered in strange engravings, and strangest of all, its cylinder was a single piece with no room for any actual ammunition.

"Go on, take it." Purge waved the gun's handle at Asia, giving the girl a small nod when she finally grabbed hold of it. "Okay, hold it with two hands, one on to grasp it, the other to support the grasping hand. Good, okay now don't put your index finger on the trigger yet; that's how accidental discharges happen. Keep it rested against the side of the trigger and the finger-guard until you have your shot; then you go and pull the trigger."

"R-Right!" Asia held the gun straight ahead.

"Here, your stance is all wrong. Widen your legs out." Purge roughly nudged at the back of Asia's shins with his own foot to widen her stance. "Good, now don't lock your arms up either. Guns have a kick to 'em, and locking up your joints is a great way to sprain them or break 'em."

"Now, you see that piece of rubble over there?" Purge pointed to a small piece of tower sprouting from the sand. "Shoot it."

"But there's no-"

"Just shoot the damn gun, Asia!" Purge exclaimed.

"Eep!"

*KR-BLAM!*

The mouth of the revolver barked a flash of hot green flames, as a narrow jolt of pure energy spewed out from its barrel. Unfortunately, the shot went far from its target, landing some seven feet from the rubble, kicking up a cloud of sand instead.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" Asia apologized profusely.

"It's alright, kid, relax." Purge set a hand on her shoulder. "Look, when you're using a gun, you can't be startled. Focus, be receptive to your surroundings, but don't suddenly flinch back. Keep focus on pointing and shooting. Now…"

"AGAIN!"

*KR-BLAM!*

*BOOSH!*

The rubble exploded with a sharp blast. Asia blinked, the gun still held up, its barrel smoking.

"I-I did it!"

"Good job." Purge clamped a hand on her shoulder. "That pistol is something I've been tinkering with for a while, it uses your magical energy as a projectile. Figured it'd be the best for you."

"That's very thoughtful of you," Asia bowed her head with a small smile, "Thank you."

"Thank me when we get out of here." Purge grumbled, "Let's get moving, we've got a lot of ground to cover, and I doubt we're getting there without a fight."

"Right!" Asia nodded. "W-We can do this!"

Purge's gaze flickered over to Vin. "Are you going to give me back my rifle, or are you going to make bedroom eyes at it all day?"

"..."

"Vin."

The teen jolted out of his reverie. "W-What's up?"

"My gun." Purge outstretched his hand.

"Hm? Oh, right." Vin passed the rifle off to the masked vagrant and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Get a grip, kid. Last thing any of us need is you zoning out, okay?" Purge stowed the rifle away.

"I know what we have to do, don't worry about me." Vin growled. "Can't believe I'm getting advice from the asshole who tried to kill me a month ago."

Purge's perpetual scowl tightened. For a moment, it seemed like the man was preparing some sort of tongue-lashing, but it died an ugly death before it could reach his tongue.

The man sighed. "Let's move."

Vin's fingers toyed with the golden band stowed in his pocket.

The march across the dunes was a miserable affair. Bloodied sand parted like snow. Each footstep buried their feet up past their ankles, allowing grains of grit, gravel and whatever other accursed thing laid scattered across the surface of the dunes to spill into the tops of their boots.

Asia, no doubt, had it the worst. With nothing but a scavenged overcoat and oversized pair of boots to her name, the process was hell on her feet. After having to use her Sacred Gear to heal an especially egregious blister for the third time since they departed, Vin silently relinquished his socks to her.

Although maneuvering with the bulky form of his Sacred Gear active didn't make the march any easier for Vin, it certainly paid dividends if it meant keeping their already meager pace a little faster.

That, and it helped that Crystal Weaver kept the sand out.

Vin had no idea how long they'd been marching for at this point – hell, he had no idea how long they'd even been down here. His front teeth chewed against a dried flake of skin on his bottom lip. None of them spoke much since their departure. The most they had were the small questions Asia would sheepishly broach to the group, which Purge would reply to with a sentence at most.

In fairness, Vin didn't mind the relative silence. He wasn't exactly in the mood for talking, anyhow.

[You should speak to your comrades] Bheithir rumbled inside his mind.

"..."

[If only to help ground you.] Bheithir continued. [I don't need my host killed. Not now…]

Vin's fingers brushed against the ring once more.

[Child, please.] Bheithir's voice, unnatural as it was, sounded strained. [At least tell me if you can hear me…]

"I'm fine." Vin hissed between clenched teeth.

"Vin?" Asia tilted her head. "What do you mean, you're fine?"

Shit, that was out loud.

"Talking to Bheithir." Vin thumbed his forehead. "Sorry."

Vin didn't miss the way Purge's jaw tightened.

"No, no, it's okay." Asia blustered. "You were talking to her in your head?"

"Does Issei not do that?"

"Not that I know of." Asia shaked her head. "Issei usually talks to him out loud, from what I've seen."

Vin opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when Purge's arm rose in front of him.

"We've got company." The man grunted, flicking a finger across the horizon line.

Straining his enhanced vision, Vin peered in the same direction. Sure enough, Purge wasn't lying. Even from this far away, the form of a massive, hulking humanoid cut across the landscape. Rusted padlock shackled to its face, one hand replaced with the rotten decayed skull of some wyvern…

Vin's fingertips gingerly rubbed at his neck.

"W-What is that thing?" Asia stammered.

Vin wanted to just say the truth; fuck, did he ever. Given the identity of the other creature that attacked him that night, it didn't take a genius to ascertain this thing's true identity.

Dad…

Vin took a step forward, his eyes narrowing.

"Doesn't matter what it is," Purge's words came out with grit. "It's in our path, so we'll have to take it down all the same."

"No, he's mine."

"You'll do what?" Purge rounded on the boy. "I don't think you realize what the hell you're saying, kid, but if you think you can just-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Vin snarled as he grabbed a fistful of Purge's collar. "I said he's mi-!"

*Ch-Chk!*

"Let me go." Purge's tone was dangerously even as he pressed the cold barrel against Vin's sternum. "Now."

With a noise from the back of his throat, Vin released his hold on the man. Without a second thought, Vin marched ahead, the rest of his company following shortly behind. For a moment, the group was enveloped in a crushing silence.

"You'll die if you fight that thing alone." Purge's voice picking at every last nerve Vin had. "I saw how you ended up after the last one. Not even Asia will be able to fix injuries like that."

"That was…" Vin whispered, "He's…"

"I don't care who he is," Purge spat, "He's dead, kid. Don't forget that."

[He's not wrong, child.] Bheithir echoed in his head. [The only thing you can do now is put him out of his misery.]

Asia looked like she wanted to speak. Hell, she might have and if she did, then Vin was none the wiser.

He just kept marching.

The beast before them was even more ramshackle than Vin had first believed. Discolored flesh stretched across all of its unnatural protrusions, pulled tight by rusted staples and fraying stitches. Its gigantic, hulking shoulders heaved up and down in time with each choking breath that wheezed past a lipless maw slathered by dried viscera. With its expression buried away under the dinged padlock, it was hard to tell if it was even cognisant of the trio approaching it – it maintained its silent vigil all the same.

Vin wrinkled his nose at the stench of rot and decay emanating off the perverse mockery of life put before him. Every aspect of its existence rejecting the rest in a perpetual cycle. The sight of a silver band – far too small for its new appendages – hanging around the creature's neck by a chain made Vin seethe.

That fucking bastard... It wanted Vin to know what this creature truly was.

"Hey Dad…"

That made the creature stir. It faced them, chipped incisors gnashing against nothing but stale air as it sized up its opponents. A quiet stalemate fell over the group, neither moving an inch.

"Can you hear me?" Vin licked his lips. "I-It's me. It's Vin."

"..."

"Please." Vin choked up. "Give me something, Dad, anything."

It opened up its mouth with a shudder.

Then everything went to hell.

In an instant, a blur of grey and black sped past Vin. Purge darted up to the giant's side, heaving his massive blade to rend the abomination in two.

But contrary to its cumbersome appearance, the monster sprung into action with horrible speed. Purge's great-sword became trapped between rows of jagged wyvern teeth, and before the masked warrior could react, his leg was seized by the monster's other hand. With the unholy union of a wheeze and a scream, the beast swung Purge over its head and into the sand below.

The man hit the ground like a sack of grain, filling the air with a cloud of sand and the sounds of bone's yielding under the unforgiving impact. His sword spilling out of his grasp, Purge was all but helpless to stop the beast from flinging him like a broken rag-doll across the field.

"Fuck-!" Vin whipped around to Asia. "I'll hold him off! Go!"

"R-Right!" Asia blinked before racing into action, hurrying off to help their downed teammate.

Vin grit his teeth as the thing that was once his father bellowed a broken cry into the sky.

The dam broke.

From behind the creature, Vin watched a veritable tidal wave of those same monstrosities flood out from the fortress. They must have numbered in the hundreds, pouring down from the hilltop fortress with ravenous frenzy. Those too slow in their advance became trampled underfoot as the swarm surged forth in glee for their next meal.

The intensity of it all left Vin enraptured in a horrible sense of awe.

"Move, boy!" The presence of a sudden voice shook Vin back to the present, allowing him just enough time to throw himself into a roll, avoiding the pair of skeletal jaws that would have clamped down onto his head had he been a second too slow.

Vin gazed up at the lanky man standing between him and the shambling remains of Vincent Corsetti.

"I thought you were going to lay your poor father to rest, the other way around." Kokabiel snarked, twirling a light-sword in his hand as he stared the creature down. "Get up. We don't have time for this."

Vin felt his body move automatically, staggering to his feet, and preparing his Sacred Gear.

The waves of creatures surged ever closer, but rather than converging onto the two fallen angels, the creatures instead parted around them, only to converge behind…

Oh no.

"ASIA!" Vin screamed, whipping around in horror as the monsters closed in on them.

"He's coming!" Kokabiel's warning allowed Vin to leap away as the giant monster pounced at him. "Eyes on your own fight, boy!"

Vin summoned forth a crystal blade and a light spear, and dove into the fray. Alongside Kokabiel, Vin slipped around the creature's movements, hacking away at its muscle and bone with all the strength he could manage. Even then, the best Vin could manage were paltry wounds, skin-deep slashes that at best, served onto the range the creature further.

Amidst the cacophony of battle, Vin witnessed Purge's gigantic claymore begin to move of its own accord: kicking up the earth as it sailed into the crowd of monsters. A moment later, and the telltale hum of Purge's sword joined the sounds of hisses and gunfire.

Vin turned back to his target, the gigantic beast lumbering towards him with a low rumble. Nothing he was throwing at this thing was even slowing it down, damn it!

The creature hunched over, grafted-musculature tensing beneath torn clothing as it prepared to rush headlong at its prey. Vin snarled, drawing on Crystal Weaver as he sent a gigantic spire of crystals hurtling towards it.

To his credit, the firsts of the spikes did much more significant damage than he previously accomplished. One tore a good chunk of rotted, pulpy flesh out of its left shoulder. Another buried itself through the right of the creature's torso, sending streaks of foul dark blood over the glowing quartz.

None of it slowed the beast down.

"URRRAAAAAAAAAKKKKK!"

The monster sidestepped the next volley of spikes, almost disemboweling itself upon the crystals as it tore through its abdomen to get free. A massive blow splintered the quartz into glittering shards, leaving the beast free to charge at Vin.

"MOVE!" Kokabiel screamed. But by the time it reached Vin's ears, it was far too late.

The teen only managed to raise his crystal-clad right arm in time before the creature bore down on him in full. A scream tore itself from Vin's throat as the jaws of the grafted wyvern's head clamped down onto his arm with hydraulic force. With a death-grip on his arm, the monster had no challenge pinning the limb to the floor, exposing Vin to the full-brunt of its onslaught.

"GUH-!" Its fist crashed down onto Vin's ribcage. An ugly mixture of spit and blood spewing from Vin's mouth as his ribs snapped under pressure.

Vin snarled through the copper in his mouth, trying to swing at its fist with a light spear. The beast easily caught his wrist, and snapped it just as quickly.

"ARGH!"

Its fist swung into his temple, Vin raised his pulverized arm to block at the last moment, but it still did nothing to help the way the barbaric impact rattled his brain around in his skull.

"URRRRAAAAAAAA!"

With a roar it sent a jab square into Vin's face. Cartilage yielding under force, Vin could acutely feel the way his nose became a pulverized mess, how a few front teeth rattled loose in his mouth, how his skull splintered with the force of it all.

Everything swam around him. Kokabiel, the rat bastard, didn't even seem to try and stop the beast from pulverizing him into the ground.

The beast latched onto Vin's head and slammed it against the ground. Despite vaguely feeling the way the back of his head became horribly wet, Vin couldn't quite register the pain through the murk of his concussion.

The last thing he felt before he blacked out was the blurry mixture of colors which he could only assume was it preparing another blow.

"Why do we have Nonno like that, Papa?"

Vincent Corsetti looked down at the little boy standing beside him. With a gentle smile, he squeezed his son's hand.

"Because this is what happens at a funeral, kiddo." Vincent explained. "We all get one last chance to see Nonno before they put him into the ground."

Vin tilted his head to the side, giant emerald eyes scanning over the open-casket in front of them. "He didn't look like that in the hospital."

"Yeah, the funeral people did a good job cleaning him up." Vincent gazed down at his father-in-law.

"He doesn't look dead." Vin sniffled. "He looks like he's only sleeping."

"I know, kiddo." Vincent squeezed his son's hand.

"Can't they wake him up?"

Vincent gave him a sad little smile, "Afraid they can't, Vin."

"That's not fair…" Vin's face scrunched up.

"He's in a better place now." Vincent replied.

"No he's not." Vin shook his head, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Look, kiddo… When people like Nonno get to the end of their life, it's never a very pleasant experience." Vincent explained. "There's a lot of agony right at the end, but now it's all over. He doesn't have to be in pain anymore, he can finally rest."

Vin ran his free hand across his eyes. "So he's with Nonna?"

"I'd like to think so." Vincent smiled. "She's waited a long time to have him back, you know. It's only fair that he finally returns to her."

"W-Will you and Momma be like that one day?"

"Maybe. This might be selfish to admit, kiddo, but I hope we both go at the same time." Vincent admitted. "Lord knows your mother already hates whenever I'm late for anything."

Vin squeezed his father's hand.

"What's the matter, kiddo?" Vincent chuckled. "Don't worry, your mother and I aren't going anywhere any time soon."

"Promise?"

"Yeah." Vincent looked into his son's eyes. "I promise."

Bheithir accepted her position.

This vessel had been effective for a time. Frankly, he had more potential than most others that wielded this accursed item. But like all things were bound to do, their time was over.

A temporary setback. Another thirty years, perhaps? Another fifty?

It didn't matter, not anymore.

Josunth… Oh, how she regretted leaving him this way. But she'd have to: only a while longer, perhaps. Maybe the next vessel could aid her in laying her son to rest, or maybe the one after that…

It was heart-wrenching, but reality often was.

Bheithir prepared for the feeling of weightlessness that came with her brief return to that damned System…

But it never came.

No, instead something else began to change. A heat, an energy: roiling with greater and greater intensity. Power, raw and unfiltered, emotions crying out with an unbridled vigor, all shouting back a single demand: more.

More power. More strength. More fury. More, more, more, more, MORE!

The cries didn't stop, the energy kept on mounting: greater and greater.

Until it all finally pushed over the edge, and all of Bheithir's domain became white.

The monster reared back its fist one last time. Truthfully, one blow would be all it'd take to finish off the child beneath it.

As the monster swung downward, a quartz spike shot up from the ground: impaling itself up its enlarged knuckles and out its forearm. The beast staggered backwards as its fist hung, pulpy flesh slogging off in the wake of its injury.

Despite his injuries, Vin rose. Crystal Weaver pulsed with amber light: growing more and more intense. The sounds of shattering class and scraping geodes echoed like mad across the necropolis, as the beasts cowered in the light.

The sands shifted as massive spikes of quartz surged from the earth. The screams of myriad grafted monstrosities cried out as a number of them were run through by the crystal's emergence.

The glow surrounding Vin reached its crescendo as Bheithir's voice rang loud.

[BALANCE BREAKER: SLAIN SERPENT'S SHATTERHIDE]

In a final pulse, the cavern exploded into light. The snarls and shrieks of beasts drowned out by the high-pitch cacophony of exploding geodes raining a shower of shrapnel onto all who surrounded the teen.

With a deep, bellowing roar, the light receded.

What stood in Vin's place would be best described as a veritable juggernaut: gleaming black armor sporting ornate golden designs. However, that was not the most eye-catching thing about it.

Like barnacles on the hull of a ship, rows of jagged quartz shards overtook the armor, casting it into unbalanced disarray. The left shoulder plate was bent at an ugly angle as a large swathe of crystal tore out of its steel prison. They crept out of every stray edge, as if the crystals were desperately digging for an escape from the frame they engulfed.

The helmet – an expressionless visor: all sleek, regal aggression – had its entire right side engulfed in crystals which swept towards the back of the head. Two ornate blades running along the sides of the armor framing a mouth-guard which expelled clouds of foggy breath into the stagnant air.

Vin ragged breathing echoed around the helmet, giving it a distance that sounded unnatural. He stood there, as if frozen by the colossal frame of his own armor. Perhaps he was, given the sorry state of his body.

That all changed a moment later, when in defiance of everything; the juggernaut took a step forward.

"GRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

With a defiant roar, dozens upon dozens of crystals surged from the earth: all barreling straight towards the giant monster that had nearly killed their caster. Swinging its giant corpse-flail around, the beast charged right into the oncoming geodes: shattering as many as it could as just as many clipped its sides. Viscera oozing from every seam, the beast swung its wyvern-headed flail towards Vin in an attempt to drag the armored figure into its striking range.

However, Vin's arm was faster. His hand seized the chain before the skull could clamp its fangs into him again. A flood of relief surged through Vin as he could feel his broken and battered body begin to mend itself back together.

A quick glance over his shoulder revealed his comrade standing a stone's throw away: her shoulders rising and falling in haggard breaths as she extended her hands out towards him.

Asia.

Gathering his second wind, Vin gnashed his teeth together and yanked on the chain as hard as he could. The beast that was once his father stumbled forward from the unexpected tug, disemboweling it on a rogue shard of quartz.

Before it could ever get its bearings, Vin charged in with speed contrary to his new bulk. His right arm coiled back as he breached the guard of the colossal undead, Vin's eyes met the expressionless visage of the monster through his visor.

"Goodbye, Dad…"

Vin swung his arm forward: a light spear manifesting in his grasp. The hot sizzle of ichor against coalesced light sending crackles and pops into the air as he buried the through beast's wretched heart.

The two remain silent, before the monster begins to topple backwards with a grunt. Vin's free hand lashes out at the last second to tear the wedding ring off the monster's neck. It collapsed into the sand with a resounding thud.

Vin stood over the downed body of what was once his father, gazing down at its mutilated form. Perhaps it was just his nightmarish imagination, but Vin could swear he saw the lipless, blood-stained maw of the creature smiling back up at him as it finally went limp.

The moment was cut short however, when Purge skidded to a halt right behind him and Asia. Squeezing the pilfered ring in his hand, Vin turned around to see the horde encroaching towards them. Despite the heavy damage dealt, they still numbered in an almost impossible quantity.

"You two get up those steps!" Purge barked in between the sound of his firearm unloading into the masses. "I'm going to hold them off."

Asia paled, stepping forward cautiously, "W-Wait, you'll-"

"I'll be fine, Asia! Vin will need you more than I do. I'm not planning on dying here." Vin's eyes narrowed through his visor as Purge shot him a look. "Not when I still have a job to do…"

"Right." Vin nodded, urging Asia up the stairwell to Nekrothys' citadel. "We have to go if we want to get topside."

Asia opened her mouth as if to protest, before her resistance fell to reason. "Thank you for saving me, mister. Please… don't die."

Purge watched the two teens race up the stairs. Despite the awful situation, Purge couldn't help the small, amused huff that spilled from his lips.

"Geez kid, where do you get off thanking a guy like me..?" Purge murmured. "I'm sure Pendragon would've found you if I hadn't."

Purge turned back to the horde, jaw clenching as he spotted stragglers from across the subterranean dunes beginning to make their way over to the hills to join the crowd.

"Well, you all heard the lady, I'm afraid you'll all be going hungry today." Purge tosses his handgun aside, instead opting for a two-handed hold on his mechanical-clad abomination of a great-sword. As he widened his stance, the blade in Purge's hands began to crackle with golden sparks of energy: filling the air with the potent aura of awe-inspiring holy might.

For a second, the beasts flinched away at the sensation, before their hesitation yielded to emboldened rage: causing them to charge towards Purge with a snarling fervor.

"Steady thy blade, my darling." Purge whispered, before he readied his sword to strike.

"CROSS CRISIS!"

The inner walls of Nekrothys's sanctum were in just as sorry of a state as the laboratory where Vin had first awoke. Crumbled stone filled every hallway with debris, chunks of walls smashed apart, and regalia of an army long since dissolved clung stubbornly to their mounts – stained in all manner of fluid.

Despite the horrendous scent that filled the entire Necropolis, the foul rot of decay permeating the sanctum's inner walls bore an intensity like nothing else Vin had smelt before.

He turned around when the sound of retching and something splattering reached his ears. There, Asia leaned against a wall, nearly doubled-over and as she trembled in place.

"Asia." Vin stepped towards her, his clunk of his armored footsteps echoing off the hall.

"T-T-This is too much…" Asia's voice came out raspy and hoarse.

"Are you going to be okay?" Vin pressed, his voice oddly even, as if he was weighing the benefits of simply leaving her behind.

Was he doing that? Now that he thought about it, for all the good healing would do, if she was going to freeze up like this, she'd be nothing but a liability.

"You seriously think you can leave her behind like that?" Vin turned around to find Kokabiel leaning against the wall. "You're such a heartless bastard, aren't you? We both know she wouldn't survive out here without you!"

"She'd be fine. That masked asshole is holding them all off out there." Vin growled. "I can't kill Nekrothys and be her bodyguard at the same fucking time."

"Vin..?"

Kokabiel hummed. "That's true. So you value your vengeance more than her safety?"

"I didn't say that." Vin's voice grew colder. "But Nekrothys did all this shit to me, and I swear to fucking god, I won't be satisfied until I see him beaten, bruised and wailing for death at my feet!"

"V-Vin!"

"Well said, boy!" Kokabiel bellowed, kicking off the wall and sauntering towards Vin. "There may just be hope for you yet! Feel that anger, embrace it. Don't you see how rewarding it is to lose yourself to it all? As long as you're angry enough to swing a sword, you can keep going. Nothing else matters, does it?"

"No, this… I'll never be like you." Vin snarled. "You're a madman, a warmonger. I have a reason for this, a real fucking reason!"

"An eye for an eye? Please, don't make me laugh! You've wanted this, boy!"

"FUCK YOU!" Vin yelled. "I wanted this? I WANTED THIS?! Motherfucker, my parents are DEAD, and you have the audacity to tell me that I wanted this!"

"But you do, boy." Kokabiel's sadistic grin grew larger. "You're angry. You're angry at everyone, everything, the whole world. You've been at the whims of everyone else for far too long, and now you finally realize it don't you? You can just tear it down. You can tear it all down, and it feels good to do that. It feels good to lose yourself to that anger, to let the world feel what you've felt, doesn't it?"

"You don't know a damn thing about me…"

"Of course I do, Vin!" Kokabiel beamed. "After all…"

"VIN!"

The teen whipped around to find the Gremory's Bishop staring back at him. Her face, pale, and rife with one emotion: fear.

"Asia, I-" A pit suddenly formed in Vin's stomach. Guilt twisting his gut into knots.

"Vin…" Asia trembled. "W-Who are you talking to?"

He stepped back.

"What are you talking about? He's right-" Vin turned around. "...h-here…"

Kokabiel was gone. Rather, Vin could finally rationalize that he perhaps never was there to begin with.

Of course he knew about you.

He was you.

He always was you.

The sound of Vin crashing to his knees clanged across the stone passageway. Vin's head hung low, gazing down at his blood-soaked gauntlets. His helmet fell into his palms.

"Asia, I can't stay here." Vin's words came out like a whisper. "I'm so tired. I'm so, so tired…"

"We're going to get out of here." Asia kneeled down in front of Vin's armored form, as she began to gently trace her fingertips down the curvature of his helmet. "Let's just hold strong for a while longer, okay? Then we can see everyone again."

"Y-Yeah, I-" Vin sniffed. "I'd like that."

"Do you need me to heal you anywhere?"

Vin shook his head. "You took care of everything pressing the first time you healed me. Let's just get moving. I can't bear to stay here any longer…"

For a ruined fortress, the halls of the sanctum were like a labyrinth. They twisted and rounded back on themselves, almost in defiance of their own architecture. Maybe it was the fledgling shreds of his remaining sanity, but Vin has no idea how long he and Asia spent roaming the halls.

But at long last, they rounded onto another corridor which led down to a set of gigantic double doors. The sounds of Nekrothys's voice – however damped – sent a shiver down Vin's spine.

"tHeY'vE maDe A mESs oF eVerYtHIng!" Vin heard Nekrothys roar to someone beyond the door. "soMe Of mY vERy beSt CreATiOnssss, rUInED bY tHeM! i'Ll sLaUGhtEr tHeM aLl fOr tHAt, eVeN iF yoUr dOG iS aMoNG tHEm!"

"Oh-ho~! I understand your anger, Nekro-ro, but I'm afraid that puppy is still worth more to me alive than dead." The other voice replied, their tone almost whimsical, if not for the deeply disturbing edge it carried just underneath. "And what about the homework I assigned for you?"

"bEhOLd, tHe mAsTeRwOrk! wItHOut A dOUbt mY bEsT WoRk."

"And you're positive that it shall be capable of carrying such a heavy load? I doubt carrying the unquantifiable is going to be easy."

"tHeRe'S nOt a DoUbt iN mY mINd, MaSTer… tHe yOuNGeSt oF tHe tHReE yOu gAVe mE cOnTaIneD aN EsPEciallY pOwERfUl sOul! sHe mADe fOr a pERfEcT bASe tO wORk oFf!"

Vin's eyes widened the moment he connected the dots.

Lisa.

Vin broke into a sprint towards the door, with Asia hot on his heels. Without a moment's hesitation, Vin reared back his foot and delivered a spartan kick to the doors so hard, they swung straight off their hinges.

From within the gigantic auditorium, the gazes of two figures looked their way. Nekrothys's singular eye threatened to bore a hole straight through Vin's armor, but what threw Vin off even more was the almost amused look of the room's other occupant.

"I didn't think you'd get here this fast! Talk about being caught with your pants down~!" The man chuckled to himself.

"Who the hell are you?" Vin demanded.

"Ah-ah-ah~! Sorry, you may get a little sneak peek, but I'm not a fan of giving out spoilers!" The man tutted. "But I know you, and I must say, it's an honor to finally meet you in the flesh, boyo~!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Vin's eyes roamed over the man's shoulder, towards the floating capsule pod behind him.

Straining his vision, Vin could make out the shape of some small, humanoid shape behind the foggy glass, but that was as much as he could make out. That was, until the man chimed in once again.

"Oh! I know, how about since you've been such a good little boy, I give you a reward!" The man beamed as his palm swiped across the surface of the pod. "Take a good look!"

As the condensation was wiped away from the glass, so too was Vin's breath. Inside the pod laid a girl – around an early teen – suspended in a form of stasis. Their straight, jet-black hair flowed all around them, flowing in unnatural angles thanks to the fluid filling the tank. Aside from a myriad of fine stitch work running around its flesh, it looked completely flawless: like a doll brought to life.

But it was the sight of that face, which threatened to tear Vin's heart out and stamp it across the floor. The subtle curve of the nose, the chin, the shape of the lips, the quirk of her eyes…

That was Lisa's face.

Vin's mouth opened and closed, but no words made it through. He took a shambling step forwards, arm reaching out in vain.

"And that's all the time you get!" The man slapped his palm over the glass, obscuring the face for Vin. "I bet that was a better reunion than the other two you've had, hmm~?"

Vin's jaw clamped shut, and his anger began boiling even hotter than before.

"Anyhow folks, that's all the time I've got!" The man remarked. "Have fun playing together, you three! Toodles~!"

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Vin roared, firing a light spear at incredible speeds towards the figure.

However, it never reached its target, as Nekrothys swatted the projectile out of the sky with one of its enlarged, monstrous wing-like appendages. The gigantic monster dragged itself across the floor, rounding on Vin and Asia. The man and the capsule containing Lisa both vanished in a flash of blue light.

Vin bit back a curse, summoning forth a light spear into his hand. "Get ready, Asia. I'm going to need you to be prepared to heal me at any time."

Asia nodded confidently. "You've got it."

"Bheithir?"

[I'm ready.] The quartz scattered across the entirety of Shatterhide's armor pulsed with light as she spoke. [Josunth, my child. I apologize for my failures to protect you. Please, allow this mother to put you to rest and end this madness.]

"yOu CaN tRy, bHEitHIr…" Nekrothys let out a distorted snarl. "i sHaLL eNjOY mAkInG yOur hOSt sUffER!"

With a choking howl so deafening that it shook the massive cavern, Nekrothys charged forward. It's myriad arms prepared to maul the two teens to death.

Vin took a step forward, and Crystal Weaver glowed in kind.

The world became white. From every surface, gigantic spires of crystal broke forward, causing Nekrothys to lurch at an unnatural angle to avoid his imminent slaughter. It's two gigantic hind-arms reaching over to catch onto one especially large spike heading for its heart.

The sounds of a war cry drew the dragon's attention, as it turned around just as Vin was racing towards it, running up one of the crystals with two large light spears in his hands. With a front flip, Vin vaulted over one of its arms as it attempted to bat him away. Vin landed atop a crystal platform at eye level with the monster, the two staring each other down before Vin swung forward.

"DIE!"

Nekrothys's mane of human hands parted abruptly, and Vin realized his mistake. About twenty different talon-like appendages sprouted from behind its head, all poised to pierce through Vin like a pincushion.

Vin swung his light spears around to block, but it only got him so far. Nekrothys's talons slipped past his guard, dragging loudly against his armor. Vin bared his teeth and pushed himself forward, swinging around his spear in an attempt to sever as much as he could.

One talon looped around and dug into his left shoulder. The curved edge dug through the gaps in his armor, causing Vin to howl as the foul weapon sank into his joint. Eyes bloodshot, Vin grabbed onto the appendage and sliced it apart, eliciting a roar from Nekrothys.

The two continued to fight like that, two beasts snarling and snapping at one another, their only goals to mutilate the other as badly as possible.

Nekrothys reared back, its singular eye beginning to glow a haunting green hue.

"Shit!" Vin leapt backwards as soon as he could, but he wasn't quick enough. Soon, a billowing pillar of miasma was spewed directly at Vin, engulfing his form. One of Nekrothy's hind-arms rose to snatch Vin by the feet and ruthlessly fling the teen into the ground.

"VIN!" Asia raced across the arena to Vin's impact site. She physically reeled back upon seeing his sorry state. Vin's limbs bent at unnatural angles, his armor breaking off his body to reveal the corrosive ichor that had begun to seep into his body. His breaths came out like wheezing fits. "Please, please, stay with me!"

Asia pumped as much of her magic as she could into Twilight Healing, and to her relief, the worst of his injuries seemed to heal. Bones and musculature knitting themselves back together in a matter of seconds as Vin silently rose from the crater. Not once did he spare a gaze to his savor, his eyes glaring at the dragon slowly trying to work its way out of the myriad of crystals pinning it in place.

[Child, we won't be able to keep up under this kind of abuse. Our energy reserves are already failing us.]

"Just keep the fucking armor on."

[Child, please!]

"DO IT!"

[...] Bheithir fell silent as Shatterhide reformed itself.

Vin unfurled his wings, using them to rocket forward towards Nekrothys's body. Swiping his arms along with him, Vin summoned forth another barrage of crystals.

"iNsOLeNcE!" Nekrothys bellowed as it swatted the oncoming attack into oblivion.

Another hand shot out to grab hold of Vin, but the teen pulled up at the last second. For several minutes, the two began an aerial dogfight, with Nekrothys firing beams of his corrosive breath into the air as Vin weaved around the arena, peppering the dragon with light spears and crystals.

Nekrothys's single eye darted between Vin and Asia. Letting out a shuddering, horrible facsimile of a laugh, the dragon pivoted and prepared to fire a beam at the helpless bishop.

"LOOK OUT!" Vin screamed. With a yelp, Asia's wing unfurled from her back, propelling her into the air right before a wave of corrosion could engulf her too. The bishop strafed around Nekrothys, occasionally taking aim with her pistol to take a few shots at the dragon.

Vin glanced around to the battlefield: the sandy floor torn up with countless spires of his crystals, and an idea worked through his brain.
"Asia, I need you to get ready to dodge!" Vin yelled as he rose higher and higher into the air.

"W-What are you?" Asia's words died in her mouth as she felt the sudden swell of light energy fill the arena. A pervasive itch running across her entire form as a result.

"BURN, DAMN YOU!" Vin hucked a light spear towards the crystals scattered around the arena, then another, then another, and even more followed.

As they collided with his crystals, Vin prepared for the telltale supersonic pinging noise that came about as his light magic refracted off the crystals below. However, that was not what happened. No, instead the crystals almost seemed to absorb the light spears, leaving them all glowing a bright golden-yellow; lighting up the cavern like lanterns.

His confusion was his downfall, as that momentary lapse was all Nekrothys needed to swat him out of the sky with a powerful blow from one of its ghastly limbs. Vin was flung across the arena like a meteor, his vapor-trail, the regurgitated blood spewing from the slats in his mouth guard.

The battered teen let out an awful noise, caught somewhere between a sputter and a scream as his back collided with the far wall of the arena, cratering the dilapidated steel and stonework upon impact. His brain felt like soup in his skull: ears ringing, vision swimming and nerves flaring like mad. He could acutely feel the way most of his ribs had shattered and how it was all but guaranteed he was feeling a concussion.

Through the muddy blur of colors and shapes, Vin could make out what he assumed was Nekrothys rearing back to annihilate him with a massive blast of its corrosive breath. Vin tried to strain himself, dredging up every last fiber of his energy to pull himself out of his impact site, but it was to no avail. He didn't have a choice but to lay back and await his death: however painful that would end up being.

Thankfully, it never happened. Through his ringing ears, Vin could make out the distant noise of a feminine scream, followed by the crack of a gun. Then, the abominable voice of Nekrothys screaming bloody murder as its body recoiled back erratically.

A small blob of yellow and browns drifted over to his right. He let out a sigh of relief as the sensation of Twilight Healing washed over him once again. After a few seconds, the murk began to recede.

"Vin! Thank god, you're alive!" Vin used the jolt of pain that laced through his head to help anchor himself in the present.

"Nnngghhh… T-Thanks." Vin slurred through a mouth of dried blood. "What did you-?"

"yOu wREtcHeD crEaTUrE!" Nekrothys's eye now sported a bloody hole the size of a fist straight through its cornea. Dark fluids bubbled and spewed from the gaping wound as Nekrothys thrashed around like a maniac. "i sHaLL mAkE YouR dEaTh uTteR AGonY!"

Vin pulled himself from the wall. Finally, they were making progress.

"Vin, let's use this chance to get out of here." Asia pleaded, as she pointed towards the opening of a massive metal chute jutting out from amidst the craggy ceiling. "There's the exit, let's go!"

Vin glanced up to the exit, then back to the thrashing creature before them.

"No."

"No?" Asia's eyes went wide. "Vin, listen to yourself! I've had to bring you back from death's door twice! You're going to die fighting that thing!"

The rare moment of defiance from Asia stunned Vin, but still, Vin remained stalwart. "I can't let him live, Asia."

"Please, Vin!" Asia's eyes welled up with tears. "This revenge isn't worth it! It's not going to bring your parents back!"

[She's right, child.] Bheithir weighed in. [We have an opportunity to escape now. We shouldn't turn it away.]

"I'm not doing this for them." Vin forced through gritted teeth, "Bheithir, I'm going to end this madness once and for all. It's time to lay your son to rest."

[Child, I…] Bheithir made a sound that must have been a sigh. [Very well. While I implore you to reconsider, I will not dissuade you.]

"We can't do this! Why won't you two just listen to me?!" Tears streaked down Asia's cheeks.

"You can leave if you want to." Vin offered. "I won't stop you."

Asia sniffed: furrowing her brow as she wiped away her tears. "I'm not leaving you behind, you stupid, selfish idiot."

"tHeRE yOu aRe~" Nekrothys's voice cooed. "yOu sHOuLd'Ve rAn wHiLe YoU hAd tHe CHanCe!"

The dragon scraped its legs against the floor, then barreled straight towards the two. "dIiiiiIiIiiiiEeeeEEEeee!"

Vin grit his blood-spattered teeth. Despite the charging dragon, Vin couldn't help but be distracted by the way he felt off. Like, the very fiber of his being felt coiled tight, like a compressed spring. Glimpse down to his armor, seeing the way the quartz breaking through the plates had been glowing with the same golden glow that still illuminated across the multiple giant spikes scattering the arena.

As the dragon charged even closer, Vin felt himself compelled to focus on that sensation – to release that spring, as it were. So, he did just that.

The results were utter chaos.

All at once, the glowing crystals littering the arena began to glow even more intensely, until they all exploded into gigantic blasts of light magic and glittering shrapnel. The impact of the blasts rocked the entire chamber, the intensity so great that just one managed to toss Nekrothys off course.

Nekrothys's unnatural wails filled the room as its patchwork flesh was scorched and punctured mercilessly by blast after blast of quartz and light magic. Amidst the assault, Nekrothys defiantly tried to engulf the two teens with a blast of its breath, but another explosion forced the beast's serpentine head upward, causing the vile dragon to misfire into the roof, raining rubble and large stalactites onto its own body.

"What in the world..?" Asia marveled.

[It would appear Balance Breaker augments the properties of the crystals we produce.] Bheithir observed while Vin and Asia strafed around the arena. [Rather than refraction, they appear to absorb energy before you release them into an explosion.]

"I have an idea." Vin proposed, as he skidded to a halt. "Asia, get ready to take cover."

Before the Bishop could respond, Vin had already taken to the air. Rising up towards the roof, Vin swept around the arena, coating the entirety of the cavern in his crystals.

[Child, our reserves are nearly depleted. We can't do this!]

"I… Don't… Fucking… Care!" Vin hissed. White hot pain laced through his veins as he forced his spasming muscles to obey his commands.

Vin narrowly ducked under another beam of Nekrothys's corrosive breath. Flying down to Asia as fast as he could, Vin turned towards the ceiling and pushed as much of his magic into his palms as he could.

"F-Fuckin… C'MON!" Vin could feel his body desperately holding itself together: having long since expended every spare ounce of energy it contained, magical or otherwise. The boy squeezed every last drop of energy from himself to form the largest light spear he possibly could. He felt as the blood vessels in his eyes began to burst, his muscles locking up at erratic intervals, his bones began to creak and splinter, but he kept on pushing. Even Shatterhide faded away to help accommodate his final push.

Finally, he was able to bring forth his final gambit. While it paled in comparison to those thrown by Kokabiel, the spear Vin created – all pure, unstable light particles that crackled against the air – was easily the size of an average car. He pulled his arm back, and proceeded to hurl the spear as hard as he could towards the ceiling.

Upon impact, the spear spread its energy across the whole roof of the cavern, acting like a gigantic spotlight shining down upon them all. Vin could spy Asia's body tensing up under the oppressive aura nipping away at her overhead.

"alL tHaT aNd yOu mIssEd… hOw uNfOrTunAtE~" Blinded, Nekrothys was none the wiser as it turned itself to the rough direction of where Vin and Asia stood.

"A-Asia, do you think you could carry me in the air?" Vin's voice came out like a hoarse whisper.

"I think I could…"

"That'll have to do then." Vin grunted as he wrapped an arm over her shoulder and spread his wings. "I'll try my best to help us fly out of here."

"yOu'Re gOInG nOwHErE!" Nekrothys howled as he charged towards the two once again.

"NOW, ASIA!" Vin yelled, as the two leapt into the air, awkwardly taking flight towards the chute.

[I'm sorry, Josunth.] Bheihir's voice echoed. [I know this isn't much, but please allow this foolish mother to give you a burial. Rest now, my son…]

As Vin and Asia began to fly up the chute, the final defiant shout of the Vile Stitcher Dragon carried after them: hateful and venomous. A scream which would burn itself into Bheithir's memory for the rest of time.

"mOtHeRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"

Then, the sounds of countless exploding crystals and crumbling terrain smothered it without restraint. Vin and Asia didn't look back, they just kept flying upwards: towards salvation.

Vin was tired. So completely and utterly tired.

So even though he could tell all eyes were on him and Asia as they trudged through the Paris streets, Vin couldn't exactly bring himself to care. The whispers, the questions, the looks, it clung to the two as heavily as the blood spattered across their clothes.

"S-Should we really be-?"

"Ignore it, Asia." Vin grumbled, "It's not like we could avoid it."

"I suppose so." Asia opened her mouth to continue, but it was quickly drowned out by a sudden rumbling, followed by the sounds of shifting stones and screaming. All eyes whipping around, Vin and Asia saw a gigantic wave of dust and debris kick up into the air a few city blocks behind them.

"An earthquake?" A random stranger beside them gawked.

Another looked down at their phone "No, they're saying that a sinkhole opened up! Swallowed a whole block!"

Asia turned to Vin with glassy eyes. "V-Vin, did we?"

"Let them sort it out. We just did what we had to do." Vin reassured.

"There could be innoce-"

"Asia." Vin's gaze was like iron. "We can't do anything at this point. C'mon, let's move."

"Where are we going to even go?" Asia asked as the two took up their pace again.

"Just…" Vin sucked a breath through his teeth as he shifted his weight around. "Someplace to sit down. Fuck, I'm…"

"A-Are you still hurt?" Asia looked him up and down. "I might be able to heal you a bit more."

"Save it, Asia." Vin furrowed his brow. "I'm just exhausted. We spent… Fuck, who knows how long we spent down there."

"Oi, you." Vin turned towards the nearest bystander, a man in his forties with a cigarette hanging limp from his mouth.

"M-May I help you, monsieur?" The man fumbled for his phone. "P-Please, allow me to call you two an ambulance, at least."

"No, no, tell me what day it is." Vin growled. "I don't need a doctor."

"Are you positive-"

"Tell me the date." Vin's tone went ice cold, making the gentleman freeze on the spot.

"B-But of course! Let's see here…" The man's eyes darted to the screen. "Today would be the twenty-eighth, monsieur: around seven pm."

"Think you can do me a favor?" Vin tilted his head towards a packet of cigarette's resting in the man's shirt pocket. "You wouldn't mind me taking the rest of those, would you?"

"A-Ah, well, I…"

"Is that a no?"

"O-Of course not, monsieur!" The man pulled the packet out and dropped it in his hands. "After all, you seem like you need it more than me!"

With a nod, Vin shoved the packet into his pockets; pointedly ignoring the stink-eye Asia was giving him. "Thanks sir, take care."

"Y-You too, monsieur! Au revoir!" The man scurried away from the two like a rodent.

"If you have something to say, Asia, you can spit it out." Vin spoke up.

"I didn't realize you smoked."

"I don't." Vin gave a half-shrug. "But after all this shit, I think I may need 'em."

Asia frowned. "That's incredibly unhealthy, Vin. Addictive too."

Vin looked up at the sky as it slowly began its shift to dusk. "...seven days."

"Vin?"

"I was down there for seven days, Asia." Vin let out a breath. "F-Fuck, I need to sit down."

"We can find a bench or something, let's see…" Asia scanned around.

"Over there." Vin pointed to a building at the end of the street with a patio facing out towards the famous Arc de Triomphe.

"Alright then." Asia nodded, as the two quickly made their way towards the establishment.

Before they could even get into the front doors, they were met by a mustached man done up in a fine silk shirt and a waist apron. He appraised them both with some air of disgust, before he took a step in front of their path.

The man twirled his moustache. "May I ask why you two poor things are trying to enter such a fine restaurant?"

Vin scowled. "To eat, why else?"

"I'm afraid that this establishment is reservation-only."

"Then I'll make a reservation." Vin countered.

"We are unfortunately all booked at this time, monsieur."

"Bullshit, I see empty tables over there." Vin jerked his head in the direction of the patio.

"Those have been reserved ahead of time." The host narrowed his eyes.

"Then the plans changed." Vin pushed. "You're giving us one of these tables."

"Oh? And why would I do such a thing, you mangy street rat?"

Vin let go of Asia and took a shaky step into the host's face. "Because I have a bomb."

"P-Pardon?" The man's face went pale as a sheet.

"You heard me right. What, did you think this was my blood?" Vin whispered. "You're going to do what we ask, or I'm going to blow this place sky high."

"H-H-How do I know you're not bluffing?"

"You don't." Vin gave him a small smile. "But go ahead, call the police and we can all find out together."

The waiter's eyes darted between Vin and Asia as beads of sweat broke out across his face. He audibly gulped, before trying to compose himself as much as he could.

"C-Come right this way, monsieur. I'll show you to your table." The man bowed, before striding off a bit too eagerly for the patio.

"Good choice." Vin remarked, before looking over his shoulder. "Asia, I'll meet you at the table. Why don't you go in and get a little cleaned up?"

"Alright." Asia nodded, "But we're going to talk about your methods later."

Vin rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"I trust that everything is to your liking, monsieur?" The waiter rubbed his sweaty palms together.

Vin took another drag of his cigarette. "Mhm. Thanks."

"W-Would you like me to go fetch some towels for you?" The waiter asked.

"Knock yourself out."

Vin eyed the waiter as he raced off into the building. It didn't matter, none of it mattered right now.

Vin let his cigarette hang in his lips as he dug through his pockets. He stared at the set of wedding bands resting in his palm, using a napkin to dab away the stray grime and gore from their surfaces. The gold and silver danced in the setting sun, glinting off the surfaces brilliantly.

Another puff of cigarette smoke expelled from his mouth. Setting it into the ashtray, Vin reached for the glass of red wine in front of him.

"Happy Birthday, Vin…" He muttered to himself, before downing the contents. It's taste was far from his favorite, but anything that didn't taste like a mouthful of pennies was more than welcome.

Vin sank back into his seat as he lifted the empty wine glass from his lips. It didn't do enough. But maybe another glass would fix that.

"You're a bit too young for this sort of thing, aren't you?" Vin's hand froze in place, his fingertips just brushing the surface of the wine bottle. The figure strode to the other side of the table, and took a seat. Vin's eyes rose to meet the young man's somber smile. "Hello Vin, it's been a while."

The teen's eyes widened, and his mouth opened.

"Jafar?"

It only took us forty-seven chapters, but Vin's finally unlocked Balance Breaker. I'm not sure, but that feels like a new record for DxD fics…

It's been a while, but I'm finally back! Since this has been my final semester of university – one which I've been very busy during – I've had to focus a lot on my academics and whatnot over this fic. But now, I'm all done, and I feel amazing for it! My graduation happens in June, and as it just so happens…

That's also when my original novel will be released! That's right, if you remember me telling you all about it during the author's notes last chapter, I've been writing my own full novel for a university course, and it's now all finished and up for preorder on Amazon! You should be able to find it by looking up "The Neon Cover-Up" on Amazon. If you've ever wanted to support me beyond leaving likes or reviews – or even just want to read some of my original stuff – then buying that book would be greatly appreciated. It's slated to release on June 9th, 2025! If you're a fan of the cyberpunk and black-comedy genres, then I think you'll find yourself having a great time with it! It's a genre mash-up I've never seen done before.

Anyway, moving beyond that, it feels amazing to be back in the saddle! I'm coming back from this hiatus with a bunch more free time, and a load of ideas! I hope that you're going to enjoy the wild ride that I'm prepping. I'll have you guys know that over the course of my disappearance, I've fundamentally reworked the entire back-half of this fic's plot to something I feel is going to be super interesting.

Also, while I cannot share any details on it, I will have you know that we do, in fact, now have a true ending planned for this fanfic. There's a clear goal in sight now!

Anyhow, without further ado, let's get into the…

REVIEW ROUNDUP

Antex-The Legendary Zoroark says…

"Holy mother of the apocalypse! This was incredible! I practically have little to say other than that due to how hard of an impact this chapter made! I knew there was a bigger plan in mind for this arc here, but to think you went for the REAL nitty-gritty stuff is just insane. Absolutely insane; and I LOVED it! Granted, I was a bit disturbed too, but hey, when reading a good story, you're meant to feel quite a "few" things eh? Lol.

But yeah. As soon as I witnessed the part with Mrs. Corsetti, I was like… "oh crud that is foreshadowing." Oh and Asia, please keep being the wonderful and sweet ray of sunshine that you are; Vin will need some of that light, even if to him, it may only seem to have little effect.

And Purge…I can't tell whether or not he's someone we know or if he's from Vin's past. Cause if I recall right, did Vin even tell him his name? Cause Purge said it almost immediately and it just, dunno, had this sense of familiarity? Meh. Dunno what I'm even talking about half the time. Going on instinct here! Then again, the merc that attacked the Forneus family and that one time during Akeno and Vin's training trip, was that also Purge? Or two separate people? I may be missing some details. Clarify?

I digress though, moving on. I'm starting to think that "Kokabiel" is actually Vin's darker mentality, since Asia and Purge gave no indication they saw him, and he only seems to appear to Vin. So that's not ominous. Could be wrong, but I've a feeling I may be close with my guess.

Regardless, this chapter was a rollercoaster ride and one that I think was perfect in delivery. I look forward to the next chapter, but no rush. All I ask is that you keep on delivering quality chapters like this one. Until next time!

P.S. Final thing for real this time. Didn't we see Vin's sister a couple chapters ago? If Mrs. Corsetti is dead, we can only assume Mr. Corsetti is too. So that begs the question, what if his sister's fate…?"

Hey Antex, thanks once again for writing in!

I'm so glad that I was able to sell the insanity of this arc for you! I wanted to take a somewhat psychedelic angle to it, where you are feeling a bit of the disorientation that Vin's feeling throughout; so the passage of time, the location, all of it is a bit unexplained and vague.

Also, this is the big arc where Vin becomes very aware of the innate dysfunctions that exist within his life. Not just due to his past and his biological family, but also the dysfunction that his old morals and ethics have against the setting he's within now, being a member of the supernatural. A large part of that was to emphasize the true brutality behind being a warrior, it's not some clean, swift affair: it's a brutal, bloody, deeply disturbing and corrupting process. A slippery slope, if you will. There's a tender balance in strength and humanity, one which Issei embodies well, but for Vin, one of his defining character arcs is how he's going about finding his own equilibrium amidst that. How can he find that balance? To be strong enough, but not to lose himself.

I'm a big fan of getting the most out of my characters. When a character doesn't seem to really add anything, then I have to explore ways that I can make them useful again. There was a point when I considered keeping Vin's family alive, but I felt as though I could best use them as a means of showing the danger of Vin losing himself for strength in a metaphorical way. "Killing the past", so to speak. To that end, their deaths help to put Vin in a position where he must reconcile his situation.

Ah yes, so to clarify: Purge has appeared a lot over the course of this story. He saved Irina and tossed Xenovia Excalibur Destruction during the Excalibur arc, he was the one who attacked Vin and Akeno during the training camp, and yes, he was the one who invaded the Forneus residence, killed two of their members, and somehow managed to steal Oliver's Sacred Gear, Vile Meld. He's a character who I've been carefully crafting for a long time, and he extends far beyond a new villain for Vin to contend with.

I can't go too much deeper into explaining Purge, since there needs to be some mystery surrounding him, but I do encourage you to keep coming up with ideas and questions like you are in this review. Just like with Kokabiel in this arc, I've been intentionally providing small clues about Purge throughout. Great deductive skills finding a few of them, and great job at deducing Kokabiel's true identity!

Finally, as for Lisa's fate, well she met an ending not unlike her parents. But this won't be the last time that we see them. Especially not since you-know-who has their hands on her now! There's foreshadowing in this chapter for how Lisa – and by extension, this whole arc – is going to connect to canon at large. I look forward to seeing if you or anyone else realizes what I'm doing with Lisa here!

Again, thank you so much for leaving such a great review, Antex! I hope that the wait was worth it, and I can't wait to hear about your thoughts on this chapter!

Royalrain20xx says…

"This might not be the best fit given the utter sadness/depression fuel that was this chapter was but, massive W on getting that book of yours made! Hopefully it'll turn out to be a banger just the same as this story was!

Anywho, with the theme being grief this time around, I was half expecting something much more vile to come out of a certain someone's fate considering Nekrothys' pension for wanting Vin to suffer more unimaginable pain. Either way though, it worked, just watching Vin suffer an emotional breakdown like that was rough enough, but not even getting an opportunity to just grieve was downright ruthless. I even foolishly thought that that little flashback regarding Vin and "you-know-who" would be a rather wholesome one, but no, it just signified a massive red flag that I legitimately wasn't even prepared for. Not only that, but having Purge take the reins in all this was pretty fun to read through, as Vin is just running on fumes both physically and mentally. As I'm sure most could tell from a glance given the state he's already in.

And the inclusion of Asia in all this was something I wasn't expecting, yet I welcome it wholeheartedly, as Vin and Purge could use a slight leg up given this place's endless supply of zombies. It also serves as Vin having at least some kind of outlet to just vent out at least a little of what he wants to feel, as his experience being trapped here is literally draining him of any emotion he might have. Which to be honest, that lie Vin is telling himself at the end there is something we all know won't last for very long if even Asia had to come up with a half-baked "truth" just to keep her friend stable. Hell, it's even getting worse with Kokabiel playing the role of gaslighting Vin to "unleash the beast" on Nekrothys as retribution for not only himself, but those who he's tortured and killed. All in all, with everything going on, it might be best if everyone who forgot about Vin would just remember again-that is if they're even alive-there are those that already know who they are, might as well have them be kept safe if they're not dead.

As for the other stuff, having Azazel go through the aftermath of the Forneus family's most recent attack sure did bring the right amount of tension. Given that Purge now with Vin and the mystery as to why Oliver didn't die given the loss of his sacred gear, is sure to bring forth a lot more questions rather than answers. And in case I haven't mentioned this before but, the fact that this arc along with Diodora's arc are happening at the same time is such a great concept, as not only will Rias' group deal with a rampaging Issei but with Vin dealing with unimaginable loss and suffering, who knows if their dynamic will remain the same. Overall, with the finale of this arc looming, I can't wait to see just how this thing will end, and if Vin will become something or someone else entirely. Either way, I'll be looking forward to it!"

I've got to let you know, between the writers in this community I'm friends with (Crimcrom, NekroGodYami, SH the Writer, etc.), we've consistently hyped up you and Antex as the only two guys who seem to leave consistent, amazing reviews on everyone's stuff. As writers, thank you so much for that, it means the world! Also, thank you for the congratulations on my book! I hope that you'll check it out when it's released in June!

I'm overjoyed to see that the gravity of the situation that Vin's going through worked so well for you all as the readers. One of my biggest fears with writing these moments is drifting into melodrama, and thus, losing a lot of the emotional tension in the scenes. It's very reassuring to hear that those beats still hit with the intended impact!

Like I alluded to in the reply to Antex's review, I'm having a lot of fun working with Purge in the storyline. Obviously, he's had oddly contradictory depictions in the fic: being both a distinct antagonist, but also some form of ally here. Again, he's a character I love to write, and you'll be seeing him more in the future, don't you worry.

On the topic of Kokabiel, he's a giant metaphor. A literal embodiment of Vin's own self-loathing and the part of his brain that rationalizes that life would be so much easier if he were to simply sever all his emotions and connections: to deny himself of anything but his own anger and hatred. In fiction, some people will claim that's a cool, badass thing to do, but I wanted to assert very clearly in this arc that doing so would lead someone to becoming nothing more than a blind, feral beast. Vin's got a devil on his shoulder in Kokabiel, and it's to help this internal dialogue that Vin's having with himself about how he fits into the supernatural world at large. He wants to be both human and superhuman at the same time, but at all steps so far, it seems like those are mutually-exclusive.

Now for Asia, I'm glad that you've enjoyed her inclusion in this story! I felt it would help both connect this arc to Diadora a bit more, and also service the deepening of the friendship between Asia and Vin. I think they genuinely do bounce off each other pretty well, and Asia's role embodies the sort of antithesis of Kokabiel's role in this arc. She's the anchor that helps Vin bind himself to his humanity, to remember himself amidst the carnage around them. As we get further along in this fic, you'll come to realize that all four of the main cast in this arc (Vin, Purge, Kokabiel and Asia) all represent things in conjunction to Vin's growth as a character…

Anyway, thank you once again for your review, Royalrain! It's always a pleasure to hear from you. I hope to hear from you again soon, take care!

With that, we conclude the Review Roundup. Ahhhhh, finally, we're back on track with this fic. But if you thought that this arc was over just yet… Well, sorry to deceive you, but we actually have something very important on the horizon. There's only going to be one epilogue for this story arc, but it's going to be the bridge straight into the next arc.

Loki's coming to town, baby…

If you enjoyed this chapter and want to be notified when I upload more, feel free to drop a follow and a favorite on this fic! And, if you want to share your thoughts, theories or opinions with me, I really want to invite you to leave a review! I've read every review I've ever gotten, and I love hearing opinions on my work!

Until next time my friends – and here's hoping next time isn't four months…

ROCK ON!