A sense of tranquility hung over my office, like the calm before the storm.
I was sitting in a wooden chair, my feet lazily propped up on the desk and a book covering my face.
"Haa… I wish every day were like this," I muttered to myself.
Suddenly, I heard a gurgling sound coming from the ceiling; something fell just a few centimeters from my shoe and filled the room with its putrid stench.
I didn't need to move the book aside to know who the newcomer was. The stench was more than enough to prove it.
"It's about time, Leo-kun. The boss is sending Capricorn-san, too," Pisces reported from atop my battered desk.
"I didn't think the boss could go over the list in such a short time," I remarked as I moved the book away from my face, before reluctantly getting up from my seat. "That must be Aquarius's doing. Wouldn't his temporary absence set off alarms with The Ten Commandments?"
"Aquarius-kun had already taken that into account. Fortunately, the Opera of Chaos has been destroying the Church's facilities, which has left plenty of loopholes for submitting the report," she said, licking her grimy nails as a blush spread across her face—proof of why I don't like her. "If only you were stronger…"
I adjusted my glasses, not wanting to waste any more time with this crazy woman, and turned my gaze toward the kingdom beyond the hotel's stained-glass windows.
"Let's go, time is running out," I said, walking slowly toward the door.
"Fufufu, are you jealous?" she asked mockingly, covering her mouth with a folding fan.
I slammed the door shut behind me, trying not to lose my mind among these lunatics.
***
The streetlights illuminated the dark streets, flanked by bustling stalls lining the sidewalks in front of the buildings.
I took small bites of the caramelized apple I was holding, savoring the bittersweet taste of the green apple mixed with the cloying sweetness of the caramel...
It's delicious.
"Looks like Miss Perfect has a clear weakness for sweets," Alice teased, walking beside me with a bottle of soda in her hand.
"How strange… I remember someone saying, 'Goddesses need a proper rest' or something like that," Teresa remarked, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth to try to hide her uncontrollable smile.
My expression turned serious as I took a bite of the apple, before shooting a withering glare at my cheeky friends.
"And what's wrong with having a late-night snack?" I asked with a hint of annoyance, unable to take my eyes off the gleaming apple in my hand.
"There's nothing wrong with it, but you could… cough, cough, you know," Teresa remarked, as her eyes slowly drifted toward a certain part of my body.
I followed the direction of her gaze, feeling a strange urge to punch her for some reason.
I finally understood what she meant when her gaze settled on my belly.
"Are you calling me fat?" I asked politely, tossing the stick from the caramelized apple into the trash can while giving her a warm, welcoming smile.
"Oh, no, no, no, I mean it would take a couple more apples…," she hurried to clarify.
"Teresa!" I yelled at the sharp-tongued girl, lunging toward her.
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Alice grabbed me tightly right away.
"Rin-san, Teresa's just joking with you. You're the prettiest girl in the whole academy," she said as she pulled me back even harder, refusing to let me move forward.
"Let go of me, Alice, I'm going to show her the power of an angry goddess," I said in a voice tinged with frustration, trying to break free from her grip.
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. The bustle of the street seemed to fade away in an unusually cold breeze, and the streetlights flickered before going out completely.
"Oh, could you tell that to this empress?" said an unfamiliar voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
My body froze, and I swallowed involuntarily at that deep voice that made my blood run cold just hearing it.
I quickly scanned for the source of the voice: to the right, brightly lit stalls; to the left, people walking down the streets; above, total darkness; below, some wrappers being dragged toward the trash cans.
A knot of worry formed in my throat as I broke free from Alice's grip.
My mind was racing so fast that time seemed to have stopped. I couldn't afford to think; I had to act.
Just then, I caught a nauseating smell a few meters away that made me turn pale.
That place…
"Teresa, get out of the way!" I shouted as I began to recite a spell, though my nerves made it hard to keep my chant steady.
Thwack-shhh!
Teresa didn't have time to react before a projectile pierced her chest.
"Teresa!!"
I cut off the spell and grabbed her by the arm before she fell to the ground.
I could feel the heat of her blood against my palms, and worst of all: her heart was gone. A deep hole gaped in her chest, from which a great deal of blood was gushing.
I clenched my teeth and cast "Sacred Elixir" on Teresa as fast as I could, before her life force ran out.
"Cough, cough, Rin-san… Don't worry about… me…" She spat out a mouthful of blood… from her mouth, splattering my dress with the red liquid.
"Shut up!" I turned to Alice, who stood motionless, staring at us with a blank expression. "Alice, don't just stand there—go get help!"
My screams drew a crowd of onlookers who came closer to see what had happened.
Damn it, damn it, damn it. I still haven't mastered the Yang element. What should I do? What do I do?
What would I do if I were Ban-kun?
My thoughts came to a halt when I noticed the sudden silence of the people surrounding us.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end at the horrifying sight: the area was covered with countless crosses, but that wasn't the important part; every single man, elderly person, woman, child, and even some babies lay crucified on them.
I quickly turned my gaze toward Alice, fearing the worst. What I saw was my friend's severed head.
No… No, no, no, no. This is a dream; it's definitely a dream. I want to wake up right now. As soon as I do, everything will go back to the way it was before…
"Fufufu, don't be so sad. Dying at the hands of this empress is the greatest honor of your fleeting lives, so don't lose your composure. This empress is benevolent and will grant you a quick death," said the woman dressed in red who had appeared a few meters away from me, licking the blood that covered her hands.
That's a lie… Teresa is still breathing; there has to be something I can do: Sacred Elixir, Sacred Elixir, Sacred Elixir.
Please, let this work. At least let me save Teresa, Sacred Elixir…
"I see you have the audacity to try to undo my magnificent gift. Unfortunately, this empress's time is running out," she declared, raising her hands to form a spear from the blood gushing from them, before hurling it at us.
Clang!
A sword blocked the bloodstained spear's path, sending sparks flying as it struck the blood-stained metal.
"Hey, kid, are you okay?" asked the newly arrived man calmly, surveying the blood-soaked surroundings and the pale, smiling woman standing before him. "Oh, everything in life is paperwork and more paperwork. Stop giving me work to do, if just for one day, will you?"
***
The tension was so palpable you could cut it with a knife; everyone at the table turned to look at us.
It was as if we had stepped into another dimension for the next scene: the room had no windows to illuminate the dining room. Instead, a multitude of wrought-iron chandeliers holding thousands of black beeswax candles casting their light from above.
I felt someone tugging at my arm before I followed their gaze.
Morgana Le Fay was staring intently at me with a complex expression in her violet eyes.
I could even feel the obvious tremor in her hands as they gripped my arms.
Hmm. Just as I suspected, this must be the script for an important scene. Good thing I came prepared for when they humiliate me in public.
The stage was set, the lighting was ready, and the cast…
A dozen chairs were visible on either side of the enormous polished black oak table, arranged in a "U" shape, occupied by twelve imposing-looking people; their skin was extremely pale, like everyone else's in the mansion, and their crimson eyes watched me with an insatiable thirst for blood.
I sat at the back of the room, followed by Morgana, facing a fierce-looking man seated at the far end.
He looked like the final boss of a video game, with a black trench coat draped over his shoulders and a red kuro-montsuki adorned with the Le Fay family crest.
"Let us toast the belated coming of age of my second daughter and heir to the kingdom of Kryon, Morgana Le Fay," he said in a deep, magnetic voice that echoed off the walls of the hall, raising his crystal glass filled with red wine.
"Cheers!" the twelve shouted in unison, raising their crimson glasses.