Running side-by-side–Vex slightly ahead–against the traffic, Vex and M press their way to the main stage where the makeshift altar lies. The once endless line becomes thinner and thinner the closer they get.
"Vex, I can see him–Apostle Zateon is clear, just ahead!"
"I know! Try not to fall behind."
"How could I? I would not even ponder the thought of missing this opportunity that I inquired your assistance for…thank you."
"Don't thank me yet, if at all; it's way too premature. Don't wanna jinx anything, do you?"
"Do you truly believe that fate is beyond one's control and in the hands of an unseen supernatural force?"
"...There was only one person I ever knew that was immune to the very concept of misfortune. Other than her, misfortune is an inevitable force and I would just rather delay its effects as much as possible. Especially within the context of my life…"
"If I am not mistaken in this assumption, are you implying that you have a unique relationship with misfortune? From my perspective, you seem to have been blessed with a great companion. That water nymph came to your aid when you called her, and it is thanks to that that we can feasibly make our way to accomplish our goal."
"You mean Perlina? I have been forcibly bound to her, so I use her abilities to my advantage. A true 'companion' she is not. There's no such thing as a blessing that is forced upon someone."
"...I take it that your relationship is rather complicated, then. I do not intend to pry where I should not."
"It's fine–I can tell that you obviously disagree with me. You're beholden to Zateon, aren't you?"
"...my situation is also…complicated. Up ahead!"
M points towards the stage that is now within a few meters of them. Only a minor percentage of demi-humans remain, one currently interacting with Zateon enthusiastically. Lily, squinting her eyes at Zateon's side, begins to lighten up.
"I'll take the initial interaction, if you don't mind."
"Be my guest; I will support you. It appears that our presence has been detected."
"Right, but that's partially what we're aiming for!"
Looks like Lily recognized me, even though my hood. She seems safe for now, so I'll focus on the main star…dang, I intended to bring that bunny along to force answers out of her and her commissioner, but the circumstances prevented that–it can't be helped.
No matter, she can wait. Let's get to the bottom of this debacle so I can get back to what really matters. I may get delayed constantly, but I won't let anything prevent me from summoning the goddess for myself!
"He's here…he's really really here! Look mister--Apostle Zateon! It's Vex!"
"Excuse me Lily for just a moment please…"
The giddy girl leaps up and down near Zateon, somewhat distracting him and the demi-human that he is tending to. He returns his attention to the demi-human, a wolf man, speaking softly. Turning a blind eye to courtesy, Vex and M board the stage, now only a few steps away from the great man they have desired to meet.
"You…you are the infamous great Apostle Zateon, right? I need to have a word with you immediately!"
Zateon lifts up his finger towards his new requester, not diverting his eyes away from the wolf. Taking a couple more minutes to reach a satisfying conclusion to both parties, he then nods and shakes the demi-human's hand as he sends him off with tears of joy in his wide eyes. Once the joyful wolf-man exits the stage, then and only then, Zateon faces Vex's direction.
"Well, it seems that by technicality–and by technicality alone–you are indeed the next person in line. Despite not being a demi-human, you have come to seek cleansing for yourself? Or perhaps…"
Taking a small step to his right, Zateon gracefully extends an open hand towards M, who happens to be standing staggered behind Vex. Although she does not respond, her tail sways just a hair faster.
"On this demi-human's behalf?"
"All I need from you is the demi-human kid standing right beside you, a place where she should not be at all. However, what I want from you is answers, this cleansing nonsense be damned."
"Ah, so you really are this Vex fellow that Lily here has been just so ecstatic to see again. Despite the current…not quite ideal circumstances, it's nice to meet you in the flesh."
"Yes, I told you–it's him! It's really Vex! Lily's hero!"
"Very well then, how about we all spend our time together at the new attraction. From here, it seems as though a giantess…like a water nymph, has appeared. I, too, am curious in–"
"Nope, M and I are next to be serviced, so as an apostle, you are beholden to serve."
"...you seem to know more about the apostleship than I was led to believe. Fine then, I will indeed service the both of you, starting with you, Vex. I have been looking forward to our chat anyway…"
Emma, no longer content with silently waiting in the background, steps up beside her master, right up to his shoulder.
"Master Zateon, are you sure about this? This may be a bit intrusive of me, but I have a weary feeling about his man and especially…"
As her low voice drifts, her eyes meet the masked M's–her breaths silent…her tail completely still.
"Nothing could go wrong with a little cordial chat, Emma. Just be on standby and do not interfere, understood?"
"...yes, master."
A soft, deep mumble passed through the wind…its source unknown….its intended target, unknown.
"Ahem, please excuse my dearest assistant here. Before I listen to your questions and respond to the best of my ability, there is something, or rather someone, who needs to speak with you prior. Lily, I yield the floor to you. Go on, show him the new you."
"O-okay!"
"...?"
Despite her bright and happy tone, her slight stutter and pause gives off a sense of underlying nervousness, as though Lily is being wary to not mess up the moment she rehearsed for. Nevertheless she smiles brightly, with new life in her eyes, carefully approaching Vex.
Approaching the moment she has long anticipated.
"Lily…what does he mean by the 'new you'? There was nothing wrong with the 'old' you."
"That's not true! The old Lily was a monster–a mean monster that…that hurt innocent people. A monster that almost killed you!"
Like dominos falling, each word from Lily's mouth eventually made its way to Vex and slammed down on him. His heart drops to the bottom of his chest; his confused face is completely overwritten by utter shock.
"What?! What has that man been feeding your mind?! Discard whatever he told you!"
Lily shakes her head calmly.
"You don't have to lie anymore…Lily knows the truth. Lily knows why you were scared to tell her…to embrace her…to take her with you to this country…"
"Lily…"
The reformed girl gradually steps closer with steps of gracefulness as she grips her new garment by the britches.
The brightness in her lavender eyes refuses to be consumed by the dimness in Vex's violet pupils.
"But it's okay. It's all okay! Apostle Zateon cleared the darkness in Lily's heart–now I feel free! Free from that bad monster!"
Lily steps closer and closer at a much quicker pace, as though she were doing everything in her power to resist the urge to outright run. All the while, her eyes begin to bathe in tears.
Not a single ounce of melancholy could be felt from these tears.
"..."
However, no such positivity could overcome Vex's disheartened state.
"Now, Lily will never hurt you or anyone else again! You can trust me now and for the rest of our journey! Let's go find the crystals for the goddess together again!"
Now within an arm's reach, Lily pounces forwards towards Vex's bosom, attempting to embrace him. As though he anticipated this maneuver even before it crossed Lily's mind, Vex side stepped in perfect timing, causing Lily to slightly trip over her feet before regaining her balance.
"...Vex? W-why…why are you–"
"Lily, you are not a monster, and you never were."
"Then why…"
Lily turns around to face the man who avoided her embrace, though his back still faces her. Her joyful tears…her tears swell in her eyes.
"Why did you avoid Lily? Are you still scared of me? Do you still think Lily is a monster?!"
"No, that's not it. Nothing has changed concerning the boundaries I set between us. If I really considered you a repulsive beast, then I wouldn't have bothered to go out of my way to get you. I am sorry for whatever misconception or insecurity that has plagued your mind, but we will have to talk it out later. I need to speak with this apostle, and so does M right after me. You're a good kid, so just wait a little while, got it?"
Covering her ears in protest, Lily rapidly shakes her head.
"No, no Lily doesn't get it! I showed you the new me, the redeemed me, so why–?!"
In a flash, completely bypassing Lily's reaction time, Vex hits a pressure point on Lily's body with precision–a clean chop that while potent, gracefully forces her eyes to slowly shut.
With her delicate body fainted into Vex's arms, he gently lays her head down on the stage floor.
"Sigh, add that to the list of things I need you to explain to me in extensive detail."
Vex lifts up from his squatting position, his attention back on track. He removes his hood and walks directly to Zateon–neither man drops eye contact.
Whatever thoughts are going through Zateon's mind, he is careful to not let them slip unfavorably.
"That was rather inconsiderate of you, was it not? That little girl poured out her heart to me, I assisted in cleansing her, all for you to simply dismiss her. She was really looking forward to showing you her newness the most…"
"No more distractions or digressions. What is your curse, your motive, and how soon will you undo this mess?"
"That's a rather loaded question coming from you, the full extent of such answers would take more than a quick chat between you and me. Though I can answer such questions succinctly, courtesy of my experience. Listen thoroughly, I will not repeat myself, nor pause to answer mid-way popup inquiries. Fair?"
"Go on, I'm not a big fan of stalling, as you could imagine."
"Gladly, I feel similar sentiments. Vex, I am more than sure that a keen gentleman like you is aware of the reality that this world is full of people with corrupted minds…corrupted hearts. As a faithful servant of the goddess, I have vowed to make my contribution to remedying this issue by any means necessary, with tact of course. You mentioned the word curse, and although that might be technically correct, I would not consider that an apt description. The term blessing would naturally come to mind, but that would not be quite precise either. So what does that leave me to conclude? Authority. The goddess of this world, the one with the supreme authority over all beings, mortal and immortal alike, the one who influences fate itself, granted me the authority to rid the world of the vile nature within, suppressing it for the benefit of the greater society. Does that satisfy your curiosity adequately?"
"Far from it. Rid the world of its vile nature? How incredibly vague and meaningless. It's clear as day that you haven't been very successful at that–at all. I can tell that you are intentionally being vague and withholding information that would actually answer me."
"I did mention that I would be succinct, did I not? But I will indulge just a bit more…"
In a showman fashion, Zateon points at Emma and pauses to ensure that Vex follows thoroughly.
"You doubt my success rate in absolute ignorance, when my greatest work stands before you by my side. I would hope that you paid attention to my sermons throughout this festival, but even if not, you should have noticed all of the demi-humans who came to me in droves. All for what purpose? For some meaningless purpose as you insinuated? Not so–thanks to her grace, I have been able to use my words to help these creatures recognize the truth that most of them try so hard to suppress, Lily being my most recent example. Here's a quiz for you: what is that truth?"
"Pass. Just say what you mean and get to your point."
"That should have been an easy one to manage, even for a child. Here's the truth–the uncomfortable truth we all know but demi-humans have a hard time coming to grips with–they are cursed with the nature of vile beasts etched within their very souls. You have witnessed it firsthand not too long ago with Lily, but I am confident that you can recall times even before that…moments that never leave your memory."
Zateon gently rubs his eye–the eye marked with a scar.
"..."
For a brief moment, a thought flashed through Vex's mind, though it left before it could make any visible impact. He wrinkles his forehead slightly.
"If left to their own devices, as even history indicates, these demi-humans will unleash their beastly nature uncontrollably upon the world, creating utter chaos. My desire and primary focus is on ministering to these lost souls and assisting them in this purification–something that they cannot manage on their own. Emma, my greatest assistant and partner in this endeavor, is a testament to that. Isn't that right?"
Emma bows, bending her knees.
"It is precisely as you said, master."
Another faint curse dissipates into the air, from where it came and to where it's going…?
"Listen, I am not here to tell you whether your motivations are righteous, sensible, or whatnot, but when whatever you are doing negatively impacts me and impedes my life, that is where I take issue. Your curse, authority or whatever you want to call it, didn't suppress any vile nature within Flenn, you know, the Dark Mercenary you hired for a special mission to backstab me."
"My, what bold assertions coming from you. But I won't pointlessly deny, I did indeed hire Flenn with a specific purpose in mind–her 'betrayal' of you was just collateral damage. Though if you can reach such a conclusion, then surely you have come to recognize the impact of my authority on others you have encountered."
"?...! The one responsible for the sudden weird shift with Lord Waltine and Lady Endori is you?!"
"Is that all you can think of?"
"...even her?"
Vex clenches his fist, holding tightly to keep himself from saying the name that popped into his mind.
"Here is something you should know about me, Vex…"
Zateon slowly creeps forward, taking a few steps stopping directly in front of Vex.
"...I despise leaving anything up to chance. I ensure that I am never the victim of happenstance."
Seeing the grin spread across Zateon's thick lips, Vex takes a step forward, his body moving before his words.
"NYAA!"
"?!"
The shrieking cry of an animal deafens the hearing of Vex's sensitive human ears. The power of the screech indicates its close proximity–very close. So close that–
"Ooof!"
THUD
Vex falls hard onto the ground, unable to react in time. Out of his peripheral vision, he can see traces of mint fur, his neck bearing the weight of a predator.
"L-Lil…Lily? Why…a-are yo-you…"
"NYAA!"
Lily presses down harder on Vex's back and even harder on his neck…none of the stressed words he barely can utter even touches the tip of her ears. Although her stature is still that of a small child, Lily's body physique is anything but: Sharp fangs protrude from her thin mouth, her hands are now muscular with claws protruding outward from her fingertips–all while intensely gazing with her completely white pupils.
Zateon continues forward, spacing himself just out of range of Vex's impact landing. He kneels down, bringing himself eye-to-eye on Vex's level.
There was not a smile, nor a frown.
"Without even realizing it, you have committed a sin against the girl you desperately sought after–you caused a seed of doubt to grow in her mind. She truly believed in her heart that she was redeemed, yet you belittled her resolve–her new sense of self. Whether you meant to or not, whether your intentions were good or not, the end result is all the same."
"!..."
As badly as Vex tries to retort, the amplified pressure from Lily prevents him from speaking or uttering anything but whimpering grunts.
"When something threatens a deeply-seeded belief, it is nothing more than a hostile intruder–no matter the cost, her belief must be defended. Unfortunately, you are the source of this hostile seed, so Lily here is taking it out on you. It's honestly rather unsightly to see the beast within her still remain, but the fact that it is indeed restricted and controlled is nothing less than a success. I suggest that you lose consciousness so that Lily will deem her offender neutralized, lest you actually perish. Try being supportive of her belief next time whenever that chance arises for you."
Clap
"Yes, master?"
Zateon slowly rises to his feet, reclaiming his superior position. However, he does not look beneath him; rather, to his loyal backside.
"Emma, keep watch over these two–make sure things do not get too messy. Most people are distracted right now, but they will eventually turn their attention elsewhere–we want to avoid causing a big stir that would derail this sacred event, don't we?"
"Understood, master."
"Good. Now moving on, how may I assist you…M, was it? I apologize for taking so long to–"
BLAM!
"EEEP!!!"
THUD!!!
The moment Zateon turned his head, it was far too late–the deed was done. Seemingly being drawn from thin air, M bolsters a gun-like weapon that emits steam from the force of the projectile.
The projectile that launched cleanly through Emma's forehead.
"Do I have your attention now…"
M slowly reaches for her mask…
The moment her palm covered her face, she swiftly crushes the mask, at long last revealing her identity–
"...master?"
–Her face is perfectly identical to Emma's to the very minute detail.