The four Nighthawks didn't bothered with the twisting Megose. Suddenly, everyone's attention was at the Tree filled with screaming faced bark!
Selina willed an area below the tree to sprout. Huge tentacle-like roots surged from the ground, creating an environment where it will allow maneuvering!
Using this chance, Klein held the Flaring Sun Charm close and followed Leonard behind after he induced Megose with another Blaspheme Curse.
They're sprinting, they leaped onto a suspended thick root to another. Using the others as platforms to reach the tree's top!
Dunn, seeing this, finally retracts the claws on his hand. He grinned faintly and clutched the urn on his hand, never letting it fall as he sprint toward the tree!
Waaa!
Megose broke from the influence of the curse again. However, Leonard just kept on placing it even from a mile away!
To add on to the monster's restraint, Selina used the ground, elevated a chunk of it from the ground and dropped it right above Megose, burying her into the soil!
Megose won't be held for long... I need everyone to the top quickly! Selina poured all her attention to giving everyone else a platform to jump on and climb the tree.
The pattern all across her body, the chains, remained glowing with eeriness.
Huff... huff... huff... Klein used one thick root to another to elevate himself to the top. He witnessed some were being used to pierce the Tree's bark but it had no effect, as if a protection was present.
This led him to think that in order to put an end to whatever is happening. He had to use the Flaring Sun Charm right above the Tree!
At that moment, the faced barks opened their mouths, in pain and in horror they wailed.
"AHH!"
Klein's nostrils felt warm, his head became light. He saw his vision getting tilted and his body uncontrollable. But when he noticed it, his Clown powers suddenly became usable again and his awareness returned.
Clenching his fist, the Blood Vessel Thief on Leonard's hand protruded like a bunch of poisonous worms again!
He stole the Tree's wailing ability, its effect!
At that moment. The Tree's bark shoot out one after another, the bark faces were attached with a long inward wood that extends as if it's their neck.
Their mouths opened and instead of voices, they made multiple milky teeth that barred the insides of their throat! They're going to devour Klein, Dunn and Leonard!
Suddenly, it heard a voice, a rich with powerful blasphemous tone.
"Submit!"
Leonard lifted his left hand and aimed his palm at the living faces. Blood Vessel Thief instantly turned into a 'crimson' intestine due to its welling!
He saw one of the faces approach, it was familiar. She had a very pale face, smoldered in sickly malnourishment as her eyes seemed to shed a tear.
Thiyan's mother! Morya!
I'm sorry... Leonard muttered in a heavy tone.
Influenced by the Blaspheme Curse, the sinister head retracted as they trembled constantly from an unknown power. Leonard lifted his head, fought the pain of Sealed Artifact 2-105 and saw that the tree's crown is near!
They need to escort Klein to the top!
Soon, they reached another series of long-neck bark faces. This time, Leonard intends to use the wailing ability of the Tree itself! The Blood Vessel Thief welled and he exhaled faintly before opening his mouth,
"AHH!"
Klein and Dunn wasn't affected, luckily this ability can deduce enemy from foe which made Leonard glad of its effectiveness. They got through another level again!
Behind Dunn, sinister dark tentacles that looked like hairs lounged at every bark faces that threatens them, restraining them and forcing them asleep.
Only about one more level until they reach the top!
"Waaa! Waaa! Waaa!"
Suddenly, they heard a blood-curdling sound of the infant. Klein wanted to stop, he subconsciously slowed down from ascending!
"Klein! Snap out! Reach the crown so we can get out!" Leonard's voice shouted. Dunn's words followed as he continued to pave the way where the bark faces retreats,
"Don't worry. He'll oversee Selina."
Leonard turned. He saw an area in the meadow explode into bits of dirt and the clouds of dust settles onto the headless Megose with her bloated stomach glowing.
He jumped down as quickly as he can and while midair he declared with foulness that seemed to reach the Gods.
"Fall!"
Megose felt an intense force collapsing and descending onto her. The infant came to a steady halt before thick roots began to envelop and coil her again!
Klein relaxed and he continued going up.
Soon, they reached the top. The bountiful locks of dark-tipped leaves surrounded everything and overshadowed the meadow.
Dunn used one more of the Saint Selena Ashe's ability to allow him entrance through the foliage. When he felt sunlight over his head, Klein held the thin golden strip on his hands as he muttered in ancient Hermes:
"Light."
His hand where the Flaring Sun Charm was emitted a halo that is similar to a miniature sun. The dark clouds looming over the red sky suddenly bent on their own to invite the 'true' Sun.
Klein injected the last streak of his remaining spirituality, enough so that he can stay alive.
He jumped. He left the Flaring Sun Charm to stay at the tree's peak!
When he saw Klein embraced the fall. Dunn, in his flailing dark windbreaker joined him. He propelled himself, took hold of Klein's body with one arm and the urn by the other.
The bright blue sky and brilliant sunlight met again.
The thin gold slice combined with the sunlight above enlarged into the extreme. It went from a spherical light to a sphere with countless flames spiraling around it.
Then, as if it's a corporeal pillar. The Sun descended, it was redirected to the Tree by the Flaring Sun Charm!
Dunn, Klein, Leonard and Selina all looked at the beam of light and halos of flames welcoming the arrival of the divine!
As everyone was distracted. The monster Megose awakened. She broke out of the shackles of the fall through the Blaspheme Curse and went straight to Selina!
Just then, Klein felt an extreme danger! He lifted his head and his heart dropped.
"NO! SELINA!" he screamed to the top of his lungs.
Klein was held by Dunn who was falling—was what reflected in Selina's eyes until suddenly it turned bloody red.
Her breathing suddenly stopped. A long arm with an extremely sharp white bone blade cleaved a fabric of the air—behind her body.
Megose didn't stopped there. She raised her bone sword and sliced horizontally. It went vertical but it only cut through her Selina's left arm when she mustered to turn around.
At that moment. The painting broke.
...
For some inexplicable reason. None of the Mandated Punishers, or Machinery Hivemind had yet to arrive.
It seemed as though time dilutes in the painted world.
When Klein woke up. He felt an extreme presence. He forcibly opened his eyes and saw Dunn already standing, Leonard was standing, so Selina must be standing too!
That was until he noticed an object flew far away from the completely ruined Blackthorn Security Company.
No! NO! Wishing that it only happened in a dream, in that separate world. Klein forced himself to stand up.
Then there he saw it. The headless Megose was in an inactive state, likely due to the outcome of the separate world. However, in front of her, she had her hand raised wielding a holy white bone sword.
Attached to the sword's end—Selina's body was suspended in the air, without a left arm.
"Everything that keeps you safe should be celebrated!
"Even if I put on hundreds of drenched clothes I'd still feel cold!
"How's it like in China?
"Hehe thank you, for this wonderful gift.
"Such a pennywiser King Sun.
"Sigh... King Sun.
"I feel that it suits you already.
"You tend to forget things when you're excited. Sigh.
"I was just gone for a day and you're already like this?
"Just promise me you'll find me too."
Klein's mind buzzed with the thoughts of her voice. He was shaking, he was trembling!
"No no no no NO!" He suddenly pulled out his revolver.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
But it had woken up the petrified Megose. Her headless body shook Selina off of its bone sword.
"Waaaa! Waaa!"
"Selina!" Klein's mouth was bleeding from his grits. He sprinted toward Megose. "Fuck you! Little piece of shit! DIE! Goddamnit! Die already!"
Dunn's eyes constricted, he lost yet another friend. Whilst Leonard was starting to grow illusory worms around his face.
"Klein's losing it." He first muttered before shouting to Leonard. "Cover him!"
Leonard didn't said anything. He dashed, as fast and powerful as he could, using his abilities to try and catch Klein while also hoping he'd reach Selina's body.
The bulging veins around his hand welled in size and shape, looking at lot more like intestines, he declared at Megose charging toward Klein.
"Collapse!"
Dunn's face changed. He can't bare to what he was seeing anymore, but he couldn't lose another friend, a member!
Without stopping him now, without a sliver of hesitation, he retracted his right palm, formed yet another pristine claw. Finally, he stabbed it into his own chest—his left chest!
He quickly pulled out his right hand, his fingers holding a bloody heart tightly. It was a still-beating heart that brought with it the sereneness of the night and a dream.
"AHHH!"
As Klein kept on pulling his gun. Dunn Smith stuffed the heart into the urn containing Saint Selena's ashes. His vision quickly blurred.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Crying that sounded like a late-night nightmare resounded. The countless cold and serene threads once again resumed their efforts as they wrapped themselves tightly around Megose!
This time, they didn't loosen their bindings despite the cries coming from the baby in Megose's stomach. In fact, they even sealed the terrifying sounds within the body!
Leonard was shocked upon seeing this. He turned and his heart sank into helplessness.
There was hole, a bloody hole in Dunn Smith's chest!
"Weaken it."
Leonard heard the Captain's voice from afar. He couldn't simply rebel at the Captain's orders.
However, just then, he felt he couldn't continue on for much longer. He saw the giant Tree withering from a corner and confirmed that it indeed wasn't a dream.
He doesn't have much time left! If he continued further, it would risk himself, his fate and identity getting stolen!
Hence, with one last use of the calibrated, corrupted Blood Vessel Thief. He opened his mouth, the Sealed Artifact bulged in heinous color and in size again.
"Weaken!"
The Blaspheme Curse was unexpectedly much stronger this time. It halted the infant altogether as if it truly deprived of it of the strength it draws.
Bang!
Klein shot another Demon-Hunting Bullet, now it went straight to Megose's stomach, toward the infant!
Megose suddenly stopped. She stood there with a headless body. The dark, countless and cold serene threads was clutching much harder, as if its victim was no longer living.
Then, out of nowhere, due to the infant's lack of divinity entirely from its death inside the painted world. It bulged.
It grew rounder and rounder until...
Bam!
It exploded. Megose's body was all over the place. Blood splattered to everyone, Klein, Leonard, Dunn and Selina.
However, Klein didn't stopped. He threw his revolver away and immediately lowered himself to Selina's body.
"Selina! W-We finally killed the Tree, we killed Megose!" His lips were quivering, his voice sounding deeply hoarse.
"So wake up! Wake up!"
After moments of painful shakes. Like a horror scene, Selina's hand moved. Klein's eyes shrink, he was elated.
"Okay okay, keep your eyes awake, Selina don't close them! I can still do ritualistic magic and just..."
But Selina's hand touched Klein's face. He froze.
"It's fine..." Selina smiled.
"It's not fine..." Klein took hold of her hand. "I can't let you die...
"I'll be alone. I won't taste your cooking again. I can't fix my tie properly yet!
"I need you. I need you than anything else!"
Drip!
Klein stooped his head down. Hairs covering his face. He clenched his teeth, suddenly blood prickled from the tension, "If only...
"If only I was powerful enough. If only I could've seen Ince Zangwill with you. If only I had listened to you...
"Hic..."
Selina caressed Klein's face.
"Oh King Sun... don't blame yourself.
"Clowns smile. So smile!
"Hehe, I just realized a perfect acting principle for you. Smile for me... will you? I can't recognize you."
It was a frugal attempt. It failed to stop Klein's heart from breaking down as droplets stained the floor.
"You tried... Klein, I'm so happy you tried your best... for me..." Selina fought with the remaining vigor she had using Beast Tamer powers.
"So... I'll get mad if you don't. It'll be unfair to you if you said you didn't..."
They tried, Klein noticed and tried. That was enough.
"No... You'll live! I..." Klein felt a peck on his cheek. He saw Selina pull away slowly.
"Don't worry. I'll accompany you." At that moment. Everyone heard Dunn's voice and saw the heart in the box of Saint Selena's ashes still beating slowly.
Leonard and everyone looked toward him. Selina felt relaxed even more. "Captain..."
Dunn Smith smiled. His pale face had a warm and relaxed expression, and his voice still as mellow as it usually was.
"We saved Tingen."
After saying this, it was as if he had returned to the time when he was twenty. He no longer appeared stern and serious as he winked at everyone with his left eye.
That reminded Selina of the first time Dunn winked at her. This time, it is precious.
Klein's devastated face turned to Selina as the luster in his eyes fades. He heard her say, in a fading voice. In the most gentlest, softest way she can.
"Thank you... for everything.
"Zhou..." she whispered.
Thump!
The box of Saint Selena's ashes fell onto the ground, that meant Dunn collapsed, just like Klein's heart.
At the same time. Leonard behind him also fell backward, the wriggling things all across his face and half body slowly subsided.
Klein couldn't held on much longer as well. His weakening body collapsed with the weight of Selina. But just he did, he used all of his strength to held her head from the impact.
Thud! Thud! Even though the box wasn't covered, the darkness within the box sealed the opening, preventing the resplendent sand-like ashes from falling out. The box rolled a distance away towards Klein.
Dunn Smith fell to the wrecked floor, his deep gray eyes having lost all their luster. He was looking at the hole in the ceiling, the sunlight pouring down on his face.
Captain... and now Selina!? Klein's vision blurred once again. He wanted to shout, but that word and the subsequence words were stuck in his throat.
At that moment, the box containing Saint Selena's ashes had rolled to his feet.
Suddenly, Klein felt a pain in his chest, his pupils violently constricted as he froze in place.
He looked down to see a slightly pale palm, drenched in blood, coming out the left side of his chest.
No... NO!
Selina's lifeless body had pooled a surmount of blood on top of Klein.
NO!
Ince Zangwill... I'll find you! I'll kill you! I'll hunt you down!
Klein's face contorted into anguish. He saw that same pale hand scoop a blood of Selina—before illusory dark chains enveloped all her blood and bundled them into a chunk of wood.
The wood formed a glassy ovoid body, containing blood, Selina's blood.
Klein quickly lost his consciousness, his eyes almost losing focus.
After it now possesses the wood-made bottle, the person walked away with a pair of brand new leather boots.
It bent down and the same hand and grabbed the urn of Saint Selena's ashes.
Klein's vision went black, and he lost all consciousness.
...
Burned and shattered objects were scattered around in the now destroyed Blackthorn Security Company, but there wasn't a single sound, it was just like a cemetery.
A few minutes later, Leonard Mitchell's body moved, his eyes opening slowly.
He propped himself up with difficulty and surveyed the surroundings. He saw Dunn Smith on the ground. He also saw Klein who had his eyes staring wide as a look of shock was plastered across his face as Selina weights on his body with a huge hole on her back. Dunn, Klein, and Selina all had visible wounds on the left sides of their chests.
No... Leonard squeezed out the word from his throat as he staggered towards Klein and Selina's corpse, that wasn't far away from Dunn.
He kept checking them, going between the three repeatedly, but all he could do was accept this irreversible truth.
Leonard's knees buckled as his knees plopped to the ground. His green eyes were filled with pain as tears streamed down his cheeks, washing away the blood and dust.
He turned his head and listened for two seconds and suddenly sprawled forward. He let out an angry roar and clenched his palms into fists, and heavily pounded the floor.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Leonard kept tearing up as he pounded the floor. Amidst his sorrow was a feeling of clear hatred and a clear sense of self-abhorrence.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Leonard looked up when he heard the sounds of hurried footsteps and saw the members of the Mandated Punishers and the Machinery Hivemind that had just arrived at the scene through his blurred vision.