The Phantoms entered the castle, and now... they weren't exactly sure what they were supposed to do.
Diego: "Hmmm."
Nacht: "So what exactly are we doing now?"
Jeanne: "Hmmm..."
They looked around.
Diego: "Do you think the helmet is here?"
Jeanne: "It could be... Should we split up?"
Nacht: "Hmm."
Nacht looked serious.
Nacht: "(Hmmm... she probably thinks she can do whatever she wants if we split up... hmph... Well, if that's what she wants... I don't sense any evil intentions... but she is hiding something... Then again, she might know exactly how to hide bad intentions... Indeed, her clothes... her behavior... even her weapons... I've never seen anything like them... Could she be from another side of Grimm?... Or is Einhoven really that different?... I have to admit, I've barely seen any cities or the other kingdoms of the Grimm World... Hmm...) What do you think?"
Kisa: "But it's dangerous for us to split up... Maybe we should stay in groups?"
Nacht: "Hmmm... But there are so many rooms. Let's split up."
They separated.
Jeanne: "Hmm... okay."
She turned around.
Then she grinned.
Jeanne: "(My chance... now I'll take every single one of you out... hehehe...)"
She walked away.
(A few minutes later)
Diego: "Hmm."
(Crash!)
Diego: "Hey... is someone there?... Nacht, is that you?"
Jeanne stood behind him. As he turned around, she blew into her hand.
Jeanne: "Huffffff..."
He collapsed unconscious.
Jeanne: "...Good..."
(A few minutes later)
Kisa: "Huh..."
Someone covered her mouth.
Kisa: "Mmmmm... mmmmm."
Jeanne: "...Shhhhhh..."
She knocked her unconscious.
Jeanne: "I won't hurt you... you're a good person..."
She carried her and laid her on a bed.
Jeanne: "Sorry... but you Cinder Tales aren't allowed to be here... That leaves Nacht, Charlotte, and Mona... I'll deal with Charlotte first."
She slowly approached Charlotte.
Charlotte: "Hmmm..."
Jeanne: "Huh..."
She noticed the wounds on Charlotte's back.
Jeanne: "Ugh... mm."
Charlotte: "Huh?... Diego, is that you?"
She turned around, but nobody was there.
Instead, someone grabbed her from above.
Charlotte: "Mmmm!!..."
Jeanne slammed her into the floor.
(Crash!)
Charlotte: "(Silent.)"
Jeanne: "Hahh."
She removed Charlotte's mask.
It looked like a plague doctor's mask.
Jeanne: "Good... Hahhh... Joringel... what do you think? What kind of wounds are these?"
Joringel: "...Hmmm... I can tell she didn't have a good childhood."
Jeanne: "Hmmm..."
She carried her away.
Jeanne: "Hmm... okay."
She set her down briefly before picking her up again.
Jeanne: "Only Nacht and Mona left."
(Meanwhile)
Mona: "Strange... I heard something. Was that Charlotte?"
Behind her stood a creature.
A monster.
It had gray skin and multiple eyes.
It was female.
Mona: "Ugh."
(Crash!)
It slammed her into a wall.
Nacht: "Huh?... What was that?"
Jeanne: "Shhh."
She covered his mouth.
Nacht: "Mmmmm... mmmm."
Jeanne: "Shhhh..."
Nacht: "Ghhhhh."
He drove his elbow into her stomach.
Jeanne: "Urk."
Nacht: "Hahhh."
She let go.
Nacht: "Hahh... I see... You want trouble, huh?"
Jeanne: "Hmmm."
Nacht: "That mask won't help you, Jeanne. The plague mask."
She removed it.
Jeanne: "What a shame."
Nacht: "Hmm."
She drew her pistol and sword.
Jeanne: "...Then I guess I'll have to kill you... Nacht of Zephyr."
Nacht: "Go ahead and try."
He drew his sword.
Nacht: "...Ghh."
He charged at her.
She blocked his blade.
(Clang!)
Jeanne: "Huh."
Ichabod attacked her, but she dodged by leaping backward repeatedly.
Jeanne: "...Well, would you look at that... You want to fight unfairly?"
Nacht: "There is no such thing as a fair fight."
Jeanne: "Hhhmm... Hahahahaha... I see... Then..."
Ichabod stopped moving.
Jeanne: "How about I bring out my fairy tale?"
She opened her storybook.
Jeanne: "Grimm: Jorinde and Joringel!"
Two figures appeared.
Jeanne: "...Hahhh... How about we take this a little further... hmm?"
Joringel opened his stomach.
Multiple hands emerged.
Jeanne was pulled inside.
Then Jorinde opened her mouth and swallowed Joringel.
Nacht: "Ughh."
Jorinde: "AAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHHHH!"
Then she tore open her own stomach with her bare hands.
(Splach!)
Jeanne emerged... but different.
Her skin was gray.
She had multiple eyes.
And a black hat.
Jeanne: "Hahahahahahahahahaha! Transformation!... Princess of the Tower!"
Nacht: "Ughhh..."
Jeanne: "Well, Nacht, you didn't expect that, did you?... Hehehe..."
Nacht: "Ugh... then..."
He transformed as well.
Dark tears flowed from his eyes.
Jeanne: "Huh?... He can transform too?"
Nacht: "...Corrupted... Knight..."
(Crash!)
Jeanne: "Hehehehe... This is interesting!"
They attacked each other simultaneously.
(Clang!)
Nacht: "Ghh."
Jeanne: "Hehe."
One of her stitched eyes opened.
(Ding!)
Nacht: "Ughhh..."
The blood transformed into a blood dagger and attacked him.
Nacht: "Ghhh."
He jumped back.
Nacht: "Just what kind of transformation is this?"
Jeanne: "Hahhhhh..."
She looked at him.
She opened her mouth.
There was her core.
The Magyia symbol was on her tongue.
Jeanne: "We're alike, Nacht... Both of us are cursed and forced to agree not to age... hehehe."
Nacht: "Ughh... You were cursed?"
Jeanne: "Yes..."
She attacked him.
(Wushh!)
Nacht: "Ghhh... Why are you doing this?"
Jeanne: "I need the helmet... and your blood!"
Nacht: "Ghhh... We wanted to help you."
Jeanne: "...I know."
(Clang!)
Jeanne: "And I'm sorry for that too... But I need it."
Nacht: "Ghhh."
Jeanne: "Ghhh."
Nacht: "Ghhh."
He shoved her away.
Nacht: "If you insist."
(Splach!)
He sliced open her stomach.
(Splach!)
Jeanne: "Arghh... AAAAAARGHHHHHH!"
Her organs fell out.
Yet they moved and crawled back inside.
Nacht: "Ughh."
The wound stitched itself shut.
Jeanne: "Ghhh... Hahhhhh..."
Nacht: "...Stop, Jeanne... This transformation is destroying you. You may heal physically... but not mentally."
Jeanne: "Shut... up..."
(Crash!)
She threw a sword at him.
(Crash!)
Nacht: "Gh."
He was launched several meters away.
(Crash!)
Nacht: "...Oh..."
Jeanne: "...Hahhhh... Hahhhh... I need it... I need the helmet..."
Nacht: "Huh?"
Jeanne: "...Ghh... It's nothing personal... forgive me..."
Nacht: "Hahh..."
He stood up as though nothing had happened.
Nacht: "Hahh."
Jeanne: "...Hey... don't underestimate me!"
She attacked him.
Nacht: "...Hah."
He rushed toward her.
(Splach!)
Jeanne: "Huh..."
With his bare hands, he grabbed her bones and ripped them out.
Jeanne: "AAAAARGHHHH!"
(Splach!)
He drove them through her lungs.
Jeanne: "AAAAAAAAARGHHHHHH... ARGHH!"
She threw him away.
Jeanne: "Arghh... Hahhhh... Hahhh...(Blearghh)..."
She coughed up blood.
Jeanne: "Ughh."
Nacht: "Hey... better not."
Jeanne: "Huh?!"
He stabbed her eye with his dagger.
Jeanne: "AAAAAARGHHHH!"
Nacht: "And now."
(Splach!)
He drove his sword into her neck.
(Splach!)
Jeanne: "Urk... Ghhh..."
Nacht: "..."
He pulled it out.
Blood poured out.
Jeanne: "Urk..."
(Splach!)
Holding her throat, she collapsed.
Nacht: "...Hmmm..."
She transformed back.
He caught her before she hit the ground.
Nacht: "Mmmm..."
(A few minutes later)
Jeanne: "Huhh!"
She woke up.
Jeanne: "What... where... what?"
Nacht: "You're awake..."
Nacht had one hand resting on her head.
She was lying against his chest.
Jeanne: "...What's this? Let me go..."
Nacht: "...Don't move... My hand is positioned over your stomach. That means I can pull your organs out whenever I want."
Jeanne: "Wow... that's certainly one way to calm someone down..."
Nacht: "You didn't kill my friends... and you even made sure not to seriously hurt them... so... I won't hurt you."
He then held her cheeks and placed his fingers near her eyes.
Nacht: "But if you don't tell me why you're doing this... I'll push my fingers through your eyes. They'll heal... and I have patience. We can do this all day."
Jeanne: "Ughh... Fine... I'll talk. I need the helmet... for my sister."
Nacht: "Your sister?"
Jeanne: "Yeah... She suffers from cystic fibrosis."
Nacht: "Ugh..."
Jeanne: "...That's why my parents died... I need money. Someone told me I could get money if I brought them the blood of the Cinder Tales... and the helmet."
Nacht: "So you're not Beethoven's granddaughter?"
Jeanne: "I am... That's exactly why they wanted me to do it."
Nacht: "How bad is her illness?"
Jeanne: "...She can barely breathe... The doctors are going to remove the machines otherwise..."
Nacht: "Wouldn't it be better to let her die rather than suffer?"
Jeanne: "What are you talking about?! Don't you have any compassion?!"
She grabbed his coat.
Jeanne: "...What about me?... Why do I have to lose the only reason I have left to live?... Why do you think I can endure this curse?!... Damn it, I've tried to kill myself so many times... I've even let animals eat me... but I came back again and again and again!... I'm cursed, damn it!... My flesh regenerates so fast that it simply doesn't work... even if someone tears my heart out... I don't want to lose my sister... I love her... and you're asking me to let her die..."
She punched his chest.
Jeanne: "Am I only allowed to suffer in life?... Can't I have one thing that makes me happy for once?"
Nacht: "Mmm... I'm sorry... okay... I'm sorry."
Jeanne: "That's why..."
She drew her pistol and aimed it at him.
Jeanne: "...I need your blood. I won't hurt the others... but you... you're a monster like me!... We can both handle it..."
Nacht: "If blood is all you need... then wait a moment."
He gently moved her aside.
Nacht: "...Fine."
He took his dagger and stabbed it into his own heart.
(Splach!)
Jeanne: "Huh?!"
(Splach!)
Blood poured out.
He collapsed.
Jeanne: "Ughh... Huh..."
She trembled slightly.
Then she took a bottle and filled it with his blood.
Jeanne: "Huh... I have to go now... Ugh."
She turned around and looked at Nacht.
Jeanne: "Ugh... Mmm..."
(A few minutes later)
Jeanne: "Hahh... Hey... wake up already."
Nacht: "Ugh..."
His head rested on her lap.
Nacht: "What... No, I can't be lying on your lap. I only want to lie on Kisa's!"
Jeanne: "Well, Kisa's still asleep... and you injured yourself badly enough that you probably won't be standing anytime soon, idiot."
Nacht: "Hmmm..."
Jeanne: "...Sorry... about everything."
Nacht: "Hey."
Jeanne: "Yeah?"
Nacht: "Join us."
Jeanne: "What?"
Nacht: "Join us."
Jeanne: "But I'm... someone you barely know..."
Nacht: "So what?"
Jeanne: "Oh, by the way... Nacht... when the others wake up... I need to tell all of you something important."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
(A few minutes later)
Everything that had happened was explained.
Diego: "I see... that's okay."
Mona: "Hmm."
Jeanne: "I'm sorry."
Kisa: "Hmm."
Jeanne: "Hmm."
Charlotte: "...That really hurt."
Jeanne: "One more important thing... There's something you need to know."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
Jeanne: "The Cinder Tales... You need to know something about the Apocalypses... Two of the previous Cinder Tales... became Apocalypses."
Diego: "What?"
Kisa: "Huh?"
Jeanne: "That's right... Yuno used to be a hero... and Malric was a famous magician... You need to understand... the powers of a Cinder Tale can change a person drastically... Even if you defeat the Apocalypses... there will always be new ones."
Diego: "Ugh... How did they become Apocalypses?"
Jeanne: "Yuno was betrayed by the very people she saved and left inside a cave full of spiders... Malric's family was executed while he was away... You must understand... Apocalypses are born from negative emotions... or from catastrophes such as wars."
Nacht: "Hmm."
Diego: "But... what if we stop those things from happening?"
Nacht: "Then we'd have to kill all humanity."
Diego: "What?"
Nacht: "Diego... if that's really how it works... then as long as humans exist, there will never be peace. It's simply human nature. Even without war... envy, jealousy, greed... all of that still exists."
Diego: "...So even if we defeat them, more will come?"
Nacht: "Yeah. It seems that way. How do you know all this, Jeanne?"
Jeanne: "Hahhh..."
She took out a book.
On its cover were the words:
The Legend of Grimm – The Book of Secrets.
Jeanne: "This book explains everything... I'm sorry to tell you this... but completely eliminating the Apocalypses is almost impossible..."
Nacht: "Hahhh..."
Kisa: "So what do we do now?"
Diego: "Shoot ourselves in the knee."
Nacht: "Hey, watch your wording."
Diego: "Sorry. I'm desperate."
Jeanne: "Hahh... The helmet is still missing... You don't have to help me..."
Diego: "Do you want to join us?"
Jeanne: "Uh... if... I'm allowed to..."
Diego: "Then we'll help you."
Kisa: "Yeah... You tricked us, but you had a reason. I admire how much you love your sister."
Charlotte: "Yeah... I mean, anyone would do that for their sister."
Mona: "Definitely. So what are we waiting for? Let's find that helmet and get out of here."
They set off and searched the castle.
Diego: "Hmmm... There's no path... no door... nothing..."
He leaned against a wall.
Suddenly it rotated.
Diego: "Huh—Argh!"
He vanished.
Kisa: "Huh?"
Nacht: "Rookie?!"
They pressed the same spot.
A hidden door opened.
Nacht: "Oh."
Jeanne: "Oh."
Kisa: "Let's hurry inside. Diego's in there."
They entered and looked around.
Diego: "Is this... a room?"
Nacht: "Oh, Rookie. Are you okay?"
Diego: "Huh?... Yeah... I think I found the hat."
Kisa: "Hmm?"
Charlotte: "Hmm."
Jeanne: "That's the hat. Exactly."
Diego: "Good."
They picked it up.
Nacht: "Wait a second."
The ground shook.
A gigantic stone monster emerged.
Stone Monster: "ROAAAAARRRRRRRR!"