CHAPTER 50: THE BATTLE OF INVICTUS (14)

Baron Mephisto watched the two humans in front of him rise again.

His gaze was stunned, his emotions roiling within him. He was torn between the eagerness to see how far they would continue to surprise him, and the urge to kill them on the spot to eliminate any potential threat.

He used his authority over ether to scan their condition... and was astounded.

("How are they still standing?") he wondered.

Sirius and Lucy had long since exhausted their last reserves of ether to bypass their senses.

Sirius was using the mist to perceive, which drained his ether. He no longer had the strength to change matter’s state. Lucy was in no better shape.

Silence overtook the room, broken only by debris crumbling down around them.

Inside his mind, Sirius finally understood, upon seeing Baron Mephisto holding that glowing piece of paper.

("It’s too late to stop him...")

His body was in tatters. The fight against Grégoire had left him with multiple fractures. He should have been sent to a hospital. Moreover, his shoulder wound was serious. That stinger seemed to contain a toxin that was slowly infiltrating his system.

He wouldn’t be surprised if a newly born parasite was now roaming inside his body.

The only thing keeping him upright was their final play—the ultimate bluff they had prepared to get revenge on the infamous Major Kraft.

("Sigh... I never thought I’d be the one to get caught.")

His eyes and senses still closed, he used his connection to the mist to observe Baron Mephisto.

Opening his mouth with smug confidence, he declared:

"This is a draw. What an unpleasant outcome."

The baron wanted to tilt his head but, fearing it might fall off, asked:

"A draw? In what sense?"

"This fortress is already falling. My subjects are about to be ennobled, and I shall reclaim my rank. No, this time I will be strong enough that no human present can stop me.

My new army will feed on all the nearby humans. I will make these lands my marquisate long before your reinforcements arrive to hinder me.

And you, you’ll also die in the process.

So tell me how is this a draw?"

Sirius slightly tilted his head from side to side, forcing his eyes open though he could not see. He spoke in a mocking tone:

"Haven’t you figured it out? Haven’t you seen it? The great adversary that I, Sirius, have faced... turns out to have an inferior intellect?"

("Enough of this act, get to the point...") the baron wanted to say, but doing so would play into his game. He kept silent, curious to hear what bluff this human had in store.

Sirius knew exactly what he was thinking, so he proceeded with a demonstration:

"Upon my awakening, an enforcer was sent after me. It was through our conversation that I learned of your existence.

Then, to silence me, you sent five more.

What became of them, since I’m still alive? Dead, you’d say. But are you sure?"

He paused, letting the thought settle.

"This mist you must’ve noticed blocks your thread network. Surprised I can see it?"

Using his last reserves of strength, he tried to solidify a scalpel but failed. Instead, he shaped a portion of the mist into a scalpel.

"Once your thread network or rather, your parasites were blocked, your subjects were defenseless.

I opened the heads of those five with this very handy tool. You can guess what came next."

Of course, Sirius didn’t mention that it was his first time performing brain surgery, and that four of the five had died on the table. Only one survived: the flying man, whose power he appreciated since it allowed him to send a message far and fast.

"I sent the five freshly de-parasited humans to a very special place, with evidence in hand, to explain everything what happened, your schemes, and your accomplices."

He emphasized the word accomplices, to suggest he knew more than the baron suspected.

Baron Mephisto opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius cut him off:

"Yes, yes, you investigated. You know the Empire’s current state: no force strong enough to harm you could get here in time, blah blah... However..."

He raised his arms high.

"The world is much bigger. You can’t ignore the existence of humans capable of killing you and everyone here in a single blow. A force that you, who love us so dearly, humans, must surely know well."

Sirius said no more. But the baron finished the sentence:

"The Order."

The moment he uttered that word, Sirius knew he’d taken the bait.

Saying more would be pointless—the baron was intelligent and informed enough about the Empire to draw his own conclusions.

And he didn’t disappoint.

"I’ll concede a draw. Your life shall be prolonged for a few more years before I return.

Sirius. Lucy. Iris. Your names... I’ll remember them, when the war begins."

He couldn’t finish. The ceiling collapsed, separating the two groups.

As soon as Sirius no longer felt the Calamity, he collapsed. Apparently, his senses had returned on their own...

Along with the excruciating pain of the growing parasite inside him, and his earlier wounds.

He passed out, already thinking he’d wake up behind bars.

"Sirius!" cried Lucy in alarm, rushing to his side.

The fortress was crumbling, and they were still beneath it. If they didn’t escape now, they’d be buried alive.

But first, tending to Sirius’s wounds was a priority.

Pulling out a medical kit, she got to work.

---

Elsewhere

Iris, breathless, hair soaked in sweat, had raced back up the path they had taken down.

She had to reach the surface before it was too late.

As soon as the sky came into view, the ground trembled. Sharp headaches struck her, bringing her to her knees.

Using the 360° vision granted by her Soul Eyes, she spotted the parasite growing in her brain.

Gritting her teeth, she pulled out her violin again to make a sacrifice:

She plucked a thin string from the instrument and focused, trying to forget the pain even for a second.

One mistake, and she would die instantly.

Sweeping part of her long hair over her shoulder, she began.

Her violin string was strong enough to resist her bow’s edge, and she hoped it would be sharp enough.

With her fairy-like fingers, she honed the string until it was as fine as the tiniest needle.

Using her bow, she sliced it into tiny pieces, then took the right one and stabbed it directly into her skull, reaching the parasite in her brain.

One strike. One scream. One horror.

She whimpered from the pain, which lessened as she pulled the needle out.

She would still need another operation to remove the parasite’s corpse, but it was enough to keep her from becoming food for the birth of a Calamity.

Once she finally stepped outside, she understood she was a survivor and the only one, if she lingered.

Among the more than seven thousand survivors from Astoria who had joined the battle, all bore a parasite. All were on the ground, writhing in pain.

She had known these people. She had wanted to save them. But now, they were doomed.

From those seven thousand Initiates would be born seven thousand barons noble Calamities nearly as powerful as the monster Sirius and Lucy were still facing below.

She didn’t worry about her brother there was no need. She trusted him enough.

She quickened her pace, searching among the dying humans for the one to whom she had promised to take on her sins.

If she remembered correctly, Carla should be near the outer walls.

Drawing a deep breath, she unsheathed her bow, carving a path through this hell.

Other Calamities had already hatched. She cut them down before they could even notice her.

Some begged her to end their suffering. To spare them this tribulation.

She had to harden her heart to ignore their final pleas.

Upon reaching the shattered walls, she spotted Carla.

("It’s not too late...") she thought, relieved.

But her eyes instantly fell on two others: Thérèse and Marguarette.

They lay on the ground, their heads already swelling like balloons ready to burst.

She clenched her fist so tightly that her nails pierced her skin, drawing blood.

"Lady Iris..."

Carla’s weak murmur snapped her back to reality.

Without hesitation, Iris lunged toward her, piercing her brain with a needle, killing the parasite in one blow.

Carla passed out, but not before whispering:

"Save them..."

Iris held her in her arms. She was safe now.

Those final words turned her attention to the two old women.

She didn’t know if they still had a chance to survive, but she wouldn’t stand by and do nothing.

The same method wouldn’t work they were too far gone.

There was only one option left.

Summoning all her willpower, all the emotions boiling within her, Iris looked directly at the parasites in Thérèse and Marguarette.

They were Calamities, yes, but still living beings with souls.

"Die."

It was an implicit command.

She drew every last drop of ether within her.

Her rainbow pupils turned to the blackest void...

Then she passed out.