[TBATE] -More Than One Godspell-

---AFTER CHAPTER 420 IN THE ORIGINAL STORY ---

Caera Denoir

Lance Bairon then left with the dwarves. their footfalls gradually fading until they were no longer audible. I released a sigh, proceeding towards the wall opposite the rusty cell door. Sitting on the ground, I leaned against the decaying wall, ignoring the fact that the pristine white of my shirt would surely be stained with more stubborn dirt that would be difficult to clean.

Glancing down at my wrists, which are still bound with the broken manacles from Alacrya.

"..."

This sucks...

So this is what it feels like to be in prison. Exceedingly dull.

I couldn't help but ponder how the inmates manage to pass their time in such a place.

Never did I imagine I would end up behind those bars, and yet, here I am.

'Everything is going to be fine, Caera.' I murmured, seeking reassurance. Another sigh escaped past my lips as I drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Slowly, a wave of drowsiness swept over me.

A brief nap wouldn't hurt, I thought, noticing my vision blurring as my eyelids grew heavy. Finally, I closed my eyes, allowing myself to surrender to sleep.

***

A faint echo of footfalls stirred me from my slumber, their rhythm growing steadily louder and reverberating through the desolate corridors.

Could it be Grey? I mused, rubbing my eyes, which are still weighed down by the remnants of sleep.

The footfalls amplified, growing increasingly louder until, at last, a man of my age came to a stop in front of my cell. He was clad in lightweight armor, his raven-black hair starkly contrasting against his golden eyes. As our gazes met, an unspoken challenge hung heavily in the air, locking us in a silent duel.

"..."

"..."

The silence stretched on as we continued to stare at each other without saying a word until he decided to shatter it. "Woah! You have real horns! That's awesome! I really like how it looks a lot like a dark crown on your head. It's really cool!" His voice echoed loudly through the empty corridors, filling the space with his unfiltered awe.

Utterly astonished, my eyebrows arched at his unexpected reaction to my appearance. "Pardon?" A flicker of amusement tugged at my lips, crafting a small, bemused smile on my face as I responded.

"O-Oh sorry. It's just... I've never seen someone with such cool horns on their head before." He offered an explanation, an awkward smile playing on his lips as he sheepishly scratched his head.

"No, it's alright... Thank you," I responded softly, my voice carrying a hint of gratitude.

"A-and I'm Barry, by the way, Barry Warden." He stammered slightly as he introduced himself.

"Caera of Highblood Denoir" 

"...Highblood?" He echoed, carrying with it an air of profound curiosity, as though I were a being from an entirely different realm "Is it like family???"

"Uhh... Yea, unlike Dicathen, we use the word 'Blood' to refers to our 'family'. The named Bloods are like 'nobles'," I clarified.

"Alacryan's culture sure sounds interesting." Barry mused, slowly sinking to the ground in front of the iron bars. He didn't seem to care about the confined space, appearing quite at ease.

I contemplated moving closer to him but reconsidered, choosing to remain where I was, worried that he might recoil if I approached.

"May I ask why you're here?" I inquired, "I am well aware that the cell is magically warded and locked. Escape appears unlikely, as you can see."

"O-Oh! General Bairon ordered me to keep an eye on you until General Arthur returns." Barry stumbled over his words, his hand nervously scratching the back of his neck, a clear sign of his nervousness. "And yeah, the cell is indeed magically warded and locked, but it has some glitches that haven't been fixed yet, so it's not entirely reliable. We're worried you might escape, so... here I am." He continued.

"Oh, I see," I simply said, understanding that he was not allowed to divulge any further details. Therefore, I refrained from asking any further questions.

"..."

"..."

The silence began to bore down on us once again, growing more suffocating with each passing moment. My stomach coiled, and an urgent desire to shatter this unbearable silence steadily rose within me.

Gathering a deep breath, I blurted out the first thought that flashed in my mind.

"So... um when can I eat?"

His gaze snapped at me the moment the words escaped my lips.

"O-Oh... sorry, we... don't have any... human flesh here... but we do have some warm, fresh bread with honey butter if you... want..." Barry stuttered, bracing for my ire.

"What?" but instead, I burst into laughter, which gradually subsided into a soft chuckle. "How could you even think of such a thing? Why would I want to eat human flesh???"

"Oh... So, Vritra doesn't eat people? I just thought they were like demons or such." Barry mumbled. "Wait. I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to offend you, it's just that... uh..." He faltered, scrambling to correct his blunder and searching for the right words to defuse the situation.

Another soft chuckle slipped past my lips as I shook my head gently. "No, no, it's fine. I understand." Rather than feeling resentful or offended, I simply felt a sense of mild amusement.

"Oh... Then thanks, Caera..." The relief showed clearly on his face as he spoke.

"..."

It appeared that he really showed no sign of hostility toward me. Was he pretending? Why? He should have expressed disdain or disgust towards me, like everyone else here. 

A torrent of questions flooded my mind as I stared directly at Barry incredulously, almost as if I were studying him.

"So, what do you eat then?" Barry asked, casting a quick glance around the cell before turning his attention back to me. "Wait. Do you need to eat? I guess you must have a special ability that allows you to live without eating?"

"Um... No, I don't. I'm a Vritra-blooded human, a hybrid of Vritra and humans. I'm not entirely Vritra, so of course I need to eat. I suppose I can endure starvation longer than the average person, but I still need to eat," I explained patiently, even though my skepticism lingered. "And I only eat human food, indeed."

"Woah... So you are like half human, half Vritra. So, that means you are naturally stronger than a normal mage, right?" With eager curiosity, Barry asked, his nervous expression swiftly changing into one of fascination, as if he were absorbing some kind of new source of knowledge.

I raised my chin, adopting a confident, somewhat cocky attitude like a child. "Hmph! Well yes, of course. You are correct. I'll have you know that most consider my physical prowess and swordsmanship abilities to be at a genius level."

"Woah! That's amazing... Wish I could be that strong. I could become a Lance, like General Arthur! That would be cool." He dreamily sighed, his eyes filled with admiration.

An insatiable curiosity seized me the moment Barry uttered the name Arthur Leywin.

"Barry, could you tell me more about Arthur Leywin? I would like to know more about him." I asked, unable to contain my curiosity any longer.

"Oh sure! Lance Godspell Arthur Leywin. He stands out as the strongest and the youngest among the Lances, the first and only man who is capable of wielding all four elements, which include water, fire, wind, and earth, and he can also wield the upgraded versions of those elements, such as lighting, ice, and gravity. And what's more is that he was trained by the Asuras themselves. Pretty cool, right?" His eyes gleamed with enthusiasm as he spoke, and his voice resonated with a genuine mix of admiration and pride.

As I absorbed his words, I was taken aback to discover that Grey had the ability to manipulate mana and other such abilities in the past. Which means Grey did indeed have a mana core before.

Moreover, I was amazed to learn that he was trained by the Asuras themselves. Considering this, it all begins to make sense. Of course, Grey must have undergone rigorous training with some powerful species, such as the Asuras, to achieve the power he possesses now.

How lucky...

"You seem to be a big fan of his, aren't you?"

"Well... yeah," He admitted "General Arthur is everything I wanted to be. He's fast, strong, smart, cool, basically the best in every possible way. He is simply the GOAT!!"

"...The...Goat???" I echoed, tilting my head to the side to convey my confusion.

"It simply stands for 'The Greatest of All Time'."

"Ah, I-I see now..." I simply said.

Do people here often compliment each other like that? I pondered.

Out of nowhere, my mind flashed back to the incident at the Victoriad, where Grey had defeated Scythe Nico and burned Scythe Cadell down to ashes in a duel, then vanished right in front of the High Sovereign.

"Oh, and what happened when Arthur returned to Dicathen?" Eager to know more and curious for further details, I couldn't resist asking.

"Oh, it was insane! Everything was fine until a random bald Asura guy showed up, aiming to kill all of us, and as soon as we were desperate because that bald Asura guy was way too strong, General Arthur immediately appeared through a purple magic space hole thing and then saved all of us! It was like something straight out of heroic novels!" Barry replied instantly, his eyes wide with excitement.

'Right place, right time'. I couldn't shake the thought as I continued to listen to him attentively.

"And for some reason he looks... different..." He continued.

"What do you mean he looks 'different'?" I asked.

"Well, General Arthur used to have auburn hair and blue eyes, but now he is all... yellow. He appeared younger before, but ever since he turned yellow, he seems a bit older." Barry explained. "But he still looks cool!" With a thumbs up, he said.

"I see... I wonder what happened..." I mumbled, realizing that there are still a lot of things I have yet to know about Grey.

Afterward, we conversed on for hours about various things, like Dicathenian and Alacryan cultures, the Relictombs, and much more. I've learned a lot, and I believe Barry has as well, based on the fact that he asked me tons of different kinds of questions that made it difficult for me to answer some of them.

And it was, surprisingly... fun.

The conversation immersed me so deeply that I almost forgot I was being imprisoned. I started to feel foolish for allowing someone I barely knew to get so close to me.

Fortunately, I didn't reveal to him that I was working with Scythe Seris or any other details, since I wasn't entirely sure how he would react to such information.

A week has passed since then as Barry continues to keep me company with stories about his family and the small town where he was born.

Over this short period of time, it would be an understatement to say I've merely gotten close to Barry. Perhaps it's because he's remarkably easy to talk to, unlike some pretentious highblood ladies back in Alacrya, who always seemed to be more interested in showing off their wealth and status than engaging in normal conversation.

Additionally, I found that he's an exceedingly loquacious man, always eager to learn and share. He's prone to exclaiming, 'Woah, that's awesome!' or 'Woah, that's so cool!' whenever something catches his attention.

Today, I introduced Barry to Sovereign's Quarrel, a highly favored strategy game among the highbloods. Unlike Grey, Barry was pretty bad at this game. Obtaining the true win against him was easy. However, as he persisted through multiple losses, his gameplay notably improved, showcasing a remarkable shift in strategy, becoming more astute and unpredictable.

"Ah, good move." I murmured as Barry made his play. This time, however, it became clear that the match was gradually turning in favor of my opponent. By about seven moves in, I knew I couldn't obtain the true win against Barry like I wanted, so I started to play more seriously to avoid Barry being able to win.

"Well... At least you couldn't achieve the true win this time." Barry groaned, visibly exhausted after losing against me.

"Yes, but this time you played really well! I'm impressed." I remarked while moving the pieces back to their original spots.

"Alright, let's play again." I suggested.

"Whaa??" Barry looked surprised, clearly not expecting another game.

"Oh, come on! We are having fun, and you are improving at this game. Who knows? Maybe you'll become my toughest opponent in the future." I teased, attempting to persuade Barry to play a few more games with me.

Barry hesitated briefly, contemplating my words. "Alright, one more game," he agreed at last, a glint of determination in his eyes as he made the opening move.

"Yay!" I exclaimed before swiftly moving my outer striker to the leftmost corner of my side of the board.

"Could you perhaps go easy on me this time—"

"Nope." I interjected, giving him a playful, mischievous grin.

As we carried on with the game, a sudden chill shot through me, disrupting my focus.

Somthing's off...

I got my eye on the ceiling, catching a chaotic crumbling noise amid the slight trembling of the ground.

"What's... happening?—" Barry's words barely escaped his lips before an explosive blast violently shook the ground. The walls and floor began to display small cracks that ominously expanded, sparking the realization that this entire place could collapse at any moment.

No. This whole place is about to...

I shifted my gaze towards Barry, who was attempting to open the cell door frantically. "Come on! Come on!! Why isn't it open!?" Frustrated, he discarded the key after it became useless and then swiftly retrieved a mace from the yellow stone on his necklace, wielding it with relentless force against the cell door's hinge, causing it to collapse and crash down the ground, resonating with a metallic clang that echoed through the corridor, paving my escape route.

Just as I prepared to sprint out, a deafening blast froze me in place.

My gaze shot upward just to witness the ceiling shattering into pieces.

The final image that was etched in my mind before the entire place crumbled was of an unfamiliar figure that bore a striking resemblance to Retainer Uto.

***

"COUGH!! COUGH!"

I slowly opened my eyes, with the rays of light generated by large and towering crystals affixed to stone pillars and hanging from long chains filling my vision. However, the excruciating pain that I was welcomed by told me that I wasn't dreaming.

A magically projected voice boomed through the city. "Warning: All citizens, please move to the safe zone if possible! Vildorial is under attack. Please move to the safe zone!"

The voice repeated itself over and over again until another explosion shut it down completely.

I'm... alive?

How was I alive? 

I should have been crushed to death by now.

"Caera? Are you with me?"

"Wha...?" Confusion clouded my senses as I struggled to focus on Barry's face, which was covered in blood and dirt, crisscrossed by cuts and scrapes. Gradually, it soon dawned on me that he had cradled me in his arms, rushing away urgently.

In order to escape someone...

Through the spacious but desolate streets of Vildorial, the ramshackle and crumbling buildings that lined both sides loomed ominously before my eyes as he darted forward.

"Hold on," Barry said, his voice barely a whisper against the howling wind. He threw a fleeting glance over his shoulder. With a sudden burst of energy, he quickened his pace. Reacting swiftly, I grabbed on his shirt tight, pressing myself closer to him as my hair whipped wildly in the wind, like a chaotic veil that obscured my entire vision.

"I think you're on the wrong track, friend. The safe zone's that way." Barry's purposeful strides faltered, then abruptly ceased when the voice spoke up.

Instinctively, I brushed my hair aside, allowing my eyes to fix on Wolfrum, the one who remained with only one short horn left.

"..."

"..."

Barry gently set me down beside him, ensuring that I stayed shielded behind him. My legs throbbed as I struggled to maintain balance, and I couldn't ignore the subtle hesitation flickering across his face while he studied Wolfrum.

"Hello, Caera." Wolfrum started with a calm, confident expression. "If you're wondering why I'm here..." Just as before, Wolfrum began to expand outward, growing taller and more muscular, causing his shirt to rip apart under the strain of his expanding physique.

"I've come to reclaim what belongs to the High Sovereign." He declared before immediately lunging at us with incredible speed, conjuring soulfire to cover his fists and enhance his attack.

With a slash, Barry deflected the first strike with his blade, simultaneously capitalizing on the movement by spinning his body with inertia to drive the blade through Wolfrum's waist.

"AGHHH!!"

Landing one foot on Wolfrum, Barry harnessed the momentum to execute a somersault, landing back beside me. Concurrently, he tossed a sharp object at Wolfrum, causing it to explode upon impact, which birthed a dense cloud of thick black smoke that effectively obscured his vision.

Immediately, Barry seized my hand and swiftly guided me into a slender alleyway, barely touched by light. Moving with confident ease, he navigated the convoluted path, effortlessly shifting left and right as though intimately familiar with its every twist and turn, as if he had wandered through this maze-like alley a multitude of times before.

The pain coursing through my entire body slowed me down, leaving me struggling to keep up with Barry. Despite my efforts to endure, I still faltered and ended up falling to the ground.

"Uh oh." Barry swiftly rushed back towards me to help me up, extracting an emerald crystal from his dimensional necklace and holding it before me.

"...What's that?" I asked, looking at the gleaming crystal.

"It's a healing stone." he explained, shattering it into fragments with a firm grip.

A delightful surge of soothing light enveloped my body as a wave of refreshing sensations washed away all the pain and gradually mended all the wounds that marred my body.

"Incredible! I feel so much better now!" I exclaimed, feeling a newfound energy coursing through my veins.

"Alright, great! Let's move!" He urged, his hand gently pulling me to my feet and tugging me along as I followed.

"W-wait! Aren't you going to use one for yourself?" I asked, concerned for his well-being as I watched him continue without using a healing stone for himself.

"That was the last one I had," He responded, his voice betraying no hint of regret as he continued to lead me forward.

"Then you should have used that one for yourself! How can you continue with that condition?!" I scolded, watching him press on, ignoring his own well-being.

"Nah, it's alright. I'm tough! I can handle it," he declared, giving me a toothy grin that did little to alleviate my worry.

Stepping out of the alley, a wave of relief swept through me, believing we had successfully escaped. Yet, abruptly, my heart raced as my senses tingled, alerting me that Wolfrum's mana signature was dangerously approaching close to us.

The earth beneath my feet began to tremble slightly, its intensity escalating with each ticking moment. Concurrently, a muted rumble resonated from within the adjacent wall.

"—aaAAAGHH!!" 

All of a sudden, before we could even react, the wall exploded inward, debris and dust filling the air as Wolfrum burst through the wall like a starved beast.

Everything within my field of vision seemed to decelerate. My breath caught in my throat as I watched Wolfrum's grip tighten. With a forceful blow, Wolfrum sent Barry hurtling into the wall of a distant building.

"BARRY!!!"

With a roar that echoed loudly far and wide, Wolfrum charged forward towards Barry as the ground beneath him cracked and split, his eyes blazing with a savage intensity. "You mother f*cker!!!"

In an instant, I launched myself after him. At the last moment, before he could get any closer to Barry, I managed to leap onto his back with my arms firmly clasped around his neck. As I pulled, Wolfrum thrashed and struggled, his muscles bulging with power as he attempted to shake me off. Yet, his struggles only prompted me to tighten my grip further.

Moments before I could halt his breath and finish him off, strangely, his spine violently convulsed, almost as if it too wanted to shake me off. Gradually, the spines along his spine protruded outward, forming a menacing row of sharp spikes, leaving me no choice but to release and swiftly leap back.

Upon safely landing at a considerable distance, I watched him gasp for breath and curse vehemently. His right arm convulsed violently as sharp bones jutted out, slicing through his skin while blood seeped from the fresh wounds, staining his arm.

"COUGH!!! AGAHHHH!!! I WILL F*CKING KILL YOU! I DON'T GIVE A LIVING SHIT ABOUT IT ANYMORE! I WILL F*CKING KILL YOU! YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE F*CKING DEAD! I'LL F*CKING KILL YOU!!!" Like a wild animal, Wolfrum stormed directly at me, pointing the bloody, oversized bones that had jutted out from his right arm at me, yet his unbridled rage exposed a multitude of weaknesses despite his advantage in size and strength, making his movements appear erratic and unstable.

Pressing forward, I deflected his stab before thrusting my palm towards his face, seizing it as I forcefully slammed his head onto the ground with a loud thud, causing the concrete surface to crack under the impact. 

To prevent him from harboring any chance or hope to fight back, I maintained my hold on his head as I intensified my grip on it and exerted more pressure as I funneled mana into my hand. The black flame began to envelop my hand, eating away Wolfrum's face like a melting candle. Without a pause, I sprinted forward, dragging him along in my wake. With each step, Wolfrum's head scraped against the coarse pavement, leaving a long, grisly trail of his own blood behind our path.

The air resonated with a thunderous crash as the brutal collision between Wolfrum's skull and the large, imposing statue that blocked my path transpired. The ferocity of the impact overwhelmed all my senses, obliterating the sturdy statue and causing it to dreadfully crumble into a pile of rubble in the wake of my merciless force as I thrust his head through the demolished sculpture.

Releasing my grip, I drew my blade out and wielded it with both hands as I watched Wolfrum struggle to lift his limp body off the ground. His head presented a ghastly sight, a bloody and disfigured mess that no longer bore any resemblance to a human face. His charred and blistered skin peeled off in patches, revealing the extent of the brutality inflicted. His eyes were swollen shut, oozing blood, while his broken and twisted nose hung on by a mere shred of flesh. His mouth, now a gaping hole, harbored broken teeth and torn lips.

The sight of his mangled head churned my stomach, evoking a conflicting mix of satisfaction and horror at the unprecedented level of damage I had just wrought upon another person. I never fathomed that I could be capable of such brutality.

"..."

Executing a swift arc, I brought my blade crashing down, giving rise to a blast of smoke and dust that erupted from the impact. As the dust settled and the air cleared before me, there was no sign of Wolfrum where my blade had struck.

"What... what have... what have y-you..." On my left, Wolfrum's feeble and quivering voice echoed. I turned, only to find him crouched in agony, fixated on his own reflection in the shards of shattered glass scattered from a nearby grocery store.

I noticed that there was an unfamiliar rune glowing on his back, radiating a dark scarlet light that seared my eyes. Soon after, Wolfrum's entire physique began to swell with each passing second. His muscles grew monstrously, tearing his skin like fabric, with blood spurting from the wounds. They strained and stretched, threatening to burst his flesh like overfilled balloons, while his veins bulged and throbbed like pulsating serpents beneath his skin.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!!"

He let out a scream as the soul flames started to engulf him, blazing with such intensity that I was unable to discern whether the flames were mercilessly consuming his very being or gruesomely revitalizing him.

The soul flames expanded, reaching further and further until they formed an ethereal pillar of soul fire that had completely swallowed Wolfrum. In that moment, the flames appeared to take on a life of their own, dancing with an otherworldly energy.

Abruptly, a surge of mana surged and emanated from behind me, launching a flaming bolt to shoot forth toward Wolfrum, which collided with the soul fire that is enshrouding him.

The collision unleashed a shockwave that rippled through the air, scattering debris and sparks in all directions. I stepped back as the two sets of flames began to cancel each other out, creating a large burst of energy enough to send me flying away.

I shielded my eyes from the blinding light while the very ground beneath us trembled, and the shock wave reverberated throughout the desolate street.

Eventually, as the brilliance of the flames subsided, a deafening silence settled over the aftermath. Slowly, I lowered my arm and surveyed the scene before me.

Wolfrum was gone.

Dead.