The 12th Fatui Harbinger

Side Story | Freedom

The sea salt infused winds picked up in the air and the clouds began to darken. A storm was brewing on the horizon. The veil attached to his hat fluttered wildly as he boarded the ship to Inazuma. Scaramouche had been tasked with securing the electro gnosis, and finding La Signora. She was carrying out a mission in his homeland until she disappeared. No one knew why, but Scaramouche suspected it was the Inazuma Bakufu* at play.

Scaramouche took a deep breath of the calamic ocean air.

It was stormy weather like this that reminded him of that day.

Cobalt blue lightning struck the skies, highlighting the dark grey clouds that poured heavy rain onto the streets of the red light district in Inazuma. He had just finished collecting a debt from a samurai in the alley and was about to head back until he heard cries for help.

He dashed off toward the sounds. For the young girl who was crying for help stirred something in his otherwise empty soul.

"Get off of me!" A girl in soaked clothes screamed as she flung a rock at the men. The rock managed to hit the man right on the forehead, and blood came gushing out.

The men held her arms and legs down. "You are going to pay for that, you bitch." They seethed. They slapped her, and she spit in their face.

Scaramouche arrived to see a young girl with pink hair struggling against drunk men. As soon as their hands went to her robe, something within him snapped.

Lightning struck down with vengeance, hurling the men away from the injured girl. Scaramouche softened as he picked her up in his arms. The girl was petite, young, and injured. Judging from her ragged appearance, she had put up quite the fight. A bloody bruise bloomed on her right cheek, scratches covered her whole body while blood and dirt painted her nails.

His heart lurched with grief as memories of his own little sister came pouring like the rain, into his soul.

"Yua-chan, stay home and guard this. I'll be back later with some food and medicine, okay?" Scaramouche said as he tucked his electro vision under her pillow. 

Scaramouche had to struggle day by day to make ends meet before joining the fatui. He stole, he lied, he cheated, just to keep his sister alive. Today, he had finally succeeded in pickpocketing enough money to bring his sister some medicine. His steps tread lighter today on his way back home.

But something was wrong. When he came home, their little house on the outskirts of town had been wrecked. The door was broken and there were signs of forced entry. Dropping the food and medicine on the ground, Scaramouche rushed in to where Yua always was.

She laid on the ground, drenched in blood, sweat, a white substance, and naked. He rushed to her immediately, grabbing the nearest piece of cloth, enveloping her.

"Yua-chan, what happened?" He cried as he held her near, trying to swallow his tears as he wiped what was on her away. He froze when he realized what it was.

Yua's eyes opened momentarily. They were devoid of life. "Onii-sama?... They took your vision... I'm sorry." She whispered.

Someone must have seen him using his vision. Someone must have ratted him out. And his poor sister had to pay the price of his idiocy.

Yua never recovered. She had nightmares, depression, anxiety and every day she lived in torture. She soon ended her own life after the incident.

This girl in his arms was around the same age as Yua. They were so similar in terms of appearance, both so fragile and lovely, yet this girl looked to be a fighter. The men chasing her had a few injuries across the board, and there was a fire burning in the little girl's eyes.