Nothing But Requiem

Chapter Three: [The Twilight Realm] #2

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"We've got 'em cornered!" one of David's men yelled as he spotted Ario and the others. The shout drew the attention of every patron in the room. Confined to the balcony of the fifth floor, there was nowhere to run. David and his men stalked in like predators about to feast on defenseless prey.

"Are these seriously the ones who got the best of Zeb? A girl in a tutu and her little rent boy?" One of the men laughed as he placed his hand on Seere's head.

"I'd prefer you didn't touch me so casually," said Seere. His voice was devoid of emotion. The entire café terrace suddenly started shaking. The vibration was so violent that long-forgotten teacups clattered off the table and shattered on the floor. The men looked at each other nervously at this unexpected turn of events. When the shaking subsided, David and his men poised themselves to continue their mission. But there was no sign of Seere. Instead...

"Where did that girl come from?!" David and the others looked at the silver-haired girl standing beside Ario. 

They could see Aria. 

Something about seeing her struck them with a strong sense of discomfort. Her appearance was hazy and her presence uncertain. She looked like a phantom wandering between reality and the unknown. On top of that, the wind, the music, people's voices, everything had stopped. The customers, clerks, and minstrels had disappeared. Even though it was supposed to be morning, the sky had changed to a deep shade of vermilion.

"Is this the...twilight realm?" David breathed in amazement. 

The twilight realm was said to be a different space that demons and sorcerers created when they fought so as to not affect the surrounding area. It was also said to be part of another dimension, one where the sky was stained the color of blood. 

I've heard rumors of it, but I didn't think it really existed, David thought as he reeled from the shock. To be able to twist space like this, they'd have to be either sorcerers, or...

"Are you a...demon?"

The edge of Ario's mouth twitched. "Demon? I think at this point you'd be better off referring to me as a reaper." She stood up, the hue of her crimson dress bearing an uncanny likeness to the sky. In her right hand, she drew her enchanted pistol.

"Everyone be careful! It's a magical armament!" David shouted. He brandished the tonfa attached to his waist and poised himself. David's tonfa were made of a synthetic resin imbued with magical mechanics. To this point, he had lost track of how many of Don Nicolas's enemies had been unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end.

It doesn't matter if it's the grim reaper itself. Just deal with them like business as usual, David attempted to rally himself and pressed the button on the grip of each of his tonfa. An electric current surged through them, buzzing and crackling in his hands. He would blitz his foe, then hit them with the force of a lightning bolt to silence them—that was the strength of David's magical armament, "Tyranny Tonfa." It's just an old pistol. No matter what kind of magic it has, I'll knock the bullets right back at them!

Indeed, that was what David thought would happen. His gaze burned with intensity. He strained his eyes, trying to read the trajectory the bullet would take. At the end of the beautifully ornamented barrel of the gun, numerous magic circles appeared. Within each magic circle, geometric patterns shined and spun.

"What the...?!" David uttered in shock. The pattern of magic circles continued appearing at the muzzle of Ario's gun. This was a spell the likes of which David had never seen before. The look of complacency David wore in front of the "little girl" from earlier had vanished entirely. "Get her!" David shouted in desperation as he leapt at Ario.

Ario closed her eyes as David and his men charged forward. Behind her eyelids, she could see Aria's figure more clearly than ever. There was no need to aim. The stronger the thought, the more powerful the magic bullet. For my sister... Unleash the sound of gunfire to silence these beasts!

Ario pulled the trigger. To protect her beloved sister was the only reason she could do so. Flashes of light burst from the center of the multi-layered magic circle and honed in on David and his men, piercing each of them right between the eyes. Their brain stems disintegrated, gone before they could even feel pain. Blood and cerebral marrow scattered from the back of their heads, and their bodies fell on the spot like an army of rag dolls. In the blink of an eye it was over.

Seere was sitting on the fence of the café terrace clapping. "That's Ario for you! A complete victory due to total annihilation!" His black wings flapping against the crimson sky, he laughed innocently at the bloody scene."You completely roasted them, Ario. Aria didn't even get a chance to do anything."

"They weren't an enemy worthy of Aria's time," Ario scoffed. Shelooked at her sister; while Aria had looked hazy to David and the others, Ario could see her as clearly as ever. Ario stared at Aria, hoping for some kind of recognition, but Aria remained silent. She wore the same smile she always did, but her eyes were tinged with sadness.

"Aria, I did what I had to..." Ario trailed off as she swallowed her frustration and disappointment. She withdrew her gun and looked at Seere. "All enemies have been silenced. Bring us back to the world of the living." Her voice had the rough edge of irritation.

"O ye who calls on my name. In the name of the old covenant, I will grant you this favor." Seere said and snapped his fingers. The vermilion-dyed space disappeared, and the colorful everyday world returned.

Not a second later, screams erupted and filled the air. Customers and clerks cried in horror at the sight of the bodies of David and his men lying haphazardly, bullet holes between their eyes. The peaceful café terrace had been suddenly transformed into a scene of carnage. Amidst their cries, Ario and the others slipped silently away from the scene. The next goal was to reach Neo Casablanca, where the black aura Seere mentioned still lingered.