World of Hearts: Linked as One (Book 1)

2-7: The Gospel of a New Beginning

"Anima..." Kizuna muttered under his breath.

Anima leaned down over her victim, observing Mado as he was clutching his right shoulder. Anima raised her head, letting out a painful moan as blood seeps from its eye like a tear. The very atmosphere around Anima screamed death and suffering, and the smell of blood was added to the atmosphere.

Kizuna saw Amon get up, startled by the ear-piercing shriek. He looked at his partner, who was lying on the ground, screaming in agonizing pain.

"M-Ma... MADO-SAN!" Amon cried. The investigator grabbed his quinque, the black hammer, and rushed to Mado's side. "Speak to me, Mado! Speak to me!"

Kizuna's fear ran high as his adrenaline was shooting into overdrive. He got up. "GET AWAY!"

Amon looked at Kizuna, outraged at the boy's exclamation. But then he noticed the fear of God in the boy's eyes and turned around and became aghast and pale.

"What the hell?" Amon asked. He looked at Mado, who was looking at Anima, and for the first time, he saw terror in his partner's eyes. Amon pulled out a pistol and fired off a few shots. Anima growled and hissed before shrieking at him.

"Stop! Your bullets won't work!" Kizuna said. "That thing is an Eikon!"

Amon tried to get Mado back up on his feet, black chains sprouted from beneath Anima as she let out another shriek. The chains start flailing around like whips. One of those chains smacks Amon, sending him and Mado flying. He saw the Eikon twist its body to look at the two men, bloodied and broken to the point of no return. Anima lets off another screech as light shines in its blood-soaked eye.

"STOP!" Kizuna yelled as he cast a Blizzard spell.

The icy projectile hit Anima in the back of the head just before the flash came, causing Anima to miss her shot. The road off to the right was blasted to kingdom come. Anima twists her body again, looking upon the boy with animosity, but with no killing intent. Blood drips from its eye socket.

"Kizuna-chan!" He could hear Ryouko's voice calling to him. He turned to see the woman get up.

"Don't move! Stay there!" Kizuna said.

"But—!"

"I SAID DON'T MOVE!" He looked back at Anima. His legs shook as he looked upon the Eikon and tried to steel himself.

"That is enough, Anima," A voice called out.

Kizuna heard the voice coming further behind him. The Eikon stood upright, looking down at Kizuna before shifting her gaze. Kizuna looks behind himself...

... to see his mother holding a crystal in her hand.

"Mom?" He looked at her eyes, only to see a silent fury behind those eyes.

"Am I the one who summoned Anima? Yes, I am the one who called her forth," Eva said. "She and I have made a pact the day after your father's funeral. I am her Dominant, her summoner, her lord and master."

"D-Dominant?" Kizuna asked himself.

Eva walked past Ryouko and went over to Kizuna. She had a menacing aura that was nearly suffocating. He couldn't sense anything but this enormous pressure weighing him down. He looked at the crystal and returned to Anima before refocusing on his mother. She held her keyblade tightly, almost like a quiet furiousness had taken hold of her. He had never seen his mother like this. This side of her felt so alien to him. It was almost as if she were a completely different person.

The silence broke as she looked down at him and spoke.

"Why are you trying to protect them?" She asked.