Lady Calamity and the Shepherd (Tales of Berseria × Tales of Zestiria Crossover)

Chapter 2: Fighting Off the Fox and a Werewolf!

Sorey and Mikleo quickly made it to Alisha's in a heated discussion. "Both of them had resonance. I'm surprised that there are humans other then you that can see us." Mikleo commented. Sorey was giddy. "Maybe there will be others who can also see the Seraphim!I wonder if maybe the whole land can see them!" He said with enthusiasm. Mikleo just shook his head. When they entered the front yard of Alisha's manor, they heard a dog barking. "Dog!" Mikleo yelled in fear. "Huh?" Sorey said, looking in the direction the dog was looking at. A blast of fire erupted and out stepped the fox man. "Mikleo, look!" Sorey pointed out. "So we were right! Alisha is his target!" Mikleo exclaimed as the fox dude jumped down from the wall. The dog ran off barking and Sorey said "Follow him!"

They ran after the dog who was hot on the fox man's trail. They then reached an empty alley. The air became harder to breathe in and the sky turned darker. Both Sorey and Mikleo stayed in defensive positions. A blast of fire came towards them and both jumped out of the way. The fox man then appeared in front of them and the fighting began. Sorey went head long into the fight with his Martial Artes while Mikleo backed him up with his Seraphic Artes. The fox man wasn't a push over though. His fire attacks dealt heavy blows to both Sorey and Mikleo, occasionally burning one of them. Mikleo used Twin Flow and knocked back the fox man, allowing Sorey to run up and use Heavenly Torrent knocking the fox man down.

Both Sorey and Mikleo jump away from him and stood back to back. The fox man growled and got up. With amazing speed, he knocked away Mikleo into a wall and faced Sorey. "Mikleo!" Sorey called out to his friend as the Water Seraph fell unconscious. The fox man them knocked back Sorey. "Argh!" Sorey grunted in pain. Just as the fox man was about to kill Sorey, knives were held at both of their throats and they were surrounded by people in dark clothes. "B-Boss!" The man said. "Stand down Lunarre." A woman said. One of the guys kicked the make of Lunarre's knee cap and the fox man fell to the ground. Two of the guys picked him up and started dragging him away. "This contract was a mistake." Another woman said. "The princess will no longer be our target." A man stated.

"What are you going to do to him?" Sorey asked. "Punishment." One of the assassin's it seems said. "What are you after?" He asked. "Order." A different assassin said. "So, should I thank you for saving me?" Sorey asked. A woman then grunted and that was his reply. He then went to check on the slowly wakening Mikleo. "What happened?" Mikleo asked. "We were saved by a bunch of assassin's." Sorey told him. "What!?" Mikleo exclaimed. "It doesn't matter. We might as well look for Alisha in the church." Sorey said. They continued down the alley and came across the back entrance of the church. All Sorey had to do was show Alisha's knife and he was granted access. "But first, you're going to have to leave your equipment with me. We can't have someone enter with weapons unless they are a guard." The guard said.

"No problem." Sorey said, taking off his sword and handing it to the guard. Sorey then entered and tried to get a good spot for the ceremony. Mikleo just chuckled and walked by all the people he wanted until he saw something strange. "Sorey!" Mikleo called out. Sorey approached him and found a long, white haired woman in a red ceremonial dress lying at the base of the alter. A sword was stabbed into it and people were trying to pull it out. "Sorey." A familiar voice called him. Sorey turned and found Magilou and Velvet there. They smiled at him and waved a greeting to him. He did the same till he heard the familiar voice of Alisha. "Sorey?" She called out. Velvet and Magilou moved on and Sorey found Alisha. He smiled and waved at her and she did the same.

Alisha was wearing her usual armor and had strawberry blonde hair. They then moved to the way Sorey entered and he explained his presence in Ladylake. "I see. So you came to warn me." Alisha concluded. "Yeah." He replied. Mikleo stood off to the side, watching the scene play out. "I'm sorry to say this," Alisha started, "But there are people who find me in adequate for the role of princess and wish to get rid of me." Sorey said "Really!? Why!?" "It's because-" "Princess. It's almost time." Said a regal woman, interrupting Alisha. She had dark blue hair and had a spear on her back. "Lady Maltran!" Alisha called. "Who is this?" Maltran asked with a raised eyebrow. "This is Sorey. A friend I made exploring the forest. Sorey, this is Lady Maltran, my teacher and most trusted advisor." Alisha introduced.

"Greetings Sorey. I hope our princess hasn't caused you any trouble." Maltran greeted. "Hello! And she hasn't been any trouble at all." Sorey commented. "Is it time?" Alisha asked. Maltran nodded. All four of them exited and Alisha and Maltran started the ceremony. Alisha gave a speech about the state of the world that caught Velvet's attention. "So... nothing changed..." she whispered to Magilou. "You got that right. The world is still stuck in its inevitable doom." She told Velvet. That's when she noticed the woman at the altar. "Look." Magilou commented quietly. Velvet saw the woman at the alter start to rise up and looked over her shoulder as the wood caught fire and the sacrifice was thrown in for the Lady of the Lake. Maltran then closed off the ceremony while telling everyone to not worry. That's when the crowd started getting angry.

They kept on blaming the Hyland army for their problems and a guard brandished a weapon at them, telling them to stop disrupting the ceremony. A stone was thrown at the knight and a man said "Ha! How do you like that!?" The knight faked slashed at them, making the crowd scream in terror. "This must be Bartlow's doing." Maltran commented. "Is our city so corrupt!" Alisha stated in anger. "Stop! Everyone! Please! Fear and anger is what causes malevolence!" The Lady of the Lake said, not reaching them with her voice. A couple people in the crowd turned into Werewolves and started to attack. One of the werewolves launched itself at Alisha and Sorey pushed her out of the way. "Look out!" He screamed. The werewolf then flew into the flames, turning them black with malevolence and shooting the fire all over the room.

"Oh no!" Velvet stated, running up to the werewolves and brandishing her blade. "And here I thought I wouldn't have to fight. Sigh... of well..." Magilou stated, summoning her Guardian. Slimes started appearing from the wood work and attacking people. "Mikleo! Put out those fires!" Sorey commanded. "I can only put out the regular ones! Not the ones filled with malevolence!" Mikleo commented, but got to work nonetheless. "Please! Lady of the Lake! Help us!" Sorey asked the woman. "What? You can see me?" The woman asked. "Sorey hurry!" Mikleo called out, putting out the fire. "Sorey! Who are you talking to!?" Alisha asked. Sorey reached for the blade and the woman said "Wait!" Sorey halted and stared at her. "Doing this will not only allow you to become the Shepard, but also deal with the consequences and hardships of one. It is a long and perilous journey." She said. "What is your name?" Sorey asked with a calm demeanor. "Oh. It is Lailah." She said with a smile.

Sorey then tells her his reasoning in becoming the Shepard and began to withdraw the blade. The symbol on his glove glowed and the blade released a powerful gust of air. Lailah then got to work and purified the black flames with the flames of purification. Both Sorey and Lailah then got into a fight with the slimes, purifying them. Then Sorey helps Velvet and Magilou defeat the remaining two werewolves, purifying them in the process. Sorey, with the help of Lailah, then entered the black bonfire and purified it as well as saving the man that was previously the werewolf. "Sorey! Are you-" Mikleo stated. "Yup. I'm the Shepard now." Sorey said with a smile. "Sorey... you really can see the Seraphim, can't you?" Alisha asked herself.

"If you're gonna be the next Shepard, think of your answer for this question." Velvet said, approaching Sorey. He looked startled and said "Okay. What is the question?" "Why do birds fly?" Velvet asked. "What?" Sorey asked. "Why do words fly? Think about your answer." Velvet said, walking back to Magilou. Lailah then entered Sorey and he collapsed. "Sorey!?" Mikleo and Alisha called. Alisha rushed to him as he then put his head in her lap, burning up. Magilou then asked Velvet "Why did you ask him that?" "Because," Velvet stated, watching the scene play out, "All Shepard's must know the answer to this question in order to achieve their goal." "Like how Artorious' answer caused his own downfall?" Magilou asked. "Exactly." Velvet said. And with that, both woman left the church, making their way back towards Magilou's home.

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Little did they know, that a figure wearing only pants stood on top of a roof and watched them. "To think you both are still around. I would have expected both of you to be dead by now. Better deal with Eizen fast then before they find him." The man said. He had long green hair wore two bracelets, hiding his pendulum weapons. "Besides! What kind of name is Zavied the Oathkeeper if he can't keep his promise?" And with that Zavied jumped off the building and ran off.