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

Chapter 4: Damaged Bonds

After have a small chat with Alisha, Sorey, alongside Mikleo and Lailah, made their way to the underground water duct of the city. Upon entering the Aqueduct, they encountered another slime Hellion. Only this time, it was much larger and had a green color about it. It had a person in its mouth. "Mikleo! Stay behind us!" Sorey told the Water Seraph as he and Lailah got into their fighting stances. "What!? Why!?" Mikleo asked, but was ignored. As Lailah and Sorey fought the giant slime Hellion named Glutton. As Mikleo watched, he became even more angry. Just because I don't have the power of purification doesn't mean I can't help! There has to be a way... he thought. When the slime was defeated, Sorey helped he man up and told him how to get out.

"Well! Now we can go around the Vivia Aqueduct without and worries!" Sorey said. That's when he saw the expression Mikleo had. "Mikleo?" Sorey questioned. "From now on, I'm fighting too!" Mikleo yelled at him. "But you don't have the power of purification." Sorey told Mikleo. "So what do you want me to do!? Stand around and twiddle my thumbs!? I didn't come along just to be a liability for you!" Mikleo snapped back. "Mikleo..." Sorey said. "Lailah, is there anyway I can use the power of purification as well?" Mikleo asked the Prime Lord. "There is one way. You could become my Sub Lord and place your power alongside mine. And like me, you would need to dwell inside Sorey, my vessel." Lailah explained. Mikleo grabbed hold of Lailah's left had and said "I'll do it." "No, hold on now! You need to think about this first!" Sorey yelled.

"I need to think about this? I don't recall a whole lot of thinking when you decided to become the Shepherd!" Mikleo fired back. "That's completely different! Is purifying Hellions your life dream!? I doubt it!" Sorey yelled. Lailah held a worried expression and took a couple steps back from the two fighting best friends. The ones who act like siblings. "I am a seraph! Hellions are my natural enemy! Is it so strange that I should want to eliminate them!?" Mikleo yelled back. "I don't know! Do frogs try to eliminate snakes!?" Sorey fired back. "So I'm a frog to you!?" Mikleo yelled, his anger getting the best of him. "Why are you getting so hysterical!? Listen to me, Mikleo!" Sorey yelled. Lailah didn't know whether or not she should be stepping in and diffuse the situation or just let the arguing continue.

"I'm not getting hysterical." Mikleo told him. "Mikleo!" Sorey yelled. Mikleo pushed Sorey away and turned towards the exist. "Your liability will be waiting at the inn." Mikleo told them before stomping off. "Sorey, we should go after him!" Lailah told him as Mikleo left their sight. "He said he's going back. Let him have his way." Sorey said. Mikleo exited the Aqueduct and made his way through the city. "Damn him! I want to help." Mikleo growled. "Oh? Little trouble in paradise?" The voice of Magilou asked. Mikleo jumped in his spot and found Magilou right beside him. "Ah!" Mikleo screamed in a panic. "What's wrong? Did your friends leave you behind?" Magilou teased. "No! I-I just thought that it would be better if I would head back to the inn so I didn't obtain any Malevolence!" Mikleo told her unconvincingly.

Magilou just smirked. "Then you wouldn't be in the city all alone." She told him. "Miss. Magilou is correct! If you don't have a vessel, then you'll be turned into a Hellion fast!" Bienfu said, popping out of nowhere. Mikleo didn't know how to reply because he knew they were right. "Don't worry. The Shepherd will learn soon enough that the weight of the world shouldn't just be held on his and the Prime Lord shoulders." Magilou told him. "Then what do I do?" Mikleo asked. "When they leave, follow them. See where they go." Bienfu suggested. "My my Bienfu! You've become smart!" Magilou teased. "Maybe even smarter than you Miss. Magilou!" Bienfu said with pride. "Oh really!?" Magilou stated, driving her index finger into his cheek, making the poor Normin scream in pain. "Bienfu is bad bad!" Bienfu said before going back into Magilou.

"So I should follow them?" Mikleo asked. "When you've noticed them out of the Aqueduct. If you followed them in there, say goodbye to Mikleo and say hello to the underground dragon that would destroy the city." Magilou said, walking towards the plaza. And that's what Mikleo did. When he saw Sorey and Lailah exit the Aqueduct, he followed them back to the inn where they stayed for only a couple of seconds. Mikleo entered the inn and saw an origami flower made by Lailah. Mikleo unfolded the paper and saw words. I know your following us Mikleo. If you continue following us, I promise that you will fight alongside us in the end! So, listening to the note left by Lailah, Mikleo continued to follow. He found them in the church, and just in time to watch Sorey accept Alisha as his Squire. Mikleo felt jealous and betrayed. So he would allow someone he only knew for a weak as his Squire, but not the person he lived with as the Sub Lord?

He saw them all leave, but reached for the origami flower on the windowsill. We're heading to the Galahad Ruins. Make sure to keep up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Sorey left the city, he didn't expect Velvet and Magilou to follow. "Why are you guys following?" Sorey asked. "It was boring in that city. The Malevolence was too thick and I couldn't eat it all." Velvet said with an annoyed sigh. "And I'm just your friendly neighborhood tag along!" Magilou said. "I'm sorry, but we haven't meet. I'm Alisha, Princess of Ladylake and now Squire to the Shepherd." Alisha said. "Nice to meet you. Velvet Crowe, the First Lord of Calamity." Velvet said in greeting. Alisha froze and slowly reached for her spear. "Wait! Let me explain!" Sorey said quickly. After a quick explanation, they continued. "And I go by many names and titles! I am the great! The all powerful! The fantastic-" "She is an annoying witch named Magilou." Velvet interrupted coldly.

"Shut down in my prime! Your voice could freeze Hell's fires and your evil glare could make even a dragon quake in fear!" Magilou said in a heartbroken voice. Lailah and Bienfu stood in the back and watched the three humans and the one Therian talk. "Look at them. They seem like great friends." Lailah said happily. "Please! We all know Miss. Magilou is the superior warrior! She could even go up against a Legate Exorcist for a long time!" Bienfu boasted. Lailah giggled, not really knowing what he was talking about. "I bet." Lailah agreed anyways. The stayed quiet, just watching the others. "Is he still following?" Bienfu asked. Lailah slyly looked over her shoulder and saw Mikleo at least a hundred yards away. "Yes. Thank you for telling him not to give up and to continue following." Lailah told him quietly.

"It's no problem. Miss. Magilou made another bet with Velvet. Miss. Magilou said that the Shepherd would give up first, but Velvet said that the Water Seraph would give up first. A hundred gald was bet from each side." Bienfu stated. "Ah. So Magilou didn't want to lose anymore money." Lailah concluded. "Yes and now. She already lost the bet before with Velvet coming back from the dead. She wanted to win this time though." Bienfu said, chuckling. Lailah giggled and watched Sorey joke around. "Maybe this chance meeting with Velvet and Magilou could help Sorey learn from the first Shepherd's mistakes and try to fix their ideals." Lailah stated. "Maybe! Who knows!" Bienfu said while laughing. And with that, they continued on their way to the Galahad Ruins with their stalker.

////////////////////

Somewhere, in a frozen town. A girl, no more then 18 years old lay in a room. Beside her was a little girl with tanned skin and a woman with blonde hair. A man with a sword strapped to his waist was slumped up against a wall. All of them were asleep. A female Normin with a witches hate sat at a table, feeling the shift in the Earthpulse. "If what I'm feeling is correct, then this has just gotten interesting." Said the Normin. "Hmm... Grimoire?" Questioned the slowly waking teen. The Normin looked at the girl and softly smiled at her. "Seems like your eternal sleep is over." The female Normin said. "Eternal sleep?" Questioned the teen. "I'll explain when the others have awoken." Grimoire said.