Tales of Berseria The X: Beyond Calamity

Chapter XIII: The Buried Despair

The party travelled through the sewers and back into the city. Avernus pushed open the hatch to the street, and one by one, the team jumped out of the tunnel.

Avernus breathed in relief, "Ah, finally. Some fresh air."

After a bit of body stretching, Rokurou turned to Velvet, eager to know her idea about the creature they saw back in the villa, "Um. You don't want to talk about that daemon, Velvet?"

Velvet raised her hand in indifference, cutting off Rokurou and dismissing him, "Who cares. Avernus said that it was a Griffin. Not even the crybaby exorcist seemed to know what it was. So, we don't need to know either."

However, Avernus recalled Velvet's strange reaction to the invisible barrier as if she was familiar with the magic. Unlike Rokurou, he decided to ask the real question, "Velvet, you said something about that barrier. Do you know what it was?"

Velvet let out a silent groan in annoyance. "Yes. I know that too well. There was the same kind of barrier blocking my prison cell back at Titania, preventing my escape."

Avernus stroked his chin. More events began to pile up that didn't make sense with the information they had on hand. "I see. The exorcist Eleanor didn't know about the creature. They must have some kind of a secret experimental plan to keep that prison under a castle."

None of it mattered to Velvet as killing Artorius was her ultimate goal. She quickly shrugged it off. "As I said, it doesn't concern us. Let's head back to Tabatha. It is time to get the last piece of information to get to Artorius."

However, Avernus's mind was occupied with something else besides killing the Midgand saviour. He watched Velvet as her eyes burned with the desire to get her revenge. Avernus wondered; what he could do to spare her the cruel fate that awaited her?

Rokurou's abrupt questioning of Magilou broke him out of his reverie. "I still can't believe that you stole a malak from an exorcist. How did you do that, Magilou?"

"I didn't steal him."Magilou snorted. "Originally, Bienfu was my malak. But he betrayed his rightful mistress and ran away." Magilou pinned the chubby normin under her malicious gaze.

Bienfu sobbed in misery, "Miss Magilou treated me so bad! I couldn't take it anymore." But somehow, his mood immediately shifted, and he beamed as he remembered someone else, "But then I met Madam Eleanor. Living with her was like a dream! I was so happy. She was so much nicer to me. She has an elegant scent to her! And whenever she was emotional, her tears moved my heart and soul."

Avernus smirked and shook his head, "You Bienfu, are an idiot to mention this right in front of the witch."

An evil grin carved on Magilou's face, accompanying her wicked gaze. She grabbed Bienfu in a quick move and poked his cheek, pushing her finger into his soft skin enough to bruise, "Ho ho! I wonder what kind of punishment you should get tonight for what you just said..."

Feeling Magilou's bony finger digging into his chubby cheeks, his eyes widened in dread, "Bieeeen! The bad days are back again!"

"Stupid malak..." Avernus muttered, staring at Bienfu with a dismissive glance.

Velvet groaned, glaring skeptically at Magilou. "In other words, you're an exorcist."

Magilou chuckled. "That's a big nope, darling. I'm a witch. Bienfu here sort-of enhances my magic power, like a catalyst."

Velvet turned to Avernus for confirmation, "I thought only exorcists could make pacts with malakhim. Isn't that right, Avernus?"

"If it was three years ago, you were right. But now, with everyone being able to see malakhim, I'm certain that a few more people with a knack for magic can now form pacts with them."