"What...?" Sin gasped, astounded. She did not expect such a thing to ever exist. "How...is that possible?!" She exclaimed.
Lenalee's eyes were wide as she remembered Suman Dark. She was absolutely and utterly confused as to how and why Sin's Innocence was unable to become a Fallen One.
"We do not yet know the reason." Link stood on the side, next to Komui's desk and beside Allen.
"That's all about what Hevlaska knows." Komui concluded. "That's all that I'm able to tell you."
Sin was silent, shocked. She took out her Innocence and stared at it, taking a long moment to think of a sentence, "If this Innocence is unable to become a Fallen One...that explains how they were able to betray the Order." She spoke softly, but Link was unable to hear her words.
Except, Lavi and Lenalee did.
Sin...! Lenalee worried for her friend. Not only was she going to die because she had a certain Innocence that Central and the Holy Father did not approve of, but also because of its previous connections to the Noah family, along with the history of betrayal against the Black Order.
Lavi thought for a short moment, how is an Innocence even able to not become a Fallen One? How is that even possible? That's unheard of. Not only is Allen and Lenalee's Innocence both unusual, Sin's one is, as well. Could she possibly be the Heart?
Lavi couldn't imagine the Heart being something that betrays the Order time and time again, but he couldn't rule out the possibility that it might be just that.
Sin chuckled, having realised something.
"What is so funny, Sin Diae?!" Link narrowed his eyes at her.
"Sin...?" Komui spoke, uncertainty in his voice.
"I now understand. I said before, didn't I? That Central and the Holy Father were afraid of something." Sin recalled the incident just before in the cafeteria, "I guess this is what it is. An ally that, at the same time, is also an enemy. One that you cannot distinguish to be on your side or not. One that, out of fear, you all choose to kill, without even knowing its stance."
"Sin Diae! You will not insult the Holy Father or Central any—"
"But I'm right, aren't I?" Sin interrupted. He shut up, confirming that Sin's theories were true. She sighed, "I wouldn't blame them if they were afraid of something like that. I do think all of this is absurd, but who am I to talk? I'm just a measly exorcist." She chuckled lightly, shaking her head.
"Sin...!" Lenalee grabbed her hand, holding it tightly. She stared at her for a long while.
Sin just smiled at her. She understood Lena's worries, knowing that she probably worried more so than she did at this point.
Lenalee...Sin's eyes glazed over as she saw the tears that were about to fall.
It's said an eye speaks more than words, in which case, Lenalee's silence, could be seen as an attachment to Sin, who she viewed as an older sister figure and good friend, and her unwillingness to allow such a horrible thing to happen to her.
Sin's blue irises flickered to the others. Allen and Lavi's eyes told her all she needed to know; they were on the same boat as Lenalee. Kanda, on the other hand, had an annoyed expression, glaring at Link at the side of his eye.
Haha...he looks as angry as always.
Sin stared at the desk in front of her. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts about this whole situation that she just fell silent.
So I'm being put to death, huh...at this point, when she realised it, she didn't want to. She never wanted to die; there were so many things that she still wanted to do.
I still haven't spoken to Tyki since the incident in the Ark...and I still haven't found a cure for Eeez's illness. I haven't found out the reason that Mei takes over my body, nor have I found out the whole story of my Innocence, and why it's like this. I still haven't settled things back in China...
Sin's eyes narrowed as she frowned slightly. There are still so many things I want to do! What should I do? I don't want to die! Her chest constricted. She placed a hand on her chest, bunching up the cardigan that she wore.
Why don't you just escape to the Noah like the one who came before you?
Mei. You were right. Did you know this would happen to me? Sin ignored her question completely.
...yeah, I did. The Holy Father, the Vatican, the Order...they have been like this for many, many years.
Is it also true that this Innocence eats away at my mind?
Don't believe everything that they say.
What? Sin blinked out of her trance like state, confused. Is Mei saying that they're wrong? But how? How does Mei know?
"Sin..." Lenalee spoke her name softly, catching her attention.
"Lena." The Older Chinese girl spoke. She saw Lenalee trembling, her hands shaking even when they were holding onto hers. With a warm smile, Sin placed a hand on Lenalee's head, caressing her. "It's alright." She said soothingly.
Looking up, the Dark Boots user's tears fell down her face, seeing the smile that was on her friend's lips. "No, it's not!"
"This situation could be worse," Sin laughed lightly, putting no heart behind it, "At least it isn't tomorrow."
That's way too positive! Lavi, Allen, Kanda and Komui thought with shocked, sweating expressions.
"But Sin—"
"I'll take care of this. Don't worry." Sin ruffled her hair and let go of her hand, turning to Komui. "Komui, did Cross want to see me?"
"OI! PIPSQUEAK!"
Sin nearly jumped five feet in the air when she heard Kanda shout. She robotically turned her head to face him, seeing his irritable expression yet again. Everyone was staring at him.
"K-Kanda...?" Sin squeaked, feeling her ears ringing.
"Are you just going to accept your death just like that?!" He snapped, giving her a death glare.
A shiver went up her spine, "W-What?"
"Tch! So you're just accepting it?!"
"Kanda, calm down!" Lenalee tried.
Sin realised that Kanda was telling her to fight. She laughed lightly, rubbing the back of her neck.
"What the hell is so funny?!"
Sin turned to him with a knowing smile, "I'm happy for your concern, Kanda." She paused, but before Kanda could retort and snap at her, she spoke again, "But, we'll see how this plays out." Her eyes flickered to Allen's, "I might just throw out a royal flush."
Allen's eyes widened, knowing the double meaning behind those words. His mouth opened in astonishment, but he closed it back up, knowing that if he said something here, it wouldn't do any good in Sin's situation.
"Hmph! Do what you want!" Kanda stomped out of the room, having heard enough. He slammed the door strongly behind him.
"I'll need to fix the door again..." Komui sighed, seeing the smoke coming off it, as well as the cracks at the corners.
"After you talk to Cross, we'll take you to Central." Link added after a moment, "Do not think about using your Innocence. If you do, your sentence will be pushed forward."
"I won't, Inspector Link. You can trust me on that." Sin just smiled at him.
Not unless it's absolutely necessary.
What are you planning now?
It won't be a secret if I told you.
Fine.
"Cross is in another room." Komui informed. "The guards will escort you there." He turned to Allen, "You're forbidden to talk to Cross, so if you plan on going, you will keep quiet. Is that fine with you, Inspector?" Komui turned to Link for confirmation.
Link had a brooding look but gave in, "Fine. Just this time."
Allen glanced at Sin, seeing her with a nonchalant look on her face, staring off into the distance.
Is she going to be okay...?
--
"Hah?! Why is my stupid pupil here, too?! Only women will be allowed in here!" Cross demanded, waving his glass of wine around at the guards.
Those coming in sweat dropped, but didn't leave.
Cross shooed all the guards out of the room, telling them to wait outside or go buy some expensive wine. Lavi, Lenalee and Allen were there, along with Link, who was watching from the side.
"You wanted to speak with me, General Cross?" Sin questioned, walking in front of him.
He was sitting on a comfortable couch, just drinking. Lavi, Lenalee and Allen stood a few feet away, not wanting to interfere with what they were talking about.
"Yeah." Cross poured another glass, handing it over to Sin. "Let's have a drink, shall we?"
Sin wasn't particularly a drinker, but she did it on social occasions when the situation called for it. Currently, she didn't feel the need to stomach it.
Shaking her head, she declined. "No thank you, General."
Cross looked at her face before setting it down, patting the seat next to him. "Sit down, then."
"Still trying to flirt with her?! Even when she's about to be imprisoned for no good reason?!" Allen was fuming, with Lavi and Lenalee trying to calm him down.
"It's fine, General. Let's just cut to the chase." She wanted to get to the point quickly.
Cross bore silent for a moment, before chuckling, "Alright." He took a sip of wine, swirling it around his glass, "Komui must have spoken about the previous accommodator, right?"
"Yes, he did."
"The one who came before you, was involved with the Noah family. But, they were killed by the Order in the end."
"What are you getting at?"
"The user who was used by the Order for human experimentations because their Innocence was like that of an angel—was also killed, but because of the experiments. All the previous Seraphim accommodators that the Order got their hands on have died by their hands."
"Are you implying that I will also be killed by them?"
"If things stay the way it is now, that is."
"...Cross, what is it that you really wanted to tell me?"
"You're as sharp as ever, Sin. I'm still offended you forgot about me."
"Master?! Sin's met my Master before?!" Allen's jaw dropped to the ground.
"I'm sorry, General. I don't recall our meeting." Sin apologized.
"That's fine. It was a very, very long time ago. You were probably 10 or 12." Cross reminisced, "Around the time you went to Europe for a ball."
Sin's eyes widened at Cross's words. Her eyes narrowed. "How do you know about that?"
"I was there, obviously. We even had a little chat. You said you loved my red hair." Cross shrugged, taking another sip.
"WHAT?!" Allen screamed in his corner. Lavi and Lenalee tried to calm him down.
Sin opened her mouth then closed it, unable to fight back. She remembered, when she attended that ball, she saw someone with red hair like Cross's, and complimented them on their hair. They even danced together, but she didn't remember who it was.
Sin's jaw dropped when she realised that it was indeed Cross. She covered her face in her hands and turned away, feeling humiliated. "I didn't realise that was you!"
"So you do remember!" Cross bellowed out in laughter, slapping his knee.
"Cut the small talk!" Link snapped.
Sin sent him a helpless look, and Cross glared at him for getting in his way of having fun.
"Fine." Cross motioned for Sin to come closer. She did. He motioned even further. She leaned down, wondering what was up. He smelled like wine.
"What is it, General?" She questioned.
"Sin." Cross spoke her name quietly, so that only the two of them could hear. Sin glanced at him from the side of her eye, noticing the change in tone as well.
"Do not get consumed by it. If you do, all that you care about will be lost."
What? Sin blinked when she felt something warm against her cheek, pulling away almost immediately. She touched her cheek, seeing Cross bellow out in laughter once again.
"MASTERRRR!" Sin could hear Allen's screams in the corner, with Link telling him to shut up.
He kissed me...Sin realised. However, even though embarrassment welled up inside of her, she didn't show it, forcing it down. She was never used to things like these, and was good at hiding what she felt in those situations, especially in the presence of those of authority.
"That's all I've got to say to you, Sin." Cross smiled, drinking the rest of his glass. "Do come visit me again sometime before your execution."
Sin pressed her lips into a thin line, nodding slowly. Slowly, she exited the room, with the others following behind.
"What did Cross say to you?" Link asked, wanting to see if she had any useful information.
"That's for you to find out and me to keep." Sin placed a finger to her lips, low-key telling him that she won't be telling him.
Lavi observed the woman. He knew that she had a lot of secrets, but he didn't know what. What was with that 'a ball in Europe'? What did Cross tell her?
Lavi sighed, that's why I'll keep observing her. What's she going to do about that death sentence, too? What did she mean by 'royal flush'? Is she going to escape?
Wait. If she does happen to escape, wouldn't the Order consider her a heretic and hunt her down, trying to kill her? She won't have anywhere to hide! Lavi hummed a long, unsure note. He sighed, this is complicated.
"Sin Diae, guards will be assigned to you until we take you to Central." Link informed. The guards that stood in front of Cross's room nodded. Some of them weren't originally there, and had followed them from the cafeteria.
Three of them surrounded Sin. "Should we take her back to Central, now?"
Link stared at her for a very long moment, eyes narrowing as he did so. "No, not yet. Even if she says that she will not use her Innocence, we can't believe the empty words of a heretic."
"Heretic...?" Sin stared at him like he was crazy. She looked off to the side. It was incredibly disrespectful, but she didn't want to cause too much of a fuss over name calling.
"Yes, sir!" The guards saluted.
"Sin Diae, you will stay here so that we may supervise you." Link concluded. There was a lot currently going on, so amid the chaos there was a chance that she may escape. He didn't want to take any chances.
Sin didn't respond.
She wasn't accepting her death, nor was she accepting anything of the current unfortunate situation.
I want to talk to Tyki...the thought that popped into her head made her feel sad, as she didn't know whether or not she would be able to see him again.
I've got so much to live for right now...She looked around, seeing Lenalee, Lavi and Allen. The other exorcists, too, and the science teams of both HQ and the Asia branch, her family back in China, and those who were not affiliated with any of them.
I want to live. But what can I do, when this Innocence has cursed me so the Order will hunt me?
--
"Joyd. It's been a long time."
"How many years has it been?"
Tyki could feel a burning sensation in his head, causing it to throb painfully, as if trying to remember something. But, although he could remember something, he couldn't recall it. He could only feel a form of despair.
Who...is she...?
"Tyki, please don't hate me because I'm an exorcist."
The Noah knew exactly whose voice it was, different from the first voice. Those words that were spoken, he didn't know when she had said that to him, but he knew for sure, she had said those particular words.
"I don't hate you, Tyki. I will never be able to."
He heard a sob, then silence. His cheek tingled, as if it had been touched, but there was nobody around him, nothing except blackness.
Where, are you?
"You were dreaming, Tyki." Road, who sat on a chair beside his bed, looked over to the male, who had just opened his eyes.
Tyki looked up at the ceiling, feeling cold sweat on his forehead. He turned to look at Road, seeing her place a book down by the bedside table. She stood up, leaning over to Tyki.
"You're awake." She stated with a small smile.
Tyki sat up, feeling somewhat disoriented. He placed a hand to his forehead, then pushed his hair back, which he found to be long. He stared at it with a funny expression, not remembering growing it out.
"Tyki, how are you feeling?" Road asked.
The male placed his hand down onto the covers, "I heard her voice." He said quietly, almost hesitantly.
"Her voice?" Road wondered, "Who's?"
"Sin's and...another person's. She called me 'Joyd'." Tyki wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Road's eyes widened, then they narrowed slightly.
How does that person know the name 'Joyd'?
She placed a smile on her lips, wanting to tease him about hearing Sin's voice. "What did Sin say to you? You heard her voice, right?"
Tyki looked over at Road, raising an eyebrow. From her tone of voice it sounded like she really wanted to know. "I only heard her voice. She..." He trailed off, not wanting to tell Road about what he heard.
"She told him to not hate her because she was an exorcist, Lero!" Lero had come into the room, followed by the Earl, whose teeth shone like there was no tomorrow.
Tyki's eye twitched. Lero knows?!
"Oh?!" Road's eyes widened as she grabbed Lero, shaking it, "Anything else?!" She sounded like an excited little girl getting her toys for the first time.
"She told him she will never hate him, Lero!"
Tyki exhaled tiredly, finding that the cat was out of the bag.
Way to tell everybody about it, Tyki thought with annoyance.
"Oh!" Road clapped her hands with glee. "That's so cute!"
The Millennium Earl laughed, "Tyki-pon, do you remember anything from what happened at the Ark?"
"Hm?" Tyki thought for a moment, recalling Allen slicing through him with his Innocence and stabbing him. "...only until the boy cut me."
"I see. He helped awaken your inner Noah, Tyki-pon." The Earl, even though he was already smiling, smiled wider.
"Inner Noah?" Tyki questioned. He disliked the pet name that the Earl called him, but he felt too tired to correct him on it.
"Yes. Part of you was suppressing it. How lovely, that it has awakened." The Earl sounded happy.
"Ah...okay..." Tyki didn't really know how to express what he thought currently.
"On a side note...your awakening also awoke the Innocence that slumbered within that girl, Sin."
Tyki looked at the Earl with wide eyes, confused and surprised at why Sin was mentioned.
"Didn't she already have an Innocence?" Tyki thought back, but he didn't remember seeing her use it when they encountered.
"Yes." The Earl paused, "But this is a special Innocence. While you were in your awakened form, you fought with that awakened form of hers."
"I fought Sin?!" Tyki exclaimed, shocked. He didn't remember any of this!
"Not really her, but rather the memory from inside that Innocence." The Earl corrected.
"O-oh..."
"Ah, it's been a while since I have seen that Innocence." The Earl chuckled, "If all goes according to plan, the Order will reject her, just like they did in the past with every other one of them."
Tyki's brows met in confusion. "What do you mean?" The Earl was being cryptic.
Isn't that bad for Sin? Tyki questioned himself.
Road, who knew of the previous Seraphim user, giggled, "Tyki, that girl that you like so much, once the Order finds out that she's the accommodator of Seraphim, they'll do anything to get rid of her, just like they did to the last one that appeared."
Tyki looked at Road, raising an eyebrow. "Why? Don't they use Innocence to fight us? What a dumb idea."
Road patted her uncle's bare back, "But then if she doesn't need the Order, she can come to us!"
"What?" Tyki shot her a strange look, incredibly puzzled. "Isn't Innocence the enemy here?"
"Not exactly. Seraphim is a little different." The Earl laughed, rubbing his belly. His eyes gleamed behind his glasses, "Do you want to hear a story?"
Tyki blinked a couple of times, those words registering slowly in his mind. "O-okay...?"
Road smiled and grabbed a seat for the Earl, allowing him to sit down, before she sat down herself. She looked at Tyki, then hopped off her seat to get him a shirt, as he was shirtless. She dug through the drawers and found a long sleeved shirt, which she threw at Tyki for him to wear.
"Thanks."
"Let's start from the Seraphim users before Sin, shall we?"
--
"Old man!" Lavi slammed open the door to his shared room with Bookman. Bookman had come back to that room to look over some newspapers, until his apprentice had barged in.
"What, Lavi?" He asked.
"Tell me about Seraphim!" Lavi closed the door and stood in front of the old man.
Bookman's eyes widened, "How do you know about Seraphim?" He demanded.
"So you do know about it!" Lavi placed his hands on the man's shoulders, before getting kicked into the wall, adding to his injuries.
"Ow..."
"...why do you want to know about such a thing?" Bookman narrowed his eyes at Lavi.
"Sin's going to be executed for having that Innocence!" Lavi exclaimed, "She has 7 days!"
Hearing that girl's name sparked an interest in Bookman, but also pity. He sat down, pressing his sleeves together. "Lavi, you are only in the Order to record events. Don't involve your personal feelings."
Lavi clenched his teeth, but knew that as a Bookman, he had to do just that. "Tell me about Seraphim, please."
Bookman stared at Lavi for a very long time, before sighing. "If you really want to know, I'll tell you."
"Really?!"
"I will only say this once." Bookman warned. Lavi nodded, sitting down as well. He listened intently.
"When I was recording history in the Noah clan, there was an exorcist that came to them for shelter and assistance. She had betrayed the Order after they tried to claim her life, and was the then accommodator for Seraphim. She was tolerated by the Noah, but they were not on close terms as each of them would be wary of an exorcist living with them." Bookman paused, "However, she was closer to the 14th Noah and the Earl. The Earl and her shared similar goals, and thus was able to work together. While in refuge with the Noah, the accommodator was able to unlock a portion of power that the Seraphim user before her did not, but it ate her mind, and the longer she used it, the less she was herself. In the end, her plan failed, and she was killed by the Order. I do not know the exact one who killed her, but found that she died the same way as the one before her."
Lavi thought for a moment, having expected some of this information already. "I already knew that the previous accommodator was acquainted with the Noah. But what about the ones before the formation of the Black Order?"
Bookman looked out the window. "The information about Seraphim before the Black Order is near impossible to come across. But by being in the presence of all the Seraphim that had lived in the time of the Black Order, I can say that it is easier for them to die than to live."
Lavi raised a brow, "How so?"
"Those cursed by Seraphim are cursed by the world and God. It takes a tremendous amount of willpower and reserve to be able to live like this. Sin will be no exception."
"I still don't get what made it this way! Doesn't the Bible say that Seraphim are angels that are closest to God?"
Bookman was silent for a moment. He turned back to Lavi, seeing him with an unsatisfactory expression. "Even for me, as a Bookman, I do not have the full grasp of what Seraphim truly is. The only one who will know is most likely the accommodator themselves."
Lavi frowned slightly, finding that he didn't get too much from Bookman. Since the Earl before had tried to help Seraphim's accommodator destroy the Order, that would explain why he asked Sin this time, too.
"Ah. Old man, Hevlaska gave a prophecy to Sin, didn't she?" Lavi thought for a moment, recalling it from his memory files, "She said her Innocence will become a 'Limiter'." He remembered Komui mentioning it once. He cocked his head to the right, stroking his invisible beard, "What does that mean?"
"Seraphim, to become a Limiter?" Bookman stared at the pile of books on his bed, "That's not possible."
"What do you mean?"
"Rather than a Limiter, it is an Innocence of destruction." Bookman recalled an event where he himself was nearly killed by the previous accommodator having gone mad.
"Innocence of destruction? Then why did Hevlaska mention it being a Limiter, then?" He thought. Lavi couldn't arrive at an answer, so he stood up, stretching lightly, before heading to the door. "Thanks, Old man."
When Lavi left, Bookman just stood there, recalling the days in which the previous accommodator would become mad, slowly, day by day. It was something frightening, even more so if closest to them to see the mad expression on their face.
--
"That was only spanning back 100 years, though." The Earl sipped his cup of tea, one that an akuma maid had brought them.
"They were pretty interesting, actually. It's like they were crazy." Road had a sundae, and picked off the candied cherries on top. "It wouldn't be a surprise if Sin became like that too."
Tyki kept his current silence. As much as he hated to admit it, it seemed like Sin wouldn't get a happy ending at all.
Of all people, why her? Tyki thought with a sigh. He fell back into bed and pulled the covers up to his neck, facing the other Noah.
"Are you sulking, Tyki?" Road asked, spooning some ice cream.
"...no." He looked away.
"Tyki-pon, you're a bad liar." Earl commented with a laugh. He placed his cup down onto the side table, "If you want to save her, I give you my permission to."
Tyki sat up abruptly, eyes wide. He stared at the Earl as if he was crazy, "What?!"
"You heard the Earl, Tyki!" Road grinned, loving the sweetness from the sundae. "Or would you rather she die, instead?"
"But it's not like we know what the Order's planned." Tyki wasn't totally against the idea, but he felt that it wouldn't be a good thing all in the same, as that would mean an even worse situation for his friend.
"Lulubell is going to collect the egg." The Earl of Millennium chuckled, "We'll know soon enough. I can keep a lookout for her with my akuma."
Tyki wondered if this was a good idea. Just because the previous accommodator sided with the Noah that doesn't mean the one now will!
"Why do you want to help her?" Tyki questioned, genuinely curious. They didn't really know her, nor did they have much of a connection to her either, apart from her Innocence.
"It's because the Order deems her Innocence dangerous to them. It's always been like this, since a very, very long time ago." The Earl explained. "If we have her on our side, she would surely be a good asset against the Order to turn the tide of the war."
He stood up. An akuma maid instantly came over, and he placed his cup of tea on it. Road had just finished the sundae in astonishing time, placing an empty cup on the tray.
"Well, there are some things we need to sort out, so if you'll excuse us..." The Earl headed off with Road on his trail.
"It must be hard on Tyki, finding out what he thought was a human friend, was an exorcist." Road mused, skipping to catch up next to the Earl.
"Indeed so." The Earl sighed, knowing of Tyki's fondness towards his human friends.
"Is Lulubell already there?" Road questioned, changing the topic.
"Yes, she is. She should be doing her job well." The Earl clapped his hands together lightly, happy that the infiltration was going to work.
Road laughed, "Serves them right for taking the egg."
--
"Hevlaska, the reason the cube is like that is because of Sin, isn't it?" Komui questioned. He held a clipboard in hand, and had gone down to talk to Hevlaska. He was hoping to get more of an understanding on what exactly happens when Sin's Innocence activates—more specifically, when her wings are also invoked.
"Yes, Komui." Hevlaska replied, leaning down to the Chief's height. "It seems that whenever she uses those wings, the cube reacts. That is how I am able to know when she does."
"Did this happen with the previous accommodators as well?" Komui asked.
The giant exorcist nodded slowly. "Yes. But, the intensity for which the cube reacted, is strongest in Sin."
Komui raised a brow, "Do you know why that is so?"
"I'm sorry, Komui, I don't know any more than this." Hevlaska apologized.
"It's fine. You've given me enough information, Hevlaska." Komui smiled.
Hevlaska's memory only goes back 100 years, so anything before that, we don't know. It doesn't help that the records that should have been kept, was destroyed, and by Central no less. Seraphim is also an Innocence which cannot become a Fallen One, which is unprecedented. Is this also why it's been kept under wraps? Komui's mind tried to connect and reason, but there were too many holes that he was unable to.
He headed back up to the higher levels, thinking about what to do. He saw Sin with the guards that she was assigned; they had just finished putting handcuffs on her, placing the keys in their pocket.
Sin! Komui headed over. He knew that he didn't have the authority to be able to retract the execution, so he didn't know what to do. He hadn't faced a situation like this before.
"Eh? Komui?" Sin had just finished checking out the handcuffs, finding that they were heavy, metallic and annoying. She didn't like them, but she couldn't do anything about them.
"Sin! I thought they were bringing you to Central!" Komui said.
Sin smiled small and shook her head, a helpless look on her face. "Not yet, they say. Link said that I'm going to stay here so that he can keep an eye on me so that I don't do anything. He said it'll be too dangerous to leave me alone without anyone watching me." She laughed lightly, but there was no humour in it at all.
Komui could only manage a, "O-okay..."
"I guess I'll be spending my days in solitude. I can't really communicate with the others because they're incredibly weary of me, or are too busy." Sin stared at the handcuffs, which were rectangular in shape. She rested her arms, "So, what—"
"ENEMY ATTACK! ATTENTION ALL EXORCISTS AND BLACK ORDER PERSONNEL! AKUMA IN LAB FIVE! TWO EXORCISTS ARE CURRENTLY DOING BATTLE WITH THE INTRUDERS. GENERALS AND EXORCISTS, REPORT TO GATE 3 OF THE ARK IMMEDIATELY. NOISE MARIE, MIRANDA LOTTO, REPORT TO GATE 3 AT ONCE! ALL FINDER UNITS TO YOUR STATIONS!" The golems that flew all around them began screaming, urgency in their voices.
"Akuma?!" Sin gasped. "Lab five is where the science division is!" She imagined Johnny, Reever, and all the other scientists, as well as Bak, who went there to help, too.
"You will not be joining the battle, Sin Diae!" The guards shouted, surrounding her.
She clenched her teeth, "No! There are akuma! I need to help them!" She cried.
Komui pressed his lips together, remembering Hevlaska's words on the nature of her Innocence.
It will continue to eat away at her mind the more she uses it, Komui clenched his hands into fists.
"Take her away to somewhere safe, guards." Komui instructed them.
"Komui?!" Sin exclaimed. Her arms were grabbed by the guards, pulling her along as she struggled, looking over her shoulder at the Chief. "Komui! I can help them! Why can't you trust me?!"
"It's not that I don't trust you, Sin. I just don't want to put you in any more danger than you are already in." Komui turned around.
"Komui...!" Sin was dragged away into a room.
Many people are already injured! If there are any more casualties...! Sin gritted her teeth, remembering Link's words if she tried to activate her Innocence and use it.
"I don't care about that anymore!" She shouted out.
Using what she learnt from Kanda, she kicked one of the guards in the groin, smashing the handcuffs in his face, knocking him out. The other guards were knocked out in the same way, some teeth and blood resulting from that.
She wiped her face, smearing the blood that had gone onto it, and quickly invoked, activating her winged Innocence.
Please, go as fast as you can, Innocence! She begged. As if abiding by her wish, she sped out at astonishing speed, zooming past people and heading to where the science lab was.
"What was that whoosh of wind just now?!" A few of the guards mumbled to each other.
Komui glanced over to the room in which Sin was taken to, but saw that it was open, catching a glimpse of the inside, where several guards were knocked unconscious. His eyes widened as he realised what the girl had just done.
Sin...you would go to such lengths?! He clenched his teeth, before someone bumped into him. He looked down, seeing it was Lenalee, with Lavi following her. He threw both of them both into a room with the nurse and some others, wishing that they wouldn't go out to fight, considering one of them had their Innocence broken, and the other wasn't able to invoke at all.
"Please..." Komui almost begged.
--
Sin's eyes widened at the huge blockage that stood in the way of her going to lab five. She tried to get through, but was unable to. Quickly, she hurried to where she knew the Ark to be, knowing that the Ark would be able to transport her to where she needed to go.
I don't care if Link places my sentences even earlier! If I can save the life of those who have helped me, then that is fine! She flew as fast as she could, before arriving at the Ark. She ignored those who caught sight of her in handcuffs, and went into the Ark, not caring about those who shouted at her.
Where?! She searched through the Ark, seeing the rooms labelled with where they would go. She flew around, trying to find the one she needed, before finally spotting it. She pulled it open awkwardly, before heading through.
Immediately after entering, she could smell the incredible odour of rotting akuma carcasses, making her cough at the extremeness of it. It was hard to get used to, but as she did, she heard laughter in the distance, and a scream that made her Innocence stop invoking, forcing her to fall to the ground.
My ears...! Sin couldn't even place her hands near her ears as she hit the ground.
Don't worry.
Her Innocence activated by itself, becoming large enough to cover her ears. Sin breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the disorientation hit her afterwards, causing her to nearly trip from being so unbalanced.
Between the feathers of the wings, she saw the destruction that was lab five. There were dead akuma everywhere, and dead people, too. A lump formed in her throat when she recognised the faces. She saw exorcists, but they were not fighting. They were trying to stop the effects of the scream.
Where did that scream come from...? Sin looked around, trying to find the source.
It had already stopped, but when she heard a loud thump to her side, she looked over, seeing Tiedoll in front of a being that had a pentacle on its forehead, a halo and wings. It looked like it was having fun, having just landed in front of the General.
So the Generals are here too! That explains why the akuma are so quickly gone! Sin realised. She saw that where Tiedoll was, there was a garden like place, with many scientists underneath the trees. It glowed a light green, signifying it was Innocence.
It wasn't until the haloed creature punched the ground did the whole place explode out in flames and destruction. Sin gasped at its firepower. Her wings came away from her ears and grew larger, surrounding her in a sphere like shape as if for a defence tactic.
"Ah!" Sin felt a strong thump while in the sphere, knowing that something had hit her. It was probably rubble, but she felt fine.
I never knew the wings could be a defence mechanism, too! Sin thought. Another pair of wings, becoming two thirds the size of the first pair, grew, allowing her to fly in the air.
She felt intense heat when her first pair of wings came away from the sphere shape. She gasped when she saw the area underneath her – it was a raging inferno that singed her skin.
She spotted the creature with a halo right in the middle of it, smiling from the destruction that it had done.
That...! That thing...!
That's an akuma, Sin.
"Akuma..." She felt a lump form in her throat. "Since when did akuma have this much strength?! Lab five is destroyed!"
Some people shouted something that Sin couldn't hear, prompting the akuma to go over and destroy them, too, with them shouting that it was an act of betrayal.
Sin flew forward, following the steps of the akuma. She saw that it stopped at the entrance of lab five, and she immediately knew what it was going to do.
"STOP!" She heard Allen's voice, and looked up to where he was, seeing him trying to reach out. Link was next to him, with a shocked expression when he saw Sin.
"SIN DIAE!" He roared, just as the akuma destroyed the entrance.
Sin sent an apologetic smile towards Allen, before looking at Link once, then flying to follow the akuma, going at top speed.
"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!" She shouted, swerving the corner as she did so.
"Oh? You're fast." The akuma commented. Sin was shocked at how young it sounded, but with that much destructive power, she felt unnerved.
Sin stared down at her hands, knowing that she couldn't use her Innocence.
I can't use my Innocence! Argh! What am I going to do?!
Your wings can become a weapon if you want them to be.
Before Sin could ask what Mei meant, the first pair of wings, the largest ones, morphed to become blades of Innocence, similar to feather blades. As her second pair allowed her flight, the first pair threw blades at the akuma.
"Even my wings don't do that!" The akuma laughed and dodged, before seeing a heap of guards stopping it at the foyer, armed with shields.
Sin stopped her offensive at the akuma, seeing the guards. She didn't want to hit them, so the only choice she had was to become faster than it and knock it out of the way.
"Please, let me make it...!" Sin gasped, shooting forward. She managed to get as fast as the akuma, then faster, stopping in front of the guards.
"SIN?!" It was Komui's voice.
She shot the blades at the akuma, with all of them missing except one, which stabbed it right in the leg. But that didn't slow it down. With only its bare hands, the akuma sliced its way through both Sin and the guards, heading to where the Chief was. It pulled out the blade and muttered that it hated Innocence.
Sin gasped, feeling the cut to the side of her leg pulse through her body. She looked down, seeing the blood oozing out of it.
It's a deep cut...! She winced when she moved it slightly. She pulled off her cardigan and wrapped it around her leg, trying to stop the bleeding. It hurts...! She felt sweat pouring down her forehead and back, her palms sweaty.
I can't stop now...! She turned to where Komui was, seeing Kanda defend him from the akuma. However, he didn't have his Innocence, because Mugen was getting repaired.
"Ow..." Blood dripped down Sin's leg as she readied herself for another firing round, forming a gun with her fingers before aiming at the akuma, getting it in its other leg. It screamed out, taking out the blade and throwing it to the ground.
That timing gave those who weren't injured, a chance to place it in a talisman, stopping its movements. Sin flew over to where Komui and Kanda, and Choaji, who she didn't see before, were. She floated above the ground, knowing that it wouldn't do her any good if she stepped down now.
The akuma began to laugh. It sounded almost like it knew what it was doing, and with a knowing smile, no less.
"What is that akuma, Komui?!" Sin exclaimed.
"That's a level 4." Kanda replied to her, throwing away the sword that had cracked, getting a new one. He glanced at her for a moment, seeing that she was bleeding quite badly, and she was getting paler.
Level 4?! Sin thought, inhaling sharply. That explains why it's so strong!
"Stay back, Komui." Kanda spoke.
"Kanda! Stop!" Chaoji exclaimed.
"You don't have your Innocence!" Komui held his shoulder, which was bleeding due to the level 4's attack.
"I'll make do, don't worry." Kanda spoke nonchalantly, which worried even Sin.
"Komui...can you hear me?"
Sin looked over to Komui, hearing the voice of Hevlaska.
"Come to me, Komui. I will distract the level 4. Take the Innocence from inside me and flee with your people! The Ark still has a portal that connects to the Asia branch. Take your people there! Your position here is no longer tenable. As long as you have Innocence, you can rebuild. Komui!"
Komui inhaled deeply, before holding a wireless that he spoke to, directed at everyone. "Section leaders! Listen up! I won't repeat this! Evacuate all headquarters personnel to the Asia branch through portal 3 of the Ark! Don't waste time on the dead or missing. We have two priorities—protecting the Innocence and avoiding annihilation. You have your orders! Now go!"
Sin's stomach dropped. They were going to retreat? Her mouth opened in shock, before it closed again, seeing Komui preoccupied with ordering the people around the Order.
Even if we retreat, the Earl will make more of these level 4's and more people will die! But, if we all die here, then it's even worse! If only I was able to use my Innocence! These stupid handcuffs! Sin shook her head quickly, pressing her handcuffed hands to her face. She clenched her fists, feeling tears come to her eyes. She flew near the ground and tried to smash the handcuffs, but to no avail. It only made her wrists bleed.
She stared at them before remembering when Mei controlled her body. However, she then recalled Komui's words; that her Innocence would take over her mind the longer she used it.
Sin narrowed her eyes slightly and flew higher into the air, wondering if she was really losing it. She pressed her lips together when her eyes landed on the akuma stopped by the talismans.
I don't care anymore. Mei! Can you do something about this situation?!
You want me to voluntarily take over? Why should I do that? I hate the Order.
Please! I beg you! Remember what Komui said?! That my mind will be taken over by the Innocence?! That's you, isn't it, Mei?!
...it seems you've figured it out. How did you know?
You're able to control the Innocence! You're the one that takes over my body—both times involuntarily, because you needed to save me! I've been thinking...and that's the conclusion I've come up with! You need to save me so that you can take over my body!
That sounds like something out of a novel, Mei laughed, fine. I will help. You know what this means, don't you? Your will start to lose your sanity even more, now.
No, I won't. I will stop you. I won't let that happen!
...suit yourself.
Kanda noticed in the side of his eye, Sin's black hair had become half silver, and her eyes had become red. His eyes widened slightly at the sight, wondering what the heck was happening. He then saw her fly up higher, before coming back down to smash the handcuffs, which became warped in shape.
"Huh. What the hell are these things made of? Even I can't break them properly." Mei stared at the handcuffs, seeing them in a strange shape.
She looked at Kanda, Choaji and Komui, who were staring at her with wide eyes.
"What? Don't give me those looks."
"You're...!" Choaji gasped, remembering the fight with Joyd.
"You're not Sin, are you?" Komui asked, covering the wireless.
Mei's brows jumped as she laughed lightly, "No, I'm not. Don't worry, she's currently watching all the events from inside. I'm just taking over so that doesn't kill herself accidently."
"Komui! Hurry! Rouvelier is bringing Lenalee here!" Hevlaska spoke to Komui through the wireless.
Komui held a look of shock.
"Rouvelier...!" Mei growled through her lips. "Once I'm done with this piece of shit I'll be dealing with him..." She looked to the level 4, seeing it crack the talisman it was in.
"Shall I take care of it?" Mei stretched her fingers, her first pair of wings forming into that of even bigger blades, ones that began to glow red.
"No! You evacuate!" Komui ordered, heading to the elevator that went to the lower chambers.
"Hah?" Mei turned to Komui with a surprised expression, seeing Kanda and Chaoji go after him. She sighed and flew to where they were, following Komui.
"What are you doing?! You were ordered to evacuate, all of you!" Komui berated Kanda, Choaji and Mei, who had come with him.
"Hey. I don't act under orders for anyone but myself, and sometimes Sin, too. She doesn't want you all to get hurt. If anything, my wings can shield you all." Mei explained, flying down to the elevator. She only stood on one leg, knowing that the other one was currently unusable. "Tch. Damn leg."
"Hurry, Komui! Take the Innocence and Cube from within me! Lenalee...Rouvelier is bringing her here...!" Hevlaska spoke to Komui again.
Mei! Why don't you go get the Innocence first? You're faster than the elevator! Sin suggested.
"Oi, Komui. Sin suggested that I get the Innocence first."
Komui slammed his hand down, starting up the elevator. Komui didn't answer as they went down.
Mei glanced up, seeing the level 4 coming at them with incredible speed. She laughed, "Oh, this is going to be fun."
"It's coming." Kanda readied his sword.
The level 4 pulled its hand out, a ball of energy forming, aimed for the elevator. Mei spread out her wings, covering Komui, Kanda, Chaoji and the Finders, waiting for impact. When it hit, the elevator toppled over, sending them to the ground with aggravating force.
Mei clicked her tongue when she hit the ground, feeling something stuck in her back. She undid the sphere ball, letting her wings go back to a normal size, looking over her shoulder to check on her back, seeing a piece of pipe stuck there. She gritted her teeth, pulling it out and throwing it to the side.
"You shielded us...!" Komui stared at Mei with wide eyes, seeing the blood coming from the pipe wound. Everyone that was in the sphere ball were fine, except Mei.
Kanda narrowed his eyes, standing up.
"Komui! Yu! Sin?!" Lavi gasped. "Wait, no, you're not Sin!" He ran over, "Thank goodness! You're alive!"
"Lavi?!" Komui exclaimed.
Mei winced, ripping part of the cardigan from her leg, and tying it around her waist tightly. She flew up so that she was to the side of Komui, seeing Lavi.
"What's with those handcuffs?!" Lavi pointed at the warped ones she had.
"Those Central bastards put them on Sin." Mei replied, glaring at the handcuffs. She clicked her tongue, looking up to see another annoyance. It was the level 4, who had come down.
"Is the game of tag over now, 'Chief?'" The level 4 almost sounded like it was taunting Komui.
Mei readied her wings.
You really left me a lot to compromise on, didn't you?
I'm sorry! You would've handled the situation better than me...
No matter. I'll get rid of this piece of shit.
Lavi and Kanda went back to back in front of Komui, ready to fight.
"You idiots...!" Mei growled through her teeth.
"Sin, stay back! You're injured!" Komui shouted.
"Shut up, Komui!" Mei snapped, flying in front of Kanda and Lavi. She turned her head slightly to the side, "I'll deal with this ugly thing. You guys go take Komui to Lenalee!" Mei's words were on edge.
"But you—" Lavi noticed all the blood coming out from her leg and back, and wondered how the hell she was still standing.
"GO!" She shouted.
Lavi and Kanda began to go, taking Komui with them.
"You're not getting away, 'Chief'!" The level 4's palm formed a ball of power, before shooting it at them. Mei threw herself in front of it, getting hit at full blast, thrown back to where Kanda, Lavi and Komui were, hitting them in the process.
Mei groaned, pulling herself up, feeling the sting of dark matter that brushed off her body. Her handcuffs had dissipated and crumbled into ash, which allowed her free movement.
"You were hit directly!" Lavi gasped when he saw some stars appear, but then stared at her with wide eyes when they disappeared, indicating that the virus had gone. "What?!"
"The virus..." Komui spoke, standing up.
"Let's go!" Kanda pulled both the red head and sis con up, heading towards Lenalee.
Hevlaska had lifted up Lenalee, about to put her Innocence in. Seeing this, the level 4 attacked Hevlaska, causing her to drop Lenalee and her Innocence.
Mei winced, pushing herself out of the rubble and heading to where the level 4 was. "You troublesome thing! But, I'll give you my thanks for destroying those annoying handcuffs." She took out the hairpin in her pocket, invoking it so that it became a spear sword. "Now we're ready to fight." She winced at the pain in her lower back.
Damn pipe...
"Hm?" Mei felt another presence, one that belonged to Allen. She saw him coming down from above, but she found it strange.
In her distraction, the level 4 kicked her into a wall, causing a dent.
"Argh!" Mei groaned. She landed on her knees, feeling the pain come up from both her leg, her back, and now her abdominals. "Damn akuma..."
She saw Allen engage in fight with the akuma, noticing that he wasn't the actual one fighting, but rather, the Innocence was.
He's letting the Innocence control him to fight?Mei's eyes narrowed as she hopped onto one foot, joining the fight again.
As Mei and the level 4 engaged in fight, Lenalee dragged herself towards the Innocence, seeing the blurry vision of Sin and Allen fighting, blood dripping from her wounds.
"I'm tired of...mourning..." Lenalee whispered to herself, taking hold of the Innocence.
Komui, who had managed to get up to where Lenalee was, was too late, as the Innocence liquefied in her hands.
"So long, Komui!" She smiled at him, then she drank it.
She drank the Innocence?!Mei's temporary moment of distraction allowed for the akuma to throw Allen to where Rouvelier was, who stood near Lenalee, aiming at him with a full force of dark matter.
Sin quickly took over Mei's distracted state, but nearly gasped and faltered at the unbearable pain in her body. She held back tears as she lifted her Innocence, endowing it with power just like she saw Mei do back in the Ark.
Please...succeed! Sin hoped. She inhaled sharply before going forward, gaining enough speed. She held her sword pointed, feeling her back throb in pain. She winced, but continued, ignoring the pain.
The level 4 saw it too late, not realising that the other exorcist was attacking, having been focused on teaching the others a lesson. It was starting to turn around when Sin came, stabbing a hole through it, and causing it to scream, before hitting Sin into the wall, forming a crater.
She gasped in pain, falling forward as her Innocence revoked. Her ears rung and her vision blurred—she couldn't see properly, as it was still adjusting.
Why did you take over if you knew this would happen, idiot?
Sorry...
Mei took over again, invoking the Innocence and flying back up. She scrunched up her face in pain, feeling it thoroughly.
"Huh?" Mei's looked to where the level 4 was, and to her surprise, Lenalee had started to fight it with her new Innocence, with more power than she had ever seen. She and Allen were fighting together, and because Sin had weakened it just before, the level 4 was feeling the aftereffects of it, though it spewed much nonsense and hate as it fought.
Mei judged the situation, seeing that they didn't seem to need much help. She flew over to where Lavi and Kanda were, seeing them nearby a wall after failing to stop the attack from before.
"I'm guessing you two are alright if you're alive." Mei commented. She looked at them, seeing that their injuries aren't too bad, though they'd need treatment.
She looked up, feeling the presence of two Innocences, which she knew belonged to Cross. He destroyed the wall, quite pissed off looking.
"Cancel the evacuation, Komui. I'm going to turn that potbellied freak into a lab specimen." Cross looked like he was almost ready to kill.
Mei glanced over at Komui, seeing him head off somewhere while talking through the wireless, then stop. He started talking with Cross, then turned to where she and the other two were.
"Kanda! Lavi! You all right?" He called.
"I can't move..." Lavi groaned.
"I'm sorry you had to fight without your weapons." Komui apologized.
"Huh? You don't have to apologize. Fighting akuma is my job." Kanda wheezed.
"It's not mine, but still..." It seemed like Lavi's life force had been drained.
"Sin!" Komui shouted, catching Mei's attention. She turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue. He looked at her injuries, seeing them quite severe. He didn't know how she was still able to stand, let alone stay awake. "I'm sorry you had to fight like that with restrictions. But thank you."
Mei managed to let out a chuckle, even though it made her wince. "You should thank Sin. She's the one who wanted to save all your asses."
Komui smiled small and then replied to questions from Allen and Lenalee, before heading off.
At that moment, the level 4 began to move, trying to pull Allen's sword out of its body. It managed to do so, but Cross took the reins, beginning to fight it.
"That was effective." Mei commented, seeing the level 4's shot areas expand.
"Why will you be broken? Because I fired one shot for everyone you killed. See? I'm not so heartless." Cross smiled, but there was no happiness behind it, "And the others...were for ruining my suit." He then laughed after that.
"...typical." Mei sweat dropped at the red haired man.
The level 4 akuma shot upwards, trying to escape. It didn't succeed as Allen grabbed a hold of it with his Crown Belt, stopping it from escaping.
Even if it did go up, the other Generals are waiting to kill it. Talk about checkmate.
Mei...are you able to give me back control of my body now?
Will you be able to cope? It's quite painful.
I...will. Don't worry.
Mei was silent for a moment in her conversation with the original owner of the body, before sighing to herself. I'll give it back to you after they treat it.
...I'm not sure if they'll treat it, Mei. I'm on death row, remember? They might just let me die from blood loss.
I'll hold on to this body a little longer. I want to have a word with Rouvelier, as well.
Alright.
Mei saw Allen and Lenalee go through the akuma, popping it like a balloon. Except, rather than just popping, it exploded. Parts of the akuma flew down in broken bits to the ground, with the head landing near Cross.
It was still able to talk, laughing out loud. "Don't get too full of yourselves just because you defeated me. We can destroy you any time we want. In the end, we will—"
"Achoo!" Cross faked a sneeze, shooting Judgement purposely at it. "Oops. There goes my specimen. Ah, well..."
Mei breathed a sigh of relief. She heard the others behind her sigh. She looked over her shoulder, then flew over to where Lenalee was.
"Lenalee, Sin wants to know if you're alright." Mei didn't land, knowing that it would hurt even more so than when she first cut it.
Lenalee's eyes widened when she saw the full extent of damage on her body. "Sin! No, not Sin, b-but still! You need medical treatment!" She insisted, lips quivering.
"I'll be fine. But, are you alright?" Mei asked.
"I'm...I'm fine," Lenalee nodded a couple of times. She turned to Allen, who was up against a wall and not moving. "But I need to go find a doctor for Allen! He isn't moving!"
"Lenalee, go find a doctor for him." Mei urged for her to go, in which she was reluctant, but did so anyway.
Cross looked over to Mei, coming over. He put Judgement back into its holder, "Long time no see." He smiled.
"...I saw you not too long ago back in the Ark, you know." Mei pointed out.
"It's refreshing to see you again, no matter how many years pass." Timcanpy flew and landed on top of Mei's head.
"Cross." Mei's expression turned serious. She hesitated, before shaking her head, "No, don't worry about it."
"If you want to know about where it is, I don't know yet." Cross shrugged and turned on his heel, then looked over his shoulder, "Remember to come by and have a drink with me. You promised me over 30 years ago."
Mei's red eyed widened slightly, before she chuckled and shook her head, "Maybe. We'll see what happens, Cross." Timcanpy followed after him.
"Sin Diae." Rouvelier's voice almost echoed throughout the whole lower level.
Mei turned to where it had come from. She made a face when she saw the Rouvelier, remembering a similar type of face within the last century.
"What's happening?" Lavi and Kanda could see what was happening, and they had stood up to get back into the higher levels of the Order to see the damages and help out.
"Rouvelier." Mei spat the words menacingly. She glared at him, her red eyes intensely burning into him with hatred.
"You have overstepped your boundaries! You knocked your guards unconscious and joined the battlefield against the level 4, with unauthorized use of the Ark! You used your Innocence, even when you yourself stated that you will not!" Rouvelier shouted those words at her.
Mei hissed, "So what?"
Rouvelier glared at her, challenging her glare with one of the same intensity.
"Hmph. If I didn't listen to Sin to help save everyone, then I would have let this place burn to the ground!" Mei chuckled darkly, flicking back her silver toned hair. "You should be glad I didn't destroy this place!"
Rouvelier's frown became a slight smirk, which immediately caught the attention of Mei's eyes.
"What the hell are you smiling about, you heartless bastard?" Mei glowered.
"You haven't recovered your full power yet, have you?" His words caused Mei's eyes to widen, staring at him with a mix of anger and shock. "It's evident in all these wounds of yours. If you were able to use your powers without restrictions, you would have certainly been able to destroy this place unscathed."
"How...!" Mei clenched her teeth, "What are you getting at?!"
"You still don't have enough time, do you?" Rouvelier's eyes gleamed delightfully, almost like he was having fun toying with his opponent.
"Rouvelier...!" Mei winced and pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling the effects of losing too much blood. "Tch...!"
"We will imprison you, so that you will not escape." Rouvelier took a step forward. "We won't make the same mistakes as last time." He took another step forward, tone as stern as his face.
"Try me, big boy." She grabbed his collar and lifted him up off the ground, at the alarm of those around. Her eyes flashed a bloody red, danger evident in them like a raging beast. Rouvelier, however, didn't seem to flinch. "If I was not restricted in such a manner, you Rouvelier's would be the first ones I'd kill!" Her words were heavy and dark. She dropped him.
"You should be glad that Sin doesn't want any of you to die. Be grateful, you bastards." Mei turned to Rouvelier when talking. "You should be grateful that I'm not escaping, too."
Rouvelier was silent for a moment. "If you're not escaping, then I presume you will be cooperating?" He sounded almost smug.
Mei sent him a glare, "For now." She turned around and began to head off.
"Who are you?" Rouvelier asked, fixing his uniform. "You mentioned 'Sin', therefore, you are not the exorcist 'Sin Diae'. Who, then, are you?"
Mei turned around, before a bitter smile went to her lips. "I am the one who was closest to God. I am Mei."
"The one closest to God?" Rouvelier chuckled, "It doesn't seem that way right now."
Mei faked laughter, before giving him a death glare. "If you need me, I'll be with the nurse to treat my wounds."
Mei flew off, leaving Rouvelier to chuckle at the harsh words that she spoke.
"Mei?" Lavi questioned. "So the one that's Sin, normally, is Sin, but the one who looks like that is Mei?"
"...I think so." Kanda seemed a little dumbfounded.
Lavi recorded it, but he also wondered what Rouvelier meant when he said that Mei didn't have her full power.
Does that mean she's a lot stronger than this? Lavi thought. If that's only a part of her strength, and she's on par with the strength of the Noah, then that would mean that if she really did use her full power, she would be able to destroy the Order that she seems to hate so much. But, why hasn't she? Is it because she can't access that power?
Why do they have to put her on death row? I think it'll be worth it to let her live, to see how history plays out.
--
"What?!" Tyki exclaimed. The Earl had come back to Tyki's room, telling him the situation of Sin in the Order, and what seemed to be happening there.
"Through the level 4's eyes, it seems that Sin is being kept a prisoner there. I was quite surprised when she awakened again and fought." The Earl sounded delighted, but there was also weariness evident in his voice.
"I mean, what do you mean she's being kept prisoner?" Tyki couldn't believe it. Even if he wasn't an exorcist, it was still not a good sign if they're kept prisoner there. "And what do you mean awakened?"
"She had handcuffs." The Earl clasped his hands together, "Seraphim is slowly starting to devour her mind. This will be good for us, as this Innocence hates the Order very much so!"
Tyki stared at the Earl with a mix of shock and surprise, almost dumbfounded too. In a sense, Tyki got why this Innocence seemed to hate the Order so much, but he didn't get how it wouldn't become a Fallen One, and how it would devour one's mind.
That's not good. Tyki sighed to himself. If I could get her out of there, I would...wait, what am I thinking?!
"Tyki-pon, I did give you my permission if you want to save her. She will be a valuable asset." The Earl's teeth seemed to shine brighter.
Tyki wasn't so sure, but he took his words, knowing that the Earl must have had more than those reasons for wanting her around.
...I guess I should go see her soon.