She'd killed someone. It wasn't anything new, right? After all, when she was ignorant, when Alex was by their side, she regularly exorcised those beasts from the Remnant World. But even so, that's what they were; nothing more than monsters who were in turmoil with their human selves, without conscience, deserving to be put down like sickened dogs. June wanted to help others, people who suffered the same way she did, but how could she do that when the value of life became so ambitious to her that it was casual to her.
She had not a care for who he was, the man behind that mask, the wielder of that katana, for as he lay dying before her, he… cried. As he gazed into her own, June couldn't help but feel her chest tighten. There was no doubt that he suffered, the way he accepted death so swiftly, looking to the heavens for guidance from this hellish experience you call 'life'. Maybe he was in the skies, or maybe he was below her feet: eternally suffering.
Maybe he had the potential to surpass her, maybe he could've been redeemed- saved, just as Azazel did for Harbinger. 'The wrong path.' Had he been walking alongside it for so long that it didn't matter? That he was chained to that man like a prisoner, or that he was such a pushover to his sins that he sought no other future for himself rather than the one he assumed he was resigned to. All of these inquiries she let Eternal Sight conjure in her mind would go unanswered. She killed a person today. And that was something she could never forget.
Amidst her mourning, she found herself witnessing a battle, watching Darrell's dark-skinned build fly away, Mei's feminine frame quickly followed, with only Ed sliding to a halt, a fist replacing where his foot stood only seconds ago. June instinctually widened her eyes, watching as the enemy charged a throw at his combatants, sprinting into battle, her ears recording the thunderous booms of multiple explosions simultaneously detonating.
"The hell's happening?"
She ran on over, bones violently breaking as they revealed the shape of the conjoined tendrils painted the same color as her eyes, analyzing the rapid motions erratic in this cloud of black. Another shockwave dispelled the prohibiting smoke, not to her front, but the opposite, however, she bared witness to who flew out from her back. Audio of screeching skidding soles sent hands to her ears, but that was the only thing her body was in control of. Naturally, events occur so speedily that the brain doesn't have time to react, instead, the body registers this movement as so quick it's hostile. She had not the time to react as she beheld the white-haired woman with glowing purple eyes, merely vanishing into the smoke as another second passed.
"June! Where'd you come from!"
Jefferson landed with a hand on her shoulder, her head staring at the familiar voice, Wilder hung her head to the older man's distress. Yet, that was less worrying than the saddened sounds of her breaking voice as she replied.
"I couldn't save someone..."
But the time for dwelling on the past, no matter how present, was not now. Suddenly, a car emerged from the smoke to her front, June looked up to see it disassemble against the purple light shield protecting her and Jeff. In time, the night-shaded fog dispelled and the shape of the enemy became clear as Mei and Ed landed to the side of June and Darrell respectively. Madisyn Rivera, another Incarnated Spirit laid before them, leaving Mei to clench her teeth, just gazing at her figure sent a clump of bits to her throat. It was another challenge to look at her, but a harder one to suppress the vomit begging to be released.
"June, I'm gonna need to do me a favor."
Darrell pushed them all closer so their whispers would formulate a secret plan, clapping their hands together as they finished, Mei pulled June back into a pocket dimension as the moonlight Blanketed them outside space. Ed and Jeff assumed defensive stances, but this time, Madi raises a brow, extending her hand and forming a bow in one of her hands.
'The taller one's aura has changed. He copied that little girl's abilities... I should be on the lookout for his skills and be wary of whatever tricks they have up their sleeves.'
Just as she extended her hand, preparing to blast a bolt at them from the tips of her fingers, she felt an abnormal pull. Originating from a space that shouldn't be possible, she found her attention had escaped the two in front of her, leading to a fist connecting to the forefront of her face. Courtesy of Ed's bloodied knuckles, she upturned her head to spot the descending Jefferson as his feet smashed her skull from above. A shockwave emerging from the impact, June emerged, a flame in her eyes, leaving a burning trail as she pounced forward, her hands turned to smears as she struck repeatedly at the chest of her opponent.
Irregularly, the more speed she gained, the weaker her strikes became, for, after each slap, the snaps lessened. But even as she suffered these blows, her eyes were widened, for some reason... she wasn't attacking, even when she had every chance to. June frustratedly flipped backward, leaving Mei to charge her, now flying straight at her. Tackling Madi to the ground, Mei revealed a rope around the Spirit's ankle as she landed, yanking it with a snap, the Spirit was sent soaring into the air. She was inevitably intruded upon her landing, accompanied by a multi-layered blast detonating imminently from the palms of the Star Bomber.
"Ya know, I think I've just realized something!" June cried out to her allies, Jefferson running from behind her,
"What?" He curiously questioned.
The origination of the impact's truth became clear as the smoke vanished, leaving only Madi searching curiously about her whereabouts with a confused expression as a finger tapped against her chin.
"I think it's easier to bring back Incarnated Artifacts than everyone realizes."
June fell to her knees and comedically prayed to the Lords above, leaving Jefferson to tilt his head at the authenticity of her deduction, however, the truth was confirmed yet again as she was approached by none other than her daughter.
"M-Mom?"
With tears in her eyes glistening from the moonlight, Mei loomed over the apparition of her mother, but as she turned her head, the young woman wasn't met with the bloodlust of an enemy. Rather, the immediate hug from a loving mother embracing her children during a heartfelt reunion. The two eventually fell to their knees and cried into the necks of one another as they clutched each other's backs, leaving everyone else to proclaim their victory. It seemed a miracle, but by a stroke of luck, they'd managed to get another Incarnated Artifact on their side.
"Ah, so that's what's happened. I see."
Madi was informed by her newfound allies about their situation, leaving her to chuckle, smoothing back her hair, pointing a finger at June, a blush emerging over her cheeks.
"But, YOU, on the other hand, I can't believe you even exist! To think that my nephew would manage to have a child and a beautiful girl who looks just like his aunt at that!" Madi squeezed June's cheeks as she immediately sat up, babbling inconceivably as the teenage girl whined from assistance, leaving Jeff to chuckle.
"Was your mom always this lively?" Ed asked with an elbow bump to Mei.
"I don't... I think so. Memories're still kinda fuzzy from stasis," Mei replied, rubbing her forehead.
Mei continued to listen in on her mother bothering June, Ed scratched at his chin, stepping away from the group. Putting his hand to his ear, a rumble resonated under his footing, however, he continued to casually wait, plucking away some cherry fuzz hairs before a familiar voice echoed out to him in response.
"What?"
"How kind of you to reply so nicely, 'Teacher.' Anyway, I think something's brewing under the seams. This chaos isn't for the sake of chaos... rendezvous at the center, find Hana. I think this chaos isn't the main goal of the Founder, but rather Naraku, instead," Ed informed his superior.
"What do you mean?" Azazel asked for clarification.
The Detective casually strolling alongside a rooftop with his face exposed momentarily, was left confused, looking over the edge and forming a crouching stance as he examined the groundwork.
"C'mon, you're a Detective, old man!" Ed encouraged him, leaving Karlo to scratch at his chin, not contemplating with his intuitive gifts, but rather, searching through the memories of a past self; leaving him with only one conclusion.
"Naraku and Callum must've argued. Naraku wants chaos, meaning he doesn't care about the lives of Riverton. However, Callum wants the opposite, since he worked to claim this island, he cherishes the inhabitants and wishes for them not to die. Since their personalities differ, I doubt Naraku actually can think up a genuine strategy. So, what do you assume Callum's plan to be?"
Ed's theory left him with wide eyes.
However, it wasn't out of the left field. From the moment he was incarnated into this body, something seemed irregular. He must've felt his influence slipping, so when the time was ripe and it properly came, he'd be prepared for any improbabilities. Little did anyone know, the bombs were strewn across the island, infiltrating their ranks with every new step they took. They'd been compromised, and they didn't even know it.
And who else held the trigger? None other than that Founder, Callum Rivers, the only man with the ambition to sacrifice the few for the plenty.
To Be Continued.