Present-day.
"I spent three years in Retly. I lived normally there and experienced a great many different things. I even had the opportunity to travel to other nations. That was when the wars started bombarding Retly. I had more freedom with the Jester busy with the battles. I orchestrated more battles. Three years later, the mission is a success and we culminate in a surprise attack on Retly. We obtained the angelic and Requiem blood. That being said, dad, you were there for that one. So, am I done being interrogated?"
Back in the Requiem Tower, Katie stood over her father, arms crossed over her bust. Beyond the windows beside them, the setting sun reflected from the distant mountains and shone onto her face.
"Yeah. Sorry 'bout that…" The Detective replied, scratching his face.
She realized what she'd unintentionally stated and bent her knee, grabbing onto her father's hand. Her blue eyes followed his build, gazing into his identically colored retinas.
"I'm sorry…" she murmured.
"What are you sorry for, Kate?" Azazel pulled away from her and stood up.
"W-what do you mean? I thought it was obvious—" Katie's eyes followed her father, still on her knees in front of his seat.
"No, it's not obvious, okay? Don't you get it, Kate? This isn't okay, alright? This isn't OKAY!" the Detective enunciated; nostrils flared.
"What're you talking about, dad? I don't wanna do this either but we don't have much of a choice, okay?" Katie replied, standing upright.
"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it! I understand that we have made sacrifices for the good of our people. I never agreed with it but we have no other choice. What I don't understand is… how you're able to go through with it so easily."
The Fool Detective collapsed to his knees, holding his face in his hand, allowing his fingertips to crawl into the beginnings of his hair. Tears slithered down his covered eyes' edges, inadvertently marking his cheeks while sobs croaked from his throat. Katie stared down at her father, her lifeless eyes regaining their shine as she listened to him speak.
"I know you've been through hell and back without me. But I feel so very guilty—for not being here. I wish I could go back and kill them for you, so you don't have to feel this way now. I wish I could've had the chance to raise you… as a normal child."
Azazel's tearful confession was what sent Katie over the boundary, slowly consumed by her tears. Even though the teary mist plagued her eyesight, though, she could make out the sight of his fist slamming against the ground.
"If only I'd never been born into this world!!!"
She expected her father's sorrowful lamentation to cause her collapse. Yet she somehow persisted, for when she looked down, she realized she was still standing tall on her two feet. Despite the endless despair she was unequivocally receiving, she pushed forward. Advancing just the slightest amount, slamming her foot forward until the second the other one followed, it was light work. Kneeling before her father, her tiny fingers started shimmering once extended, but her anxiety was squandered when she glanced at her parent's sobbing face. She lifted him from his hunched posture and stared into his eyes.
"Dad…"
He sniffled, only after that did the sobbing stop and he focused on one thing: her voice.
"You're the best father a girl could ever ask for. You care about me more than anyone I've ever met… but I don't know what to say. It's not your fault things didn't go the right way. Nor is it mine. I was a victim. But, I don't want to let that control me. I loathe the world, I'd destroy it if I could… but none of that matters when you're with me," While Katie's mouth moved, her hands slid into his.
They both now stood tall. After wiping away any excess tears with one sleeve, he looked down and her; unaware of his pupils shrinking upon processing this sight. Katie Moon, his daughter just some inches shorter than he, flashed a close-eyed smile at her father that shone as bright as the morning sun.
Before she could even extend her arms for a hug, he pulled her close and embraced her tight. Her widened eyes, buried in his chest, slowly started closing as the comforting heat started enveloping her. Only when his voice reached her ears again did her closed eyes quickly reopen.
"I would sacrifice anything in this world for you, my daughter. I will make this right, baby… I promise."
It was irrelevant to her; she'd already told him. No matter how many times she'd explain to him, he was resilient. Despite it being for the wrong reasons, she accepted it with a weary sigh. He would have to see for himself how it was out of his control. Just like she did… so long ago. After what seemed like an eternity, Azazel released his daughter and patted her head following their hug.
"You're a good kid, Kate. I can't wait to see you grow into a fine young woman," he praised her.
"That means a lot comin' from you, old man—"
She was abruptly interrupted. Not by the intruding sound of anyone's voice, but by an explosion. Snapping their heads toward the wide window beside them, they immediately noticed the huge shadow leaking onto the city.
"Is that..?"
"Dad!"
Azazel turned his head toward his daughter's voice. She was already by the door outside.
"The roof! Quick!" She informed him before sprinting off to jog up the stairs.
She barged through the rooftop door, skidding onto the surface and halting once her torso hit the edge. The temporary sting from impact immediately vanished, as the sight above her was too iconic for her to register anything other than that inimitable scenery. Her father came running from behind her, tumbling to a halt and then stepping back upon seeing the overhead vehicle.
"Holy shit…"
It was a blimp. A blimp the size of a cloud threatened the miniature shape of the Evolutionary Capital. It wasn't any ordinary blimp, unfortunately. Instead of painted on sides, they were stations embedded into the vehicle, with machine guns already locked into the soldiers' hands. From the bottom of the blimp, bombs began falling, detonating upon impact once crashing into the apartment rooftops. Ordinary citizens, ignited aflame, crashed out their windows until their necks finally snapped against the street. The burning skeletons dried when gradually exposed to the outside's fresh air, soon to be infected with the stench of singed flesh.
"I knew this would happen," Katie said, earning Azazel's diverting attention, "Every part of this is exactly according to the way it was foretold to play out. Meaning we'll have to…"
Katie's frightening expression held gritted teeth and bloodshot eyes; her pupils trembling at the thought of the assured future coming to fruition. Azazel looked away from his daughter and then back to the distant blimp.
"C'mon, kid," Karlo beckoned her, hand gripping her arm, "We have to get ready to fight."
Processing his words, she came to agree with his statement. Nodding at her father, she interlocked his hand with hers and stepped to the edge of the rooftop. They both vanished. In reality, Katie leaped across the plentiful tiles, carrying her father along; advancing to warn her well-known allies.
Looking over the pilot's shoulder, Icarus pointed toward the Requiem Tower.
"There. The Tower's a cover-up. Beneath it, a dungeon lingers. Satoru will lead the squad heading there, while the others will obey my command while we raid the city," Icarus further explained to his subordinates.
Heidi turned to Chrollo from his left. "Are you sure we should be doing this, sire? The rest of the world's might will soon descend on the Capital and if we're still here when that happens, we'll be caught in the crossfire!" she warned the Jester.
"Ah, but that's what I'm hoping for~" Icarus's sweet answer was followed by his turning head. "If both nations clash with us and the Requiems, it'd sure be akin to a scene right outta hell. It'd be a bloodbath RULED BY CHAOS! And I, for one, can't wait to see how it ends…"
Now, it's the dawn of a new age.
At the time, the Jester was clueless. But, the more he looked back on it, he couldn't withhold his joy. Having predicted a scenario as clear as the one occurring before them was akin to a scene from a book. Or better yet, a fantasy. A disaster for all eras to remember—the golden age of chaos, the Requiem Era would soon… return.
Requiem Survival Arc - Fin.