'Lord our Father, who sits in the throne of Elysia, I know I've fucked up a lot–I mean, I am aware of my crimes to humanity and my blasphemy to you. Lord the Father, I have smeared filth to your name after having humans become the main course of my three meals in a day for the past centuries. It's your fault for making them taste so go–ghastly. My sins are ghastly. I am a disgusting servant who deserves punishment for mass murder.'
It had been so long since he prayed that his intrusive thoughts got in the way of giving a decent and sincere prayer. Basil's forehead was scrunched in frustration. How will the heavens give him the blessing to purify souls if he couldn't make himself solicit with genuineness?
Meanwhile, Karma was thinking of retiring early in life despite achieving little. He was young; he could learn how to farm or fish. He didn't have to make a living out of killing bloodthirsty demons, ghosts, and demon lords. Kids his age couldn't even stand a mild toothache while Karma had fought with shattered ribs and a bleeding liver many fights ago. The vessel that appeared out of nowhere jumped down from the tree, creating a small earthquake and dragging him away from his thoughts of retirement.
The child that the vessel folded like clean laundry must have killed Jinx which resulted in this abomination. This vessel is a Curse Level 4 Fledgeling. From Karma's experience, this type of vessel had an adoration for mutilating their prey and taking home body part/s as a trophy. Unlike the Curse Level 3 Juvenile that would raid towns in a group, fledgelings would never work with another fledgeling as they prefer to hunt on their own. They'd first fight to death if two or more fledgelings meet in one place.
Belladonna grinned; ghosts were superior to vessels and Karma was proving to be a big hindrance to achieving her goal to please her Lord Mammon. She extended her arm to the direction of the vessel; the gigantic mace that it was holding was lifted with its lone and muscular arm in an attempt to strike Basil.
"Watch out!" Karma called out.
Basil scooted back without opening his eyes. The mace was swung; but it wasn't towards the snake, it was towards Belladonna. The weapon spiraled her way, splattering her head like a watermelon. Gore escaped her like a fountain. Strings of thick blood squirmed like worms reaching up from her neck. She was releasing a slow rattling noise while she pieced herself together. That slow and deep continuous croak became a high-pitched scream as soon as she was healed. Ayami stood. She removed her head from the scythe, dashing towards the vessel and slashed off its hand that was to smack her away. She was moving more agilely, as if Belladonna gave her a boost of strength.
The clones that Karma created fought each other since Karma #3 remained under Roi's blazing command. Karma #3 created a circle of fire around them, caging number 2 inside. His blazing scythe pierced inside the sane clone, infecting him with the controlling fire.
This trick of his bit Karma back in the ass twice. The two clones turned against their origin, charging up to him with raging speed.
"Basil, are you having a tea meeting with God? Hurry up!" the teenager snapped.
The dismembered hand of the vessel, having the life of its own, grabbed onto Ayami's body and squeezed her like an orange. Her body was squashed into a pulpy mess. Ayami's voice pierced into the vessel's head, making it cease its movements for a short time.
'Oww…owww! Make it stop. Make it stop! Please….please stop.'
Jinx was conscious while the vessel living inside of him wreaked havoc. He could hear the orphans' voices all too well.
'Why can I hear you?'
'I want to go home…I'm scared! I'm scared!' Roi cried.
'What do you want me to do? I'm stuck inside this monster's body too…' Jinx reasoned.
'I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. Make him stop. Please help us! Someone…anyone!' Castor begged.
Now that his counterpart took over his physical form, Jinx could clearly see the purple waves that carried their messages to his mind. The vessel glanced at Basil who remained struggling with his solicitation.
'Hey…Hey, your name is Seo, isn't it? You're the vessel that Master Salem took care of.'
Jinx remembered that dream. He hadn't had the chance to ask or to confirm if that dream was true because of the series of events that took place.
'I am that vessel. What is it to you?'
'Can you do something for me? Come on, I won't charge you rent for living inside me.'
The vessel snorted. 'You think I should owe a debt of gratitude? It should be the other way around, kid. It's my time to do whatever I want. I want that ghost's lower half. It's the source of her evil. It will make a good trophy.'
Why her lower half? If anything, her most sinful body part should be her hands since she experimented on these orphans.
'You want to take home a trophy that could still slit your throat then be my guess. But you live inside of me so I should be the one in charge!'
The vessel scoffed, attempting to turn away and head for Belladonna's spot. Its body froze and gyrated the other way.
'What are you doing you damn brat?!'
'Putting an end to their suffering you selfish brute!'
Karma was getting tired of evading his clones. He spun with one of his legs stretched out, creating a circle of dust and placing a coin in the center. The clones entered the circle which caused its activation. Light brimmed and dispersed the clones into blue sparkles. After taking a short breath, his eyes caught the vessel's bizarre movements. Its torso kept twisting left and right as if it couldn't decide which path to go. With one strong jerk towards Basil's direction, Karma thought it would pounce on the concentrating serpent. The vessel jogged behind him, staying there as its other hand regenerated back. The dismembered hand of the vessel fell down, fingers unfurling to give the appalling view of Ayami's mushy body. The head was on the ground, grimacing. Belladonna couldn't keep her eyes away from the slushy viel remains. She shivered and shifted her legs together, biting her lower lip.
"I'll pretend I never saw that."
"Pollux, end them. This is taking far too long!" Belladonna commanded. Pollux was still folded in half; Castor was backed up against a tree, staring at him with wide eyes.
Pollux's upper body snapped forward, his face planting on the ground.
"Mother, there has been a change of plans…" he chirped, standing up.
Belladonna quirked a brow. "What do you mean? What changed?"
"My loyalty."
He leaped, creating a sphere of dust underneath him. He landed right in front of Roi, grabbing the eyeballs and tossing them over Basil's way. The fire didn't make him flinch. He seemed immune to it.
"Use Medussa's eyes!"
Roi's sobs made Basil's eyes open.
"Roi?"
'I'm scared…I'm scared…'
There was a pang of guilt that radiated in Basil's chest. What the hell was he doing? His eyes flashed brightly, causing Roi's eyeballs to become stone. The fire died out, the knights vanished. Basil glanced at the stones resting on his palms.
He could hear them clearly. All this time they were crying for help and he didn't notice.
"I'm sorry…" he murmured, rubbing his thumb against one of the stones. "I won't let her use you again."
Even in death they were tortured. Even in death they get injustice. These bastards...just wouldn't let them rest and have a normal childhood. All they wanted was a home.
Basil resumed his prayers, this time his focus sharpened. Seo stormed out of Basil's back, pouncing on Belladonna. Its mace flew back to its hand, clashing against the scalpels of the deceased scientist. The scalpels successfully deflected the mace, creating an opening to Seo's chest. Pollux used Seo's back as a wall to run up to, jumping over and slamming his daggers down on Belladonna's scalpels.
"What are you doing? Have you become ungrateful to the person who created you?! You were nothing but skin to that cowering piece of flop! I made you into something! I treated you as my son!"
She didn't expect this. Pollux obeyed her like a dog. He never hesitated carrying out her orders before.
What made him change?
"Use everyone to your advantage," Pollux responded. "You taught me that, mother. You raised me well."
Who made him change?!
The knight holding Kou's hand poked the viel's forehead. The bandages covering him from head to toe loosened, revealing skin that was as flawless as an infant's bum. It was as if Soleil's fire never touched him.
"Don't mind the ruckus outside, Kou. Sleep some more. Dream more of me."