James
So…uh…y-you just want me to shoot you?
Caelum
Yes!
Anywhere except the mask!!
James
(I'm not sure what I should do right now…)
(Isn't it a good thing that I can shoot him?)
(No, no, no. There's no way he'd just let me shoot him…)
(There's gotta be some other reason behind this…)
Uh, can I ask why?
Caelum
Oh! Of course~!
I wish to examine the grooves left by your bullets!!
In the heat of battle, I was too focused to take the time to confirm your bullets!
So, shoot me.
James
That doesn't answer anything!!!
What's going on!?
How does this make any kind of sense?!
Caelum
I don't wanna make Dr. Sunshine wait longer than necessary, so could we please get this over with now?
James
Don't make it seem like a normal thing to ask for!!
Do you know what it means to ask someone to shoot you!?
Caelum
Of course.
Mercy.
James
In what world is being shot mercy?
Caelum
Why, in every world!
There are many ways to die in this world, as a mortician I've seen them all.
Drowning, slowly losing consciousness, your body slowly suffocating as your end approaches…
Burning, living an agonizing last moments on earth, unsure as to when the pain will finally end, with the only comfort lying in the knowledge, eventually your nerves will burn off and you won't feel the pain anymore…
Being stabbed, having to slowly bleed out, while watching your life quite literally slip from your grip…
Disease, never being able to rest knowing you might infect someone close to you, or that millions could die as a result of you.
However, when you're shot, it's possible to not even realize you've died until the deed is done!
What else could be called mercy but that?
James
Shooting and death can never be considered mercy.
They're an–
Caelum
If you're gonna start talking about how shooting and death are "evil" or "wrong," save your breath.
Death is a beautiful thing, and shooting is a pure and merciful form that it takes!
Why is it we are conditioned to perceive death as something to be feared?
Do most religions not offer some form of paradise waiting for you after death?
The vikings embraced death through combat, they saw it as their chance to achieve heaven.
If we held those principals today, then being shot is most certainly something great.
A bullet flies through the throat of Caelum
James
Just stop talking.
There.
I shot you, now let's continue our fight so I don't have to listen to your nonsensical ramblings anymore!
You have no idea what death has done.
It robbed me of my humanity.
It took away–
Caelum
–your parents?
James stares at Caelum in shock
James
H-how did you know?!
Caelum
How do I know?
How could I forget?!
Sure, the pattern may have changed slightly, however the wounds left behind are certainly the same ones I remember!
Do you know my position at the hospital?
Mortician.
One case stands out to me especially.
A rather well-off couple.
Shot by their own son, who had fled from the scene at the time.
The neighbours all reported the sounds of gunshots ringing out, fearing for their own safety.
The killer was never caught, but instead of feeling disgust, fear, or anger like my coworkers and the police…
…I felt inspired.
The police claimed there were no bullets left in the body, no gun to be found anywhere…
…but that wasn't the case, was it?
James's eyes widen
Caelum
Because none of them had a Manifesto, they just couldn't see the evidence.
I on the other hand had a perfect view of the bullets: green, sharp, burning to the touch, but the most intriguing detail was the effects they had on the bodies of the victims.
The bullets showed no clear sign of ignition, instead seemingly being ignited by the friction they generated from spinning.
James begins firing at Caelum's mask, however Caelum manipulates his body to move his mask
Caelum
Do you want to hear some details about the bodies that weren't made public?
James continues firing bullets with tears beginning to form in his eyes
Caelum
The bullets had seemingly messed with the interior of the bodies.
I'm not sure how it happened, but their organs seemed to be crushed from the inside, and their innards had been curving around the bullets.
It was such a beautiful sight, seeing the mangled remains of these people and knowing that it was a mere child that was capable of such a feat!
It inspired me to use my Manifesto for my own benefit!
Caelum finally starts going on the offensive
Caelum
That is to say, if it weren't for that child, I would have never met the doctor, I would have never been able to help him with his mission.
Caelum starts slashing at James
We never would have been able to retrieve the Doctor operating out here.
James trips over his coat and falls down, Caelum looms over him, striking the same pose James uses before firing
Caelum
So thank you James Spectre…
For showing me what it means to live for yourself.
For showing me what it means to wield true power.
I'm grateful we were able to meet at least once.
As Caelum fires off a bullet, James uses Lacerta's tail to swipe away at his feet and move out of the way of the attack
James gets up, with blood dripping from where he got shot
James
Shit…
(That was too close for comfort…)
(I can't let him pressure me like that again…)
(Wait, where did he disappear to!?)
James frantically looks around for Caelum with Lacerta coating his body
James
Get out here Caelum!
We aren't finished here!
You think you can talk about my parents' death and then run?!
Fight me!
Suddenly, a hand grabs at James's leg
James shoots at it on instinct
???
Look at what you did to me…
James
!?
D-dad!?
The thing James shot at is revealed to be James's dead father, with fresh bullet wounds from the shots James fired
Another arm grabs onto James's arm
James turns his head in a panic to see who it is
James's mom
How could you do this to us?
Didn't we love you?
James's dad
Weren't we always there for you?
Both
So why did you kill us?
James
N-no…
I-I-I didn't mean to!!
I didn't want to shoot you, I just couldn't control my Manifesto!!!
Chuck's body limps towards James
Chuck
What about me?
Was I just another victim of your power going "out of control"?
Or did you want to kill me?
You really are nothing more than a murderer.
You're the same as me…
You deserve the same fate as me!
All
C'mon James!!
We're all waiting for you to join us!!!
The three begin scratching at James
James begins to cry as he covers his face
James
No…
I never wanted to kill anyone…
?
James opens his eyes to look and sees some black goo draining from the bullet wound in his dad
James
No…
You can't be…
James looks at the three and sees that all of their eyes are pitch black, with the same streaks running down from their eyes
James
You've gone too far this time…
James clenches his fist as Lacerta pummels the three doppelgangers
James
How dare you desecrate my parent's image like that?
What gives you the right?
The three begin to converge into one large blob of black goo with a white mask at the top
Caelum
Hehehehehe…
Figures you'd see through that little trick…
You are a detective at the end of the day…
But if you're so clever, then answer this!
James gets pinned to the ground by Caelum
Caelum
If I just suffocate you using my Manifesto, how will you fight back?
Caelum holds James in place as another tendril covers his mouth and nose
Caelum
Let me see that look of pain in your eyes as you breathe your last!!!
Will your eyes beg for mercy?
Or will they remain defiant to the end!?
I can't wait to find—!!
A bullet flies through Caelum's mask as he strains his neck to see where it came from
The rings around Lacerta's tail are rotating as a new scale forms a new ring
James gasps for air as he gets back on his feet
James
As much as I hate to say it, thank you for earlier…
You explained how my bullets work, which made me wonder: What other part of Lacerta can its scales rotate around easily?
Then it hit me!
Lacerta's always had a couple of scales rotating around its tail!
They were just moving so fast I didn't notice!
But with that said…
…It's time I repay you for what you did with my parent's faces!
James uses Lacerta to pummel Caelum until the mask is completely shattered
James
Phew…
Now that that's taken care of…
I need to make my way back to Doc as soon as possible!