We walk down the dark tunnel for several minutes before we finally see light. It is from the Vitarine building, no doubt. We walk into the light to find that this underground passage connects directly to the Vitarine basement, just like Cabel said it would. So far he seems trustworthy, but time will tell on that one.
We see the door that we are searching for. It is dark green and covered in metal sheets to reinforce it. I don't think anyone would be able to forcibly break into it. There are no guards, which makes it seem like they trust everyone that might have a key to this door. I wonder what rank Portia is in the company, and how she was able to get her hands on that key and yet not be a part of the conspiracy.
She unlocks the door for us and she steps in first. She hasn't done anything shady yet, so I figure she's earned my trust as well.
The six of us file into the room, and we take a close look around. It is small, a little bit like a warehouse. There are boxes stacked around the room. I don't know what's in them, and I don't care. What I'm most focused on is what is in the back of the room. I see a mass of shining red crystal, and I immediately know what is inside of that cluster. It is the Sealed Spirit that Merava is after.
My group and I walk up to the crystal in order to get a better look at what is inside. I can't see it too well, because of the thick red glass, but it looks like a Demon…at least, what I imagine a Demon to look like. It has big, curled, nasty horns that practically wrap around its head. The head itself is just like that of a goat, except this goat doesn't have any fur at all. It looks like it has scales, actually. Shiny black scales…
"We should hide behind these boxes," Kael says. "So that when Merava comes, she can't tell anyone is here until it is too late."
Kael has great advice, and now that I look around the room I see the boxes are placed in a perfect position to hide behind. We send Natalia and Kavella off to one side, where they can watch over Portia. Kael and I take the other side, the one to the left, along with Cabel the weapon collector.
We wait there in silence for a great long time. It seems like we wait for almost two hours before something happens. Sure enough, though, the door swings open. I peek over the box from the shadows to see who has entered.
I feel a lump in my throat. It's Merava, all right. I'd recognize her face anywhere. My mind flashes back to when I first saw her, when she wrapped her cold hands around my chin and dropped her Spirit Pendant into my hand. I remember the rage and fear that was running through me, and I remember how I was paralyzed, unable to do a thing. That won't be the case this time. I am alert and stronger than ever. My sword, Crossed Heart, has never been in the hands of a better master than right now. To use my sword, I have to be ready and willing to die. Well, I'd die a hundred times if I could destroy this bitch once and for all.
I already have my sword in my hands; I have had it out for quite some time. I figured, when the time comes, I'll be able to jump out and kill her before anything happens at all.
I see that Merava has a new weapon, now that I have a better look at her. She's carrying a scythe that is the same red color as Kavella's staff. It must be Spirit-made.
I allow myself to take my eyes off of Merava for a second. I notice she has an accomplice. It is a scrawny man in glasses, but he looks sinister. To my surprise, he is unarmed. That's a good thing, he won't be able to cause us any trouble.
He closes the door behind him, and I am happy for that. If the door is closed, that means nobody else is going to come along. Merava and that man are the only two we'll have to deal with.
The duo walk past our waiting places, and it seems that they are completely oblivious to our presence. As Merava is approaching the red crystal, I know the time for me to strike is nearing. Our goal is to have Natalia and Kavella launch an assault from their side to momentarily confuse the Spirit. Then, when her back is turned, I'll be able to attack and kill her before she acts.
I see Portia's head pop up as she takes aim with her gun. I want to scream at her and tell her to get down. If she's detected early, we'll lose the only chance at a surprise attack we have…
But maybe this is a good thing. If Portia shoots and wounds the man with Merava, she might be momentarily stunned. That could provide an opening.
There's another side to that as well. If Portia shoots this man, he might die. I don't know if I'm okay with one of us committing murder, no matter the circumstances. Wouldn't killing people make us just as bad as Merava? She killed three people. That is why I have a grudge against her. If we kill people, then…we're just perpetuating the violence. If we do that, then both sides will just keep killing until there's nobody left. In that situation, everyone loses.
I see Natalia pop out and start running for Merava. I know this is my chance, my only chance, to take her out. Natalia is charging at top speed, and she's about ready to connect with them. They still haven't noticed her. I'm running too. Kael is behind me, readying an Animus technique. Kavella is getting one ready herself. Natalia will get there before me, and cause the two of them to face the opposite direction of me. I'll get there just a second after, and I'll be able to strike Merava from behind and finish this once and for all.
"Release!" Merava calls. She's nowhere near the crystal, but it suddenly lights up and vanishes into the air. I see the Spirit that was sealed inside begin to awaken. Shit!
But Natalia is right there. She sweeps the man off of his feet and knocks him in the direction of the awakening Spirit. She pulls up her spear and takes a slice at Merava.
She's able to cut across Merava's chest, and the Spirit stumbles backward. It's my time to strike. I can do this. I can definitely do this. I'm raising my sword to strike…
It would seem Natalia hit Merava too hard. Before I can strike, the Imp Queen is falling on top of me. She knocks me down and my sword flies out of my hand. I'm pinned down, and I can't hit her. She's not too heavy, though, and now that I'm this close to her I see she isn't as physically powerful as I thought. I flip her over so that I'm the one pinning her down, and I strike her in the face as hard as I can. She coughs and throws her head back, showing she's in pain.
For a second I hesitate. She looks so…human. She doesn't look like any of the other Spirits I've come across. They were always like monsters and animals, so I had no trouble killing them, but Merava looks up at me in fear and I see her eyes are just like mine. They show emotion, every time she looks somewhere. There's more than malevolence in her soul. I see that she has the capacity to smile, to laugh…she feels things other than a basic desire to murder.
My hesitation costs me. She throws me off from on top of her and struggles to her feet. As she gets up, she blasts something in Natalia's direction. It is too hectic to see if it hits her or not. I see the newly awakened Spirit is handing his sword to the man Natalia knocked down. That sword must be the only thing capable of killing the awakened Spirit. He's making the pact with the Vitarine employee, just like Merava made a pact with me.
Before Merava can fully recover, Kael and Kavella both finish an Animus technique designed to lock her in place. Kavella's technique binds Merava's thighs together, while Kael gets her around the elbows. She's completely locked up. Perfect.
The next order of business is getting that sword from the Vitarine employee. If we can get our hands on that sword, we can kill that newly awakened Spirit before he has a chance to do any damage.
Before I can get anywhere close to them, a bullet is fired and strikes the Vitarine employee in the arm. Good hit, Portia. But to my dismay, this causes the Vitarine employee to flee out of the room. I turn my head, and I'm about to chase him, but I can't. I have to be the one to finish Merava, I can't just chase after him. Kael and Kavella are stuck, too, because they're focusing on keeping Merava under lock. I race over to my sword, Crossed Heart, to recover it from the ground where it landed. Once I get it in my hand, I'm going to strike Merava, but the newly awakened Spirit plows me over and knocks me to the ground. He knows Merava is in danger, and he scoops her up and begins to barrel toward the exit. I get back up as soon as I'm able to, and I'm running after them, but the Spirit is too fast. He turns around and punches me in the stomach right before I reach him, and then he slams the door shut. I crumple to the floor, hurt. I was thrown down two times, now, and hit pretty heavily just then. My body feels a little numb, to say the least.
Portia runs to my side, and I see she's fumbling with her gun. "This stupid piece of crap jammed up after my first shot," she explains. "It won't fire!"
Portia helps me to my feet and I look over around the rest of the room. It would seem Cabel is gone. I'm not sure when he left, but I didn't see him help in the battle at all. Honestly, I don't blame him. He had no reason to help us fight something like Merava. I'm just glad he got us this far and didn't betray any of us.
I look over to Kavella and Kael. Neither of them are coming over. They are leaning beside Natalia, who is lying flat on the ground. I feel a tightness in my throat. Natalia must have been hit by that technique Merava used earlier. I feel the same shadow of despair that came over me when I saw Lance get struck by Merava. When I saw him impaled in about seven different places, and saw him crumble to the ground.
I rush over to them, praying it isn't true.