To stop the sinners in the Abyss hidden

The majestic city of Era. It has been quite a while since Leila had to visit it, despite it being the center of Magical Council and all. Which was a little strange, considering her new standing within the world of magic as one of the great Wizard Saints. The Council has really become quite lax with all this. But she couldn’t quite blame them. They lived in hard times on the verge of total collapse, dark mages running freely and plotting against the better standing of this world. So when a formal request arrived, the girl decided to drop her business in the Floating Continent and rushed over here. Due to the isolation of that place from the rest of Earthland, this was actually the first time she had heard about the murders that were taking place here. Horrific scenes that would sow the seeds of uncertainty among the many residents of this place. Whoever she would be up against, they were smart and powerful. To be able to pull off something like this in what was without a doubt one of the most secure places in this nation… they wanted to send a clear message that no one was safe, no matter where they were. And it was working. As the Eden’s Caretaker walked through the main gate, she noticed the streets were unusually empty. Only those that would be running the most necessary errands or shopping for supplies were out. The rest barricaded themselves in their homes, leaving only a bitter feeling of dread to hang in the air.

With a barely audible sigh, Leila would not waste any time and head straight to the point of the meeting. Seeing the severity of this situation, she was not to search for the culprit alone. Another Wizard Saint was to accompany her. Which was good for more than just one reason. Saints were all powerful people who were respected by many in this world, symbols of justice and protection. They were the shields of Fiore and beyond. But possessing great strength and kindness, the girl had looked up to them for quite some time now. Ever since she was nominated as one of the Rising Stars, in fact. The reality that she was now one of them was still a little difficult for her to process, but she was glad that she would get to meet and even work with one of her peers now. Naturally, she always adored meeting new people, both during and outside of contracts. But this was just a little bit more special than any other time. Her heart might have even been racing a little bit as she made her way through the streets and alleys. Ryo Knetegawa… she had already heard about all of the current Saints. But this one, he was somewhat different from the rest. Number ten and holding the position for longer than most, yet surrounded by a veil of mystery to someone like Leila. She was indeed looking forward to getting to know him a little bit better.

And finally, she would arrive. The place they were supposed to meet at, it was already filled with Rune Knights and other employees of the Council, trying to secure an entrance to the sewers. Having such a parade of shining knights here kinda made the girl question if there would even be anyone for them to catch, as criminals would generally disappear the moment they even sniffed Rune Knights. But if they were deep enough in the sewer system, then perhaps the news would have not reached them just yet. It also seemed that she got here before Ryo, so there was some time for mental preparations. That said, the Caretaker would just take her time to explore the entrance for now. Even for such a fancy place, it was nothing more than a hole into the abyss itself, gate made out of rusting metal and green slime and water oozing out like a monster trying to escape the clutches of this disgusting prison. It was in quite the contrast to Leila herself, who was wearing a neat combat fur-trimmed yukata, her hair tied into a single long ponytail. At this point, she could only hope that none of that slime would get onto her tail, as that would probably be rather difficult to clean. Not to mention her new habit of not wearing any shoes, not was backfiring at her real hard right now. With yet another sigh, she would just lean against one of the nearby, more clean, walls and wait for her partner to arrive. Then they could just get to work and try to finish as quickly as possible.

It appeared that the girl did not have to wait too long after all. The other Saint arrived shortly after her, quickly approaching the Eden’s Caretaker. As he bowed, so did she in the most elegant way she knew. Her hand bent in front of her stomach, she would move her body forward and head low. She was hardly an expert on formal behavior, but hopefully, something like this would not mark her as a complete savage. The girl was still very much a wandering mage. Most of the times, there was no time for these formalities with others, as meeting people in the middle of combat was not too uncommon. And people outside of cities in general hardly ever bothered themselves with any kind of formal behavior like this. In any case, it also seemed that the man was not alone. Along with him came a sprite or fairy of some kind, flying in the air playfully. Though her speech and meaning of words were far from something a kind fairy would say. It made the girl chuckle as she introduced herself as well.

“Likewise, it is a great pleasure to meet you in person, Sir Knetegawa. My name is Leila Vergious, a simple wandering mage. I look forward to our cooperation!”

As of right now, the girl was once again on the road. Having left the Golden Phoenix guild due to its change of focus, she technically no longer had any place in this world anymore. Such was the nature of most guildless and traveling mages. Always on the road with no real place to call home. But at the same time, always enjoying their adventure and enduring the dangers of this world. An experience the girl found very rewarding pretty much every single time. Despite being part of a guild for such a long time, she had spent far longer on the road. 18 years to be precise. Ever since she was adopted by a sentient machine traveling the world at a very young age, she knew no home and only the thrill of adventure. It was not a bad thing by any means.

“Please, no need to be mad at Miss Pmpkinspice because of her words. The sprite has no reason to assume much about me, we have just met. I am sorry to hear about your unfortunate circumstance, but she appears to be a wonderful companion. Be kind to her, and I am sure that she too will return kindness in time.”

Saying all that with a bright smile, the girl still had to wonder a little bit how she came across to others. White hair, fairly exotic way of dressing, pale skin and red markings on her skin. Did she really not look like much with an appearance so different from regular humans? Well, it didn’t really matter at all to her. Just something that made the Caretaker rather curious. Either way, she hoped that the sprite would accept her words and maybe they could even become friends at some point in the future, be it a distant or imminent one. Soon there was another rather interesting gesture by the man, as he used his magic to form a pair of shoes for Leila. It was a gesture that actually made her blush lightly, as she was not used for anyone to offer anything to her like this at all. She would nod to him and try to put them on. They were not exactly her style, but as he said, at least she would not have her delicate feet covered in green slime and sludge by the end of this ordeal.

“T..thank you kindly! As for your question, they have merely set up their guard here to make sure that none of our targets escape once we go in. I do not believe we can expect any support once we are beyond this point. Shall we?”

Asking the fellow Saint, the girl would head toward the actual sewer entrance and open the rusted gate open, a rather eerie and uncomfortable sound being their company for the next few seconds. Only a few steps in, the stench became rather strong in this new damp environment. Especially for someone like Leila. Due to her more animal-like features, her senses were stronger than those of a regular human. Her sense of smell was quickly assaulted and overpowered, making her expression twist slightly. Still, she would do her best to keep her composure and turned toward her new companion who was hopefully following next or at least behind her.

“My apologies, but… would you happen to have any further information about our contract? I have been outside of Fiore for a while, so I am not exactly aware of what has been happening here. All I was told is that there were murders and because the situation grew rather serious, I should arrive at this place right away. Not much to prepare me to face anything at all.”

“They might not have much power as individuals and often cause problems for many mages that do not deserve it, yes. But I want to believe that Rune Knights and even the Magic Council are doing their very best to make everything right. In a society where so many people hold enough power to be considered super-humans, I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to create rules that would not discriminate one of the parties. As things are right now, the situation is not exactly the best. In fact, a lot is left to be desired. But I do believe that if things go south, the Rune Knights here will be able to finish our job. Heh, sorry… I’m rambling, aren’t I?” The girl wanted to speak her mind a little bit after Ryo stated his view of the knights and just how useless he thinks they are. It was harsh, yes. But at the same time, it was fair. At least partly. Rune Knights, they were mostly humans with very little to no magical abilities that desired to still help in one way or another. But in the face of an unbelievable power of a dark mage as the one they would have to soon defeat, they could never do anything. They would just die and not help anything. Some of them probably realized this, but still wanted to help at least somehow regardless. And Leila admired them for that, even if they perhaps didn’t fully deserve it at times.

She also worked with the Council for quite some time now. Which was perhaps the main reason she made it as one of the Saints. She never really shied away from them, even if their actions became a little questionable. And even when she knew that she was used as nothing more than a pawn, she still helped. In the most extreme way of thinking, it could also be said that she wanted to become part of the Council itself in some way so that she could try and change it for the better from inside. The girl was surprisingly resistant to corruption and temptation. For someone who went through so much and seen the darkest moments of this world, she was very innocent and naive. Perhaps because she chose to remain like that and did her very best not to cave in. That was Leila Vergious, nature’s traveler and a treasure hunter of sorts. The Saint of Eden… or in the common tongue, Saint of Paradise. But that was enough of getting distracted for now. They still had their contract to fulfill. And for the girl, the orders themselves worked out perfectly. She had never taken a life from a sentient creature before. She was fully against killing her opponents, but would not stop others from killing if that was something they were used to. She simply refused to bear that sin by herself. Some would surely find it foolish, but she didn’t mind. It was her own choice and that was the most important thing.

The sewers were certainly unpleasant, but it was far from something that would stop her. She was handed a breathing mask, but she didn’t want to rely on Ryo’s help in this manner too much. She would extend her open palm toward him in a sign that it was okay and that she just needed a moment. She was gathering her magical energy and once she had enough, her body would suddenly begin glowing blue. She would stretch and her form temporarily became wraith-like before returning to normal. “Gah! Alright, much better… apologies, I temporarily change my body and disabled my sense of smell. I am capable of shape-shifting you see.” Quickly explaining what she just did to Ryo, she would then listen to his take on the things. She already gave him her take on the Council and everything around it, so she simply listened and nodded once he was finished. Well, not much extra info was given. She figured mostly what was happening, but she hoped for something a little bit more concrete. Like the number of foes they would have to face. But no such luck it seemed. Thankfully they were two Wizard Saints, individuals with a great deal of power to back up their titles. Even if they didn’t have the advantage of extra information, there was probably no reason to be too afraid of the enemy getting an upper hand. Still, it was best not to underestimate the unknown.

“Alright, not much to do but keep on going. Miss Pmpkinspice, if you spot an enemy, will you let us know please?” She would also address the sprite with a big smile on her face and a friendly tone of voice. She wasn’t completely sure how to help the creature become more at ease, but figured that maybe she would feel better if she felt like she was a true and important part of this job and that she actually helped. In any case, they would start going further in. And it seemed that they didn’t have to go all that far either. Only few turns later, Leila would suddenly slow down as her animal ears twitched few times in response to something. Extending her hand to the side toward Ryo, she would silently let him know that something was up. Embracing the fact that she would have to dirty her attire at least a little bit today, she pressed her body against the wall and approached the next corner rather carefully. And sure enough, some distance down the other hall was a larger group of darker mages. Judging by the magical energy they had in their bodies, they were nothing more than apprentices. But it was still unwise to take them lightly. Looking at Ryo and his companion, she nodded at him. Hoping that they would be able to help each other even though they never worked together before, she prepared to charge in if he would.

Leila listened to the man’s reply and while their views on things were quite different in certain areas, it did matter rather little. As long as they could still hold some respect for each other and their work, then they would be able to cooperate no problem in order to deliver a swift end to the operation of these dark mages. She did not know why he harbored such deep hate for the Rune Knights and perhaps even the Council itself, but she would not try to tear this answer from him either. They had just met and such matter was surely very personal, so even trying to ask would be very inconsiderate of her. Such was the nature of secrets. It was only right to assume that the other person was unwilling until they would reveal the secret on their own. Some would surely argue that a bit of coaxing could be required at times, but she’d dare to do that only with a very good friend she had known for ages. Of course, there was some small semblance of hope that she could get to know her fellow Saint at a better level than just as two holders of a similar title, but those were plans for far away future. Right now, they had to focus on the task at hand anyway. And just as she suspected, the man would take the lead into his own hands as they spotted the group of enemies. For now, she would watch how he wished to deal with this problem.

Knowing the skills of the other person was always a rather important part of teamwork. And while she knew his card magic from the public information as well as what he displayed not too long ago, she easily noticed the blood magic as well. It was one of the more strange combinations, at least for someone who didn’t know much about cards or vampires. While the girl had her share of experience with beasts and monsters, humanoid vampiric beasts were always something extremely difficult to identify when they did not wish to be found out. In any case, she observed the fight taking place as she continued to peek from around the corner. Naturally, Ryo was good. Being a powerful mage was one of the requirements for being a Wizard Saint. But here they stood against foes of great power and even he would require a little bit of assistance against numbers that large. Once Leila saw all the abilities present on the battlefield, she herself was ready to join in as her body suddenly dissolved into the air itself. And as the last five enemies surrounded her comrade, she would appear behind one of them, slightly above the ground and her hand already in the ready position. With a single powerful strike, she would send one of the apprentices straight into the slime-covered floor with enough force for the impact to knock him out. While she talked a lot about how she didn’t want to kill anyone, her fighting style was always something pretty brutal when observed up close.

From her hand would shoot out a vine of sorts, similar to a whip but more akin to a sentient serpent in the way it moved and started coiling around another one of the dark mages. Pulling him in, he suddenly became a meat shield for a wave of shadows that were heading in Leila’s direction in order to slam into her. Though she just hopped to the side and watched as her poor shield flew and crashed into a nearby wall after receiving an attack from his comrade. Behind her back would suddenly appear a blue discus assembled from several parts, floating and rotating in the air without actually touching her back. Quickly having this peculiar weapon of hers slide to her arm, she would toss her hand forward and that was enough for the stone circle to fly out at the speed of a shot bullet, hitting the mage who just attacked square in the nose and bouncing off to fly around Ryo and then toward the remaining two enemies. While that was happening, the one already hit stumbled backward from the pain as he held his face in his palm, not even realizing Leila had closed the distance and her fist was about to double the damage. Effectively knocking him out, she would now start paying attention to the two that managed to shield themselves with shadows as the discus just bounced off of them and returned to its owner.

With a sigh, she would just smile at the two and scratch the back of her head. “Normally, people would quickly give up after witnessing the rest of their party put down like that. Are those shields really necessary?” Her words that could probably be seen as a feeble attempt at a diplomatic solution were rewarded with a smirk from one of the mages as the girl quickly turned around. Though a bit too late, a wave of black energy slammed into her left side and got absorbed into her body. Taking few steps back, Leila looked at her left arm that was now pitch black. She managed to block the attack with it, but it had consequences. Only mere seconds later, her entire arm would just fall apart and turn into ashes. In front of her were reinforcements, more of the death and darkness mages. “The aspect of Death itself, granted a physical form through the art of dark magic… that’s pretty rare. If you guys weren’t so bad, I’d love to have a chat about it, what a shame.” Despite her arm being gone, the girl’s reaction was rather tame, to say the least. Aiming her other hand at the sewer ceiling, she suddenly looked over her shoulder at Ryo and shouted. “Take cover!” And without any further warning, another vine shot out of her palm and buried itself in the ceiling.

Only now, it would start growing exponentially in there. And in an instant, trees started tearing through the cold stone, causing large chunks of it to fall down. But it was not a total collapse of the entire underground, not at all. It was a controlled environmental attack that resulted in heavy stones and bricks falling mostly only at the dark mages and forcing them to the ground or completely unconscious. About fifteen seconds later, the trees and roots would stop moving and so did the enemy. It appeared that this one batch of foes was quite nicely defeated. Turning toward her partner, Leila would smirk herself now, wondering if she showed him something good there. And her arm was not a problem either, as countless vines were suddenly sprouting from the stump and creating a shape of a new hand, the green slowly turning into a new skin, meat and blood. Much like Ryo, Leila was not really a human. Something that came with the benefits of having a body that could regenerate even fatal wounds rather easily. But unlike him, she never made any efforts to hide it at all. Even now, that fact was showed to everyone present rather clearly. “Those guys were quite the surprise. And while the idea of collapsing parts of the ceiling worked rather well, I don’t think I should continue doing it. Unless we want to be buried here along with them, of course. Though I’m personally not that big of a fan of that idea.”

Ryo was certainly a good partner to be with during a dangerous mission like this one. Being able to quickly analyze the situation and trust his ally, he heeded the girl’s call and tried to cover himself when the ceiling started falling apart, albeit in a slightly unconventional way. He certainly trusted his magic, but that was a good thing in its own right. So once the fight was over, he was quickly back at his feet and even complimenting Leila. Something that made her eyes widen ever so slightly and a rosy blush to appear on her cheeks. Despite holding a position like a Wizard Saint, she was actually not used to others praising her abilities or actions. In fact, that was something extremely rare for some reason. But this was no time to be distracted like that. So she quickly shook that feeling off and instead just smiled at her companion. “I’ll gladly accept this praise of yours, Mister Ryo. Your abilities are quite the sight to behold as well, and while I do not doubt your words for a moment, it’d be best we did not collapse the entire sewer system of this city. It would probably lead to a great deal of inconvenience for many individuals. And no offense taken, I would prefer to live elsewhere myself.” Of course, the citizens of this place were the first thing that came to her mind when a collapse was mentioned. But in the end, she spoke her words with joy in them, still showing her cheerful nature.

And not only was Ryo more than capable in a fight, he also came prepared. Or, well… his magic made him prepared. Yes, Leila could have created similar objects to restrain these dark mages using vines, but she honestly trusted her partner’s creation to last longer than her own in a place like this. But it was somewhat funny in a way, seeing how they could just walk through this place without the need of having someone carry such items in a bag. The power to create with magic, it was always fascinating. She watched all those men be restrained and then quietly observed the card king interact with his fairy once again. Quite convenient that they had someone who could inform the Rune Knights in their stead like this. Left alone, she expected to start moving again. But instead, her new friend opened up a topic she did not think would be discussed here today. She would chuckle at the words she heard and then looked Ryo in the eyes. “That stunt from before gave you an idea like this, did it? While you are correct in assuming that I am not a human, my arm was restored only thanks to my magic alone. It had nothing to do with what I am. You have almost revealed your secret to someone who could have been a regular human~” She teased him just a little bit as they started walking deeper into the underground maze of filth.

Since he was quite eager to explain what exactly he was first, she remained quiet for a little bit and listened. Though when he mentioned vampirism, her eyes started glowing like small fireflies in the darkness. She adored the ‘supernatural’ and magical beings and the fact that she, for once, wasn’t on the side where she had to eliminate one was rather pleasant. And while she wanted to ask about a million and one question, she tried to retain her composure and let Ryo finish talking. First had to come a proper introduction, then there would surely be time for questions later. “I see. You certainly carry the noble visage of a vampire with you. It is the greatest pleasure to me to be working with someone like you, Mister Ryo.” Getting ahead of him, she would face the man and bow once again, just like when they met outside. “As for me, it is unfortunately as simple or straightforward. However, I have found out that it is most simple to compare me to a spirit. Surely you have at least heard about celestial mages, yes? Summoners that use silver and golden keys to bring spirits from the Celestial Realm. Only, instead of that world, I was born in the Void. As such, I am a Void spirit. But in reality, it’s a little different than that.” Stopping for a moment, she tried to think about what to say next.

The matter of her existence was a complex one indeed. And just explaining it could easily result in the other person being none the wiser. But since she had no simple version aside from the Void Spirit explanation, she just signed and tried to say it how it actually was. “Before this world, Earthland, was even created, I was born. In the Void that exist between different world, there still exists ethernano - magic particles. Eventually, a large amount of them created a cloud that was dense enough to gain physical form and the ability to think. That is how I was created. Hehe, if you want to be all abstract and philosophical, you could say that I am sentient magic that gained physical form.” Well, so much for trying to look sane. But that was the actual truth. She was way, way older than this whole world. But most of that life, she spent not even properly living. As such, the age she truly counted was only around 20 or so years. “As for my arm, that’s my magic. You probably already noticed that I can create and control nature itself. At some point, I’ve grown to be in the tune with this power so much that I gained the ability to ‘grow’ my body as well. It’s little weird, I realize that. But it does come handy. On the other hand, it also makes fire my greatest enemy. I think that’s something I might have in common with a Vampire?” She tried to create at least a small link between them, though she was unsure it would do any good at all.

A small sigh would escape from the girl. Not one of disappointment, nor disapproval. Or anything negative, really. Perhaps just the weight of the conversation falling onto her shoulders. Or maybe the morbid nature of living, when it came to discussing such matters. “Yes, I am sure you would be able to survive her just fine, as would I. Or just about anyone with a little bit of clever thinking. However, could you truly call it life if you were stuck in a place like this? For me, living is all about seeing the beauty that the world around us has to offer. Unlike most of this place.”

She was an adventurer alright. And of course, her vision of life wasn’t something as simple as just going around and seeing things one would consider beautiful. That, however, was quickly getting into an area far too philosophical for them to worry about right now. Such conversations were reserved for when one could take a comfortable seat by a table with a cup of their favorite tea. Sewers like these were far more immediate and pressing topics to be talked about, such as how to deal with the dark mages that seemed to be all around here.

Though them defeating the enemies did allow for some extra time and comfort of discussing more lighthearted topics for the time being. Such as the nature of their magic and how it made them human or not. “Oh? But how does one define human then? If we go by that magic, then wouldn’t it be right to stay that all wizards are no longer human, even if they were at birth? After all, magic is part of one’s very self. It grows along with us and our emotions have a great impact on magic’s performance.”

Something that she had seen a number of times over again on her journeys. Anger that made magic go out of control. Or calmness that made it stand still as an unmoving lake, devoid of all life. Well, it certainly seemed that it was somewhat difficult to stay away from abstract topics that had no real answers when it came down to Leila. She was not of this world, so it intrigued her greatly. That, in turn, triggered many interpretations of everything that was around her. A curious world, it was. And magic even more so, especially with people like Ryo who were affected by it more than most.

To his almost cruel joke, she would smile and turn her head to the side slightly, as if she was submerged in the sea of her own thoughts for a moment. “Secrets… hehe, do those not exist only so they can be shared with others? But regardless, I will keep your true nature to myself. Though I believe that if it became a public knowledge, most people would still accept you how you are. There is fear, at first. Always. But in time… people do realize how things truly are, and that they can trust.”

After all, there were several other individuals that knew of Leila’s own true nature. Her being born in the Void between worlds. There might have been confusion or even caution at first, but she remained good friends with them all. And as far as public opinion went, she never tried to keep her true self a secret. Though no one ever really asked, so it was not common knowledge, what she truly was. Intriguing how it all worked, no? But if even these almost inhuman dragon slayers could be accepted and admired, then surely could also a Void Spirit and a Vampire be.

Ryo was also not only a powerful mage but also seemingly a gentleman. At least in the presence of this silver-haired maiden. His gesture with a hat put over his chest made her chuckle lightly as her eyes rested on his form once more. “Then I am glad you had a wonderful mistress. Sometimes the world truly lacks men who know how to act in a civil manner.” Barbarians seemed to be still aplenty, even in a world that managed to progress this much with its ethical system.

He also disclosed that he used to be a celestial wizard of sorts before his magic was changed to one of a vampire and blood. “What a coincidence. It is quite nice to see someone who appreciates or at least appreciated the art of summoning. There are not as many of us in this day and age it seems.” She would nod to her own words, not even really being able to recall any powerful summoners. In the future, she would get to know at least one or two, but at this point in time, she truly did not know many, which was a great shame.

What the girl found somewhat strange was Ryo’s mention of several weaknesses that vampires had. The fire seemed to be pretty universal, yes. But when he mentioned beheading, getting a stake through his heart and even silver, her eyebrows raised considerably, showcasing a surprised expression. “Well, that is most intriguing. I have once read a journal of a fallen warrior in which he mentioned a terrific vampire who would just not die as long as he had blood and was hidden in the darkness. They even turned his body into a paste to stop him, but he eventually reformed.”

Perhaps there were multiple breeds of vampires, each boasting different strengths but also different weaknesses? It was most certainly possible, wasn’t it? Variations were in many different places, even where a person would not expect them. Though Ryo suddenly arrived at a somewhat painful note. How was it to never have been a human in the first place? The moment she heard it, Leila took an instinctive step back as her fists clenched, her lips quivering ever so slightly. “I… that is…” but she could not finish, as the vampire sensed something in the darkness.

Clearly, she had more to say but now was not the time, as more dark mages were probably on their way. Following the man’s lead, the girl did her best to stay hidden in the shadows of this place, listening. Heavy boots hiding the surface of a shallow body of water. Considering where they were, it was no surprise that they would step into all kinds of sludge and dirty water while moving about. Thankfully this gave them a sort of advantage in the element of surprise. Looking around, she suddenly jumped up and positioned herself near the ceiling on several bricks and stones that were not properly slotted into the wall. She planned to jump behind the enemy squad once they showed themselves.