At Mandala's headquarters, in Shakya's office.
"This situation cannot continue any longer, President! We are desperately short-staffed."
"Calm down, Asaka. You just have more work because Manju is in detention. It's because even though he does whatever he wants, he manages to do the work of a hundred people," Shakya replied.
Asaka Ikazuchi, Hwang Manju's assistant, had been responsible for punishing him following his misconduct. While she took malicious pleasure in getting revenge on her superior and giving him a taste of his own medicine, she was also drowning under the workload he had left behind.
"I know you can do it!" Shakya encouraged with an advertising tone, accompanied by a thumbs up and a huge smile.
"Ugh, if only Samantha were here," Asaka complained. "When is Avalo coming back?"
"No idea," Shakya replied. "He suddenly left this afternoon because Samantha was unreachable."
"To England?"
"Yes."
"I suppose he didn't take the jet once again."
"He seemed in a hurry, haha..."
"Alright, I'll contact the Royal Air Force, even though I'd love to imagine them shooting him down mid-flight," Asaka sighed.
"He's probably over the Atlantic Ocean as we speak. He'll surely arrive before the sun rises there."
"Is the situation really so critical that he's traveling in person when Samantha is already on site?" Asaka asked.
"I don't doubt Samantha's abilities; it's simply that there are far too many variables."
"Is this about Master Tsukki's divination?"
"Yes, and also Manju's deductions."
"I read the file. Three of the children possess special constitutions, two of which are known. The Zero Body, the Abyssal Body, and an unknown constitution with an enormous amount of bad karma but without any sign of curse nor divine retribution. These are really promising recruits considering that only one child in a hundred million possesses a special constitution," Asaka explained briefly.
"The boy who possesses the Abyssal Body, what's his name again?" Shakya asked.
"That would be Noah Riviera, if my memory serves me right."
"If that person takes him under their wing once at the Academy, that boy has a chance of becoming the new leader of his generation."
"It won't be easy; we're not short on prodigies this year. I'm thinking particularly of the eldest of the Burningblood family. And she also has a special constitution."
"Mmh... You're right, but don't forget that the Abyssal Body with the right cultivation method is as powerful as the Divine Body. All we can do for now is observe—who knows what the future holds for them," Shakya concluded, amused.
Samantha arrived at the boys' location a few seconds after the fire had extinguished. Levi was panicking in front of Noah's unconscious body.
"Levi, explain the situation to me," she said, crouching down in front of Noah.
"Ahh... that voice? Miss Samantha! It's... I didn't want to use a spell, but Noah told me it was okay. I felt energy coursing through my body and I thought it would be fine."
Samantha quickly examined Noah with her karmic vision.
"...He overexerted himself. He has neither stamina nor mental energy left. The girls will arrive soon. Get ready, we're returning to the manor."
Levi, feeling somewhat relieved, nodded his head.
Once the girls arrived, they joined Samantha and Levi. Emily immediately recognized Samantha since she had seen her without her helmet long ago. Samantha carried Noah on her back, and the small group hurried toward the manor.
"Miss Samantha, there's still one enemy inside the manor. He was disguised as a priest and seems to have taken control of the Nightmare," Emily informed her.
"I know. He's probably the last one," Samantha replied.
Levi continued casting glances toward Noah. Samantha decided to reassure him a little.
"Noah is fine. He didn't tell you, but he possesses a special constitution called the Abyssal Body. His body is like a karma transfer vessel. He's capable of transferring karmic energy but he can only keep his own. That's why he was able to detect your karma by touch and bear the karma demand of the spell in your place, Levi. When you cast the spell earlier, I also felt him absorbing the karmic energy of my protection spell. He's really a clever one."
Samantha smiled warmly at the children as they arrived at the rubble surrounding the manor.
"You all did well. I'll handle the rest."
She set Noah aside and left so quickly she seemed to disappear.
Emily, anxious, couldn't help but look toward the manor while Levi and Mai sat down on the spot, mentally exhausted.
"You want to go there, don't you?" Levi said to her.
Emily started, then replied, "I know I won't be of any help, but I absolutely must make sure they're okay."
Levi turned his gaze toward Mai and gave her a light elbow nudge.
"If I go with her, I'll be absolutely useless, and someone needs to keep an eye on Noah."
Mai returned Levi's gaze, and mutual understanding was created between the two.
"No, I don't want to impose my whims on you. It's up to me alone to go," Emily retorted.
Mai slowly stood up, then nodded in the direction of the manor to Emily.
"Let's go," Mai said to her.
Inside, Samantha observed signs of another battle that no one had witnessed. The curtains and carpets were torn, the floor was shattered, the walls were cracked. The battle seemed to have taken place throughout the entire manor.
When she arrived in the great hall on the ground floor, she found the Countess as well as Charley, unconscious on the ground. She quickly examined their bodies and sighed with relief that they were unharmed.
Fortunately, the manor and its surroundings had remained within the radius of effect of Lagertha's passive protection spell all this time. Samantha had therefore also protected the Countess and Charley with her karmic energy. However, she didn't know where the enemy had gone or where the Genesis Stone could be hidden.
( Seems like it's not caused by a spell nor a curse. Is it the aftereffect of a drug ? Lagertha couldn't block it if there wasn't karmic energy.)
(I must secure the stone; it must not fall into the wrong hands,) Samantha thought as she began her search.
She meticulously searched for traces of the enemy's escape but found no sign of evasion. It was in the Count's office that she found a hidden entrance left ajar that led to an antechamber. The entrance and security measures had been forced, and only an empty display case remained on which the Genesis Stone had supposedly been placed.
(I'm too late,) Samantha realized.
In the outskirts of Wanderveil village, an enormous werewolf two meters tall with dark red fur was racing through the forest with a white masked priest on its back.
"Since the entire territory hasn't exploded yet, I suppose Han Ran is still alive. It's a shame about Pitch Black, but at least the mission is a success. I'll take good care of your puppy in your place, don't worry."
As the beast and its tamer raced at full speed through the forest, about to leave the Whitefeathers County, they spotted an obstacle rising in the distance on their path.
Crouuushh
The werewolf slowed its momentum by digging its paws into the ground.
"Were you waiting for me?" the mysterious priest asked with a cynical tone.
The old man who had been sitting on a rock slowly stood up. The priest continued his monologue.
"Are you sure you have time to stay here? Your wife is certainly 'dying' of worry by now. Ah, if you think she's safe thanks to the Mandala girl's protection spell, you're fooling yourself."
The Count was content to listen while appearing to have his head in the clouds.
The priest continued with his provocations.
"It was hard to get them to spill the beans, you know! She and the old butler took absolutely no damage, and even torture and brainwashing spells were useless. But I prepared for this eventuality."
He pulled out a small vial from his inner pocket and threw it at the Count's feet.
"It's a drug of my own production. A few drops were enough, and they spilled everything, hahaha. It also has a paralyzing effect, what a shame I couldn't have a taste—they say married women are much more delicious."
The Count stared into space silently.
"Has he gone senile? Well, anyway, it's too late. I was just trying to buy time. In truth, the stone is already on its way to its new owner—I don't have it, tough luck—"
TRASSSHHHRR
Cling-clang
A mountain of body parts made of various materials fell from nowhere behind the Count: heads, limbs, and wires in separate pieces.
(My puppets?) the mysterious priest realized.
His name was Fantoccio. He was actually an archbishop of the Temple of Iblis at the 4th stage, just like Han Ran. His specialty was possession, manipulation, and puppet control. He was capable of infusing his karmic energy into puppets, creatures, and human beings, thus controlling all their actions, their brains, and muscles. This is how he made Pitch Black's Nightmares his own, transforming them in the process thanks to the violent nature of his karmic energy.
(I was sure I had scattered them in all directions to create diversions and prevent anyone from finding the puppet carrying the stone. Did he neutralize them all before I even arrived?)
Fantoccio plunged into intense reflection, seeing his plan being compromised.
Crassshhh
(Huh?)
His eyeball spun in all directions. Fantoccio realized a moment too late that his body had already been broken into a thousand pieces.
Paf
Cling clang
The pieces of Fantoccio's body fell one by one and revealed that he was also a puppet. However, following the destruction of the body, the werewolf transformed back into black smoke and then ended up evaporating into the air after a few seconds.
"This dream is truly terrifying every time I use it... I hope you can calm your thirst for destruction once I'm gone..., Zephyr..." the Count whispered with his last strength.
Facing Fantoccio's pieces, the Count sighed. He observed his trembling hand, which he no longer had the strength to clench. He raised his head and then closed his eyes.
Emily, who was already beside her unconscious mother, felt her chest tighten. She had already confirmed that her mother's heart was still beating and that she had no injuries, only clothes worn out by combat. So where could this bad feeling come from?
Tears filled her eyes without her knowing why, and then she rushed outside, leaving Mai beside Charley and the Countess.
When she arrived outside, she contemplated the sky, tears still flowing down her cheeks, scrutinizing each star in search of a sign of life.
From the other side of the forest, light rose. A myriad of white glimmers resembling small moons covered the starry sky, illuminating the entire territory, almost transforming night into day.
All the village inhabitants came out of their homes to admire the spectacle. The kidnapped survivors marveled as they crossed the forest.
The lights crossed the sky to converge toward the Whitefeathers manor. Levi, completely fascinated, smiled at Noah.
"You have no idea what you're missing. Hurry up and wake up."
Emily reached her hand toward the light. The thousands of small moons became only one and floated gently toward the little girl's frail hands.
The light gradually lost its brilliance and revealed its true form: a long white feather of incomparable softness and elegance, bathed in moonlight.
Emily, still with teary eyes, spoke as if her voice was about to break.
"Father...?"
Wiiiiizzzz
The feather emitted an intense light that seized Emily's body. Her eyes and mouth illuminated, shooting light beams for kilometers.
"Emily!!!" Levi cried out, panicking because he didn't understand what was happening. He rushed toward her by reflex, then Samantha, who appeared from nowhere, blocked his path.
"Don't try to touch her, or she might die."
"What's happening to her?" Levi asked.
"She's had an enlightenment. She's ascending to the 2nd stage—the Manifestation stage" Samantha announced.
End of Chapter