ajfa

Chapter 30: Regarding 'her'

Chapter Text

Chapter thirty: Regarding 'her'.

She sat at the edge of the bed, looking forward with an unfocused gaze.

It had been a few months since the last time, and her mind remained occupied, even after having passed through the motions of waking up in this strange dream.

The recovered memories were divided, splitting into scenes and the scenes into frames, with the mind of the Dreamweaver inspecting and repeating them over and over again.

The Justice then sighed.

Her mind kept going back to that moment.

To 'His' muddled, convoluted thoughts that kept on waving an illogical picture, as if instinctively hiding something from her.

To 'His' bleeding hand, with a wound that appeared to have been both self-inflicted and also forced upon his flesh.

To 'His' golden eyes, frenzied, scared and unfocused… and also so very pleading, nearly bordering on unrecognized worship.

All of these were only heightened by 'His' raspy, low and dried voice, by his pleas for forgiveness that were irrationally directed at her…

Pleas that could never become explanations… but that begged for understanding.

This was contrary to the cooperative demeanor Mr. World used to showcase during any of their previous therapy sessions… instead feeling like a turbulent typhoon from within nothing could be expressed.

'Not like this was a session in the first place.' Audrey thought, giving herself a self-deprecating chuckle before settling into a thoughtful silence.

She sat with a complicated expression, trying to find a way to make sense and form a sequence of events that could help her treat him.

'His state when I reached the restaurant was already bad… something must have happened between when I lost sight of him and when I managed to escape the Mind World…'

'That is crucial for my analysis… but he will probably be too reticent to outright tell me… but he might cooperate with me if I tell him about what I sensed in the Sea of Collective!'

She felt like she had found a small opening, some way to help her most important patient start to heal from whatever had wounded 'Him'.

But then she let out a frustrated sigh.

'If it was as easy as reconstructing what happened and using psychological techniques to treat it… then he wouldn't have been in that state to begin with…'

She knew that if it had been just a simple mental attack then 'He' would have acted in retaliation, moved to answer it in kind or use one of his many methods to slip away.

'Something made him stay there…'

The Justice once again reminded herself of the analysis she had done of the World's mind, returning to the twisted thoughts and pleas, seeing once again the intensity of those soft caramel-colored eyes.

How they looked at her.

Even the World, with the poor mental state he was in, seemed outraged at having such reaction to her presence… and yet, he was unable to resist…

Incapable of doing anything but feel it.

A small glint appearing inside the depths of gold.

As the images projected themselves upon her mind, her expression merged into one of slight shock, then into confusion, util it finally but slowly settled into one full of embarrassment.

'Uhhh…. Ummm??!'

She instinctively covered her face with her hands, only leaving her emerald eyes visible as she looked downwards.

Audrey remained in a stunned silence for a while, only straightening her posture, looking forward with widened eyes… until she finally broke it with her sigh.

Within an instant of clarity, the Justice had recognized what kind of emotion was reflected inside 'His' eyes... or at the very least, its sprouting buds…

'Is this… is this my fault?' She questioned, her eyes darting back and forth.

Had her actions pushed 'Him' into those feelings?

Rationally, she could easily say that it wasn't the case.

Both of them had obviously been trapped inside this dream by some unknown force, twisting the reality and leading them onto imposed roles and situations.

Her actions that day had most likely been accounted for by the same entity lurking under the surface of the Collective Sea, with them becoming a stimulus for 'His' mind that would be inextricably associated with her.

The stimulus became a sprout, and the sprout had the potential to become a fully-fledged feeling.

'Still, symbolically, these are things I've already done for him during therapy… so why did it cause such a reaction now?!'

'Could it be that he is just acting? Mr. World did have such a tendency for using masks and the Clown abilities should allow him to show such an expression…'

She tried to justify what she had seen inside 'His' psyche, to disregard it as another one of the Crazy Hunter's unorthodox approaches, a plan for breaching this world's anomalies… only to stop the next moment.

She sighed, her heart in slight turmoil before using a slight placate on herself.

What she had seen was too real, and 'His' mental state was too bare, for it to be a calculated move on his part…

'I shouldn't impose my own perception or expectations upon him… just analyze what I saw and allow him to find its meaning…' She thought with slight self-derision.

A simple possibility then flashed through Audrey's mind, making her brow furrow while a faint wry smile drew itself on her face.

'Could… could it be that all this time he had this "inclination"? It might have been that he himself didn't notice it, after all, it was still a seed, not a fully formed emotion…'

'Indeed…' She thought, not noticing the slight blush she had on her face.

'Ehem… physical attraction is considered the first stage for the formation of such a feeling…' She rationalized, remembering the knowledge she had accumulated as a psychiatrist.

'This is evident in the shape of slight glances when he was at the level of a demigod! Even if he possessed godhood, he was still a man!' She proudly concluded.

The burning on her face got slightly more pronounced, and soon it was far too much for the Dreamweaver to ignore, making her cover her face with her hands.

She let out a sigh that soon turned into a faint laugh.

'At that time, I thought he was putting an act…'

'He' was indeed not very straightforward with these kinds of matters.

She also seemed to subconsciously avoid giving a name to the emotion in question.

'Heh, there is also the possibility that it had indeed started genuine but ended up being only feigned… an act that stopped with Dwane Dantes' disappearance.' She retorted, because, after all, she was dealing with a King of Angels of the Seer Pathway, perfectly capable of deceiving a Saint Demigod.

With the persona of the Tycoon womanizer gone, or at the very least unneeded, there used to be no more reason for 'Him' to keep looking at her in that way.

But what about now? Had this "inclination" of 'His' returned?

Their first meeting inside this strange dream could serve as evidence, with Miss Justice being able to extract a variety of conclusions from it.

'It could be a matter of Mr. World's humanity returning, or maybe something is exerting a direct influence over his psyche… possibly the thing below the Sea or the Dream itself…'

'No, one does not mean the absence of the other… and there may be things that I ignore…'

Another sigh escaped her lips as she thought. 'This naturally needs confirmation, and for that I'll need to meet him.'

She then burrowed her brow, noticing the obvious effect that meeting with 'Him' any further would bring to the "sprout" inside his psyche.

'Further contact means more opportunities for his attraction to settle… or even increase depending on the stimuli… mix it with the platonic emotions he already had and…'

Audrey sighed.

'After that, whether he notices the change or not... it won't matter.'

She was dazed, confused about what to do.

It wasn't difficult for a Manipulator to arrange and change the feelings and emotions someone else had for them.

Even more, the Justice was sure that if she spoke honestly, with the World's disposition to help her, removing such a thing from his mind wouldn't be so difficult…

'But it could, no, it will affect his humanity…'

Miss Justice understood that, at the angel level, the erasure, or even the suppression of such a profound emotion could not only sever their connection, but also desensitize 'Him' of similar feelings…

The love 'He' has for his siblings, the camaraderie with other members of the Tarot Club, his longing for the family he lost, the friendship he shared with Mr. Star.

A friendship 'He' also shared with her…

The thought of 'Him' losing that weighed heavily inside Audrey.

'I cannot do it… my own comfort isn't worth making him pay this price…'

Audrey used a hand to massage her temples, her mind honestly exhausted about this whole thing, before falling backwards towards the bed.

'I've been cornered… and the only way forward is through him…'

Both of them were being pushed, and whether she wanted it or not, the emotion gestating inside of 'His' psyche would finally demand to be felt.

It was as if the writing on the wall had indeed materialized with bright crimson letters, but the letters remained blurred… hard to read and even more to understand.

'Why would the entity responsible for this… want him to feel such a thing?'

'What could they gain?'

Then, a dark premonition settled itself inside Audrey's mind, one that she didn't dare to believe as it crashed far too much with her preconceived notions.

It even forced her to instantly stand up.

'Could… could this be Mr. Fool's plan? To use Mr. World as a tool to gather humanity… humanity that could be used in the more crucial moments to keep 'His' self… while leaving Klein to die?'

"B-but Mr. Fool wouldn't…" She tried to speak, but the words didn't dare to continue.

The Kind Mr. Fool.

The Warm Mr. Fool.

The Great, Supreme Existence that saw her grow from a naïve girl into a Demigod Saint. And not only her, but all the others in the Tarot Club…

Was 'He' now going to finally put the World to use?

"An Attendant lives, dies and exists for their Lord…" The words of the Angel of Time resounded inside her head.

From what she knew about the World… he would gladly die if it meant giving Mr. Fool, and by extension the ones he loved and cared about, a greater chance at surviving the Apocalypse.

'Except from the people he knows in the mystical world… he doesn't have many things tying him to this world…'

She knew he was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of the madness.

'If presented with rest… if assured that those he leaves behind will be taken care of…,would he take the opportunity?'

Audrey felt pity for 'His' loneliness, then admiration for his bravery, then confusion as to why he didn't reach out more… and then it turned into a deep sadness that grasped her heart, tugging at it with ethereal strings.

Such a kind soul… had to be sacrificed?

'No.'

A resolute expression appeared on her face.

'It's still far too early to draw a conclusion… but if this is really the case, then an accord could still be reached with Mr. Fool!'

This was the deity she worshiped… and the Justice still wished to believe in 'His' benevolence.

But 'He' was still a deity and having him come to a negotiation would entail having a case worthy of being exposed. One that not only benefited Mr. World, but that also gave substantial benefits to a Great Existence like the Fool.

'Still, whether is the thing below the Sea of Collective, Mr. Fool, or the dream itself… I'll need to keep meeting with Mr. World to find answers…'

'If in the end he ends up developing those feelings… and they pose no threat... I suppose I'll let it happen…'

She then sighed, ending up in a faint and resigned smile.

'There are worse things than being liked by a crazy adventurer…'

***

'The Justice will die…'

This was a thought that 'His' concealed mind had repeated countless times, whether trying to measure its true meaning… or if he could to anything to stop it.

'The apparition of the God Almighty said that those were arrangements he had made… but that her death remained a constant, independent of his or my will...'

'He' had already tried to observe the River of Fate, making divinations to seek concrete answers regarding what would happen to her.

A fruitless effort.

The Fool sat on a bench as he glared at the restaurant in front of him, as if trying to pierce a hole not only through it, but through the reality of this strange dream.

Last time 'He' came here, the God Almighty had used the proposal alongside the prophesy about the Justice to discreetly affect him with an unknown ritual.

Without breaking the line of sight, 'He' grabbed his own hand injecting a discreet amount of spirituality, stimulating the countless Worms of Spirit that composed his being.

'He' felt a slight, nearly imperceptible sting, alongside the sound of calm waves.

When 'He' woke up again in this strange dream, Klein's first instinct had been to purify this mark left by the apparition… but in the end 'He' hadn't done so.

First of all, to purify such a corruption, the Fool would need to use the Powers of the Door of Light, drawing the attention of the Celestial Worthy.

If 'He' descended into this dream, then a scenario where their consciousness met separate from 'His' body would be created.

With the possibility of one of them being "killed", the conditions for the symbolism of the winner to gain an unsurmountable advantage over the other would be created, finally deciding who would become the Lord of the Mysteries… and fully erasing the mental imprint of the other.

The Fool narrowed his eyes, cold and subconsciously mimicking those belonging to a bird of prey.

'Is this the true meaning of your proposal? Having me become the true consciousness of the Lord of Mysteries?'

'This is a hunting ground…'

For an instant a faint, eerie smile appeared on 'His' face.

'He' naturally understood the opportunity such a space presented, but he also understood that he was at a disadvantage. 'If the Celestial Worthy descends, he might be able to instantly obliterate this dream… damaging my consciousness more than whatever I can do to him…'

'This is without considering what the Primordial One could win from this arrangement… or what could end up happening to her.'

Klein once again sent his spirituality through his arm, making the worms of spirit at the end of his palm move. 'He' was trying to gain more information, a way to achieve deeper control over this dream.

'Heh… maybe a Dreamweaver could help me more.' 'He' thought, nearly letting out a chuckle while thinking of the woman he had been avoiding ever since entering the dream.

After all, 'His' first concern related to the method with which the two of them were drawn into and also kicked out of this dream, something that might be related to them meeting.

'The first time our meeting lasted hours… the second one… haah…'

'He' had wanted to sigh, but ultimately used a Clown's control to avoid moving his expression. Still, this didn't stop 'Him' from feeling deeply frustrated.

Without this knowledge, 'He' was at the mercy of the whims of the apparition of the God Almighty. This naturally carried the same risk for the Justice.

'From my side, I can say that this dream happens at "night". When my sealed body from before my transmigration should be sleeping… heh, if that guy lets me sleep that is…'

The Fool clearly knew about the dynamic that had settled in between his consciousness and that of the Celestial Worthy.

'A shame I couldn't tell the Tarot Club more clearly in our last meeting… even more from the fact that I cannot speak to them clearly inside the dream…'

'To be careful of Zhou Mingrui…'

At that moment, 'He' felt the sting intensify, finally making Klein divert his gaze from the restaurant towards the palm of his hand.

'He' concentrated deeply into their movement, trying to find something to start to wrestle control away from the apparition.

It absorbed 'Him' in a nearly obsessive way… but only for a moment.

"What are you looking at?"

'??!?!?!?!!?!!!'

Alarms went off inside 'His' head.

Both because 'He' had completely failed at sensing her approach… and because of the eerie calm in the tone of her voice.

'Hisss… she is mad! Why is she mad?!' Questioned the Fool, turning his head to look at the elegantly dressed figure of the Justice.

"That place is dangerous to you." Audrey explained in a cold tone, as if sensing 'His' thoughts.

Klein remained stunned for a moment, only regaining his composure after cogitating. while getting up from the bench to greet her properly, putting on a faint, but charming smile.

"Good afternoon, Miss Justice."

She seemed unmoved, with her only reaction being crossing her arms.

This allowed 'His' eyes to unconsciously wander, noticing that her outfit was composed mostly of a white blouse with a dark gray sweater, this alongside a light brown skirt that ended slightly above her knees.

She also wore dark thighs alongside a pair of black shoes, a coat of the same light brown, and a small brown hat that contrasted against her blonde hair.

Klein's first instinct was to divert his gaze, using the restaurant as a convenient objective.

'??!!??!?!!!??' 'His' mind once again reached an impasse, both stunned about her clothes and the sudden reaction he had to them. Mostly about the former.

'A-aren't these clothes far too bold?! I-I mean, she can wear whatever she wants, and they aren't particularly revealing in a modern context… b-but aren't loenese ladies far more conservative in these matters?'

'I-Is this some new trend from Loenese high-society? No, could it be that she learned about this style with her phone?'

'I mean… it doesn't look bad.'

'On the contrary! It fits her very well!' 'His' mind barely grasped a thought and ran with it, inadvertently praising her in the process.

Still, 'He' managed to nonchalantly turn his gaze towards the restaurant.

Audrey, who had been intently looking at 'Him', obviously noticed his distress and analyzed it with mixed emotions. 'While the way he moved his head was too abrupt… he still managed to keep his expression in check…'

'Most wouldn't have noticed… bravo.'

Then she started to criticize 'His' performance. Mercilessly.

'The pupils of your eyes dilated by about half, failed that one.'

'The heat coming off from your face has elevated slightly, but most wouldn't notice. Full marks.'

'Still, that made your pores open slightly… careful or you'll start sweating.'

'I praise you for not blushing… no, forget that. That is the bare minimum for a Clown!'

'I would give you half of the points, but your lips got slightly drier after you saw me… so you fail that one too!'

Miss Justice, while remaining with a calm and slightly cold expression on the outside, was thoroughly enjoying her internal teasing of Mr. World.

'And finally, you broke your line of sight… your intention was to make this look like a natural development, Mr. Crazy Adventurer wanted to go back to his objective and unearth the secrets of this dream?'

'But that won't work on me! You made that movement out of impulse! You got nervous! Fail that one too!'

All of this seemed so amusing, … that she didn't notice the softening of her expression.

Or the warm smile that had appeared on her face.

She had immersed herself into 'His' expressions, enjoying the feeling of reading him like a book.

A book belonging solely to her, although this greedy perception managed to pass under her radar.

Klein, who seemed to by trying desperately not to break his line of sight, had actually been looking at her using the Clown's perspective alongside a Magician's interference, trying not to trigger her intuition.

Her smile was faint, but that didn't stop it from making the Fool's heart skip a beat, leaving him even more stunned than before.

'…'

It took a few moments for 'His' mind to start working again.

'H-huh… so Miss Justice can have this side, quite a cruel one if you ask me.' 'He' lampooned, finallChapter 31: Bug-Hunt

Chapter Text

Chapter thirty-one: Bug-Hunt.

The Oracle of Greed walked through the halls of the Great Cathedral.

'She' appeared to have a holy, nearly divine aura that passed unperceived by the people that moved through the church.

The white dress with silver details along with the veil that fully concealed her face and features and that connected to the pair of descending holy shawls had only exacerbated this feeling.

'She' had only allowed a few beyonders to see her, with not many getting closer to speak to her. Even when they did, each bowed slightly, not daring to place their eyes on 'her' person for much time.

A few feet behind 'her', the figure of a sharp and scholarly man could be seen with an exasperated expression.

'… Isn't this too cruel, Miss Justice?' 'He' lampooned.

After presenting 'her' commission, Audrey had practically leaped out of the carriage with the excuse that they were already late, only using the Psychological Invisibility to hide herself as she hastily put on the veil.

This, thanks to 'her' extreme straightforwardness, left a very astonished Mr. Fool seating inside the carriage, barely being able to pull himself together after a few minutes.

As if feeling 'His' thoughts, the Justice turned her head slightly, barely enough for Klein to be able see her eyes if they weren't covered.

Still, 'He' could feel that a slight, satisfied smile had suddenly appeared on 'her' face, vanishing just as fast.

'They' kept walking for a while longer, with seemingly a few nuns with white veils and priests wearing crimson cloaks forming a small entourage surrounding the Oracle of Greed.

'Most of them seem to be Spectators… maybe one or two Shepherds, and a Bard… two of them at sequence 4, one at sequence 3…' 'He' recognized, keeping his distance.

Even if they posed no threat to 'Him', it was still quite the powerful force to have three demigods, and an angel reunited inside a single Cathedral.

'They probably aren't the only ones…' 'He' concluded, subtly diverting his gaze.

'He' saw that the halls were lined up with murals subtly depicting the events of the Second and Third Epoch, doing so with enough detail to point towards the specific entities, but not enough for it to corrupt the believers.

Amongst these murals, one scene that appeared to have been partially destroyed caught 'His' attention.

The mural showed countless pilgrims in an unending march, congregating to worship the figure of an upside-down cross resting over a mountain.

This scene wasn't new to the Fool, even if he had no direct contact with it, he remembered the recount made by the Sun about the temple of the True Creator.

The only novelty of the image was the destroyed part in the middle.

The place where the Angel of Fate should have been.

Naturally, the symbolism wasn't lost to the Seer's intuition.

"Even angels must be purged when they stray away from the Lord… Ouroboros is no exception…" said a voice, both cold and soft.

Somehow, it transmitted youthfulness and innocence alongside great authority and ruthlessness.

The Fool was shocked by the lack of any alarm by his spirituality or intuition, barely managing to restrain his reaction into a cold stare towards the figure that appeared to have suddenly materialized by his side.

The sound of a soft, lonely laugh seemed to fill the walls of the cathedral, and a familiar feeling of being observed by countless eyes crept on 'His' mind.

There stood the figure of a woman wearing a white dress with golden details, alongside a large papal crown that descended into both a veil that fully concealed 'Her' facial features and a great shawl that covered her back and a section of her arms.

The holy shawl was marked with intricate golden details pointing to a strange lineage of dragons from Liveseyd… alongside ancient hidden symbolism relating to the Primordial God Almighty.

'Her' face was fully hidden, and yet, 'He' felt how she looked at him from behind the veil, a gaze cold and conniving, as if it was trying to strangle him into an unescapable grasp.

'She' then spoke once again. "The Lord is merciful, but even 'He' will not give forgiveness to those who so easily disregard it."

The woman then took out a silver coin, rubbing it gently, as if lulling it into a deep sleep.

Klein recognized the symbolism, after all, even if the shape changes from a Die into a Coin, a Uniqueness is a Uniqueness.

"I suppose you are Her Holiness?" 'He' asked, trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible.

"Why ask a question that Miss Justice already answered, Mr. Fool?" 'She' retorted.

Klein's gaze turned even colder, and the tone of his voice turning lower. "You seem to know quite a lot about her… how much of it was caused by you I wonder?"

The Author moved forward to touch the broken part of the mural, giving the hint that she was admiring something of her own doing.

Then 'She' turned towards the Fool, taking the position that used to be occupied by the vanished Snake of Mercury.

"I know some things about her, and this naturally makes it so that I also know some things about you… all of this, of course, hasn't escaped the Lord's designs…"

'Her' voice remained unnaturally soft, as if trying to lull 'Him' into submission.

Of course, the Seer defied the Spectator, concealing his mind and readying himself to use grafting on her mind.

The pope let out another chuckle, as if finding 'His' resistance amusing, and continued to speak. "Be at peace, for even with all the suffering your absence has caused her…. she forgives you."

Time seemed to stretch, both Archangels keeping the silence, with 'Him' desperately resisting the mental pressure emanated by 'Her', while giving a glare in response.

"That is for her to decide, not on you."

'She' let out a stifled and slightly childish laugh, and Klein could feel her mocking gaze even from behind the thick white veil. It was as if the pope had shed all of 'Her' dignified aura for a moment to express this repressed emotion.

"Indeed, that is for Audrey to decide." 'She' reaffirmed, not referring to 'her' with either the title of the Justice or that of the Oracle of Greed, but instead casually calling her name.

The Fool didn't answer this time, concentrating on concealing the depths of his mind to the Author in front of him.

This was an instinctual process that allowed the projection of the Attendant of Mysteries to temporarily hide the deeper consciousness of his real body outside of Sefirah Castle.

'He' could feel how 'Her' gaze remained set on his mind, trying to find any gap to enter, grasping it and forcibly turning it inside out, revealing even 'His' deeper secrets.

"Your Holiness!" Then resounded Audrey's voice, as her steps also got closer.

Klein nearly breathed a sigh of relief, barely keeping it inside.

When the Justice finally reached the both of them, she turned to look at Klein's face, as if analyzing his mind for any wound that the pope might have caused him.

Then 'she' bowed deeply towards the King of kings of Angels, her voice turning meek and apologetic.

'He' could even feel a hint of fear from within 'her' voice.

"Your Holiness, it was my fault, I let him wander alone. He still hasn't recovered completely, and his resurrection might have had unknown consequences over his psyche… of course, I'll treat him right away, you don't have to bo-."

"You are showing weakness." Interrupted the pope's cold and stern voice, making the Greed instantly silent.

The Fool once again glared at 'Her', lifting his hand, ready to summon the Featureless Mask to fight against the Author and take the Justice away.

Only for 'His' own spirituality to warn against such an action.

It was a deep warning, accompanied by the sharp pain on 'His' hand, as if the very Spirit World was surpassing the distortion of the Black Emperor to convince him of abandoning his intentions.

In the end, 'He' acquiesced.

'This… this closes some avenues…'

The fact that 'His' own spirituality was warning him about killing the pope meant that there were hidden issues regarding this mysterious existence.

Fortunately, whether the two Angel-level Spectators were ignoring 'Him' or truly hadn't noticed, no conflict seemed to spark from his intent.

Instead, the pope was standing silently in front of the Justice, whose body language reflected a deep-seated fear.

From this, Klein concluded that they were engaging in a telepathic exchange, deliberately making it obvious that they were hiding things from him.

After a moment, Audrey let out a sigh of relief, bowing lightly and speaking with her usual, enthusiastic voice. "Thank you, your Holiness. I'll see for him to meet the rest of the Oracles."

"Good." Answered the pope with a calm tone that still commanded authority, before indicating. "Lead him to the hall where they are meeting and decide upon the concrete resolutions regarding his case."

Audrey bowed once more in confirmation.

The Author nodded in approval before turning to leave, her great shawl waving in a hypnotic way, only to stop a few feet away from them.

"Also… tell the Councilors that I won't be attending anymore to their meetings, nor should they chant my Honorific Name."

Klein could feel that, even with the veil covering 'her' face, Audrey was extremely surprised by the command.

Then, as if feeling 'her' turmoil, the pope let out a sigh that soon turned into a slight chuckle, 'She' then spoke with a soft tone. "Of course, this prohibition doesn't apply to you."

'She' then lifted a finger, as if jokingly making a reprimand.

"Remember that you aren't a little girl anymore."

The pope then turned around, 'Her' dress fluttering slightly and giving off an air of youthfulness and enthusiasm that was uncharacteristic for someone of her status.

After a moment, the Justice, still with her face covered by the veil turned towards the Fool and extended her hand in a delicate way, as if expecting him to take it.

'He' did so, as if following 'her' preordered script. 'She' soon pulled 'Him' closer, letting go of his hand and instead taking hold of the whole arm.

Even behind the veil, 'He' could feel her elated expression.

Klein then questioned. "Where is this hall your pope mentioned? I mean, considering that it didn't sound like a random room inside this cathedral."

Audrey let out a chuckle before answering. "'She' isn't a deity, but 'She' is favored by our lord, up to the point that 'He' entrusted in 'Her' the full administration of the Mind World."

"This naturally gave 'Her' a considerable amount of power, and access to just as many secrets, some of which 'She' has put to the service of the church."

The Fool gave a nod in response, but his expression still turned solemn.

'She' then started to lead both of them towards the deeper halls of the church, passing in front of many other murals, depicting familiar and foreign scenes, with many of them having figures erased.

After a while, 'He' broke the silence. "What is it going to cost? To become an Oracle?"

The Justice perked up with 'His' question, not bothering in hiding her enthusiasm. "Since you are an external powerhouse the rest of the Oracles are naturally wary, with many of them being opposed to you joining the church all-together."

Klein lifted an eyebrow, as if asking what the relevance of their opinion was.

"Don't be like that." Answered the veiled woman. "They are all powerful on their own right, even before the Psychological Alchemists were absorbed and transformed alongside the Aurora Order."

"They will become a valuable source of information, even in the future when you undoubtedly establish your own church."

The Fool remained in silence for a moment, before his voice took a poisonous tone.

"Just like the Tarot?"

'She', astonished by the question, instantly stopped while letting go of 'His' arm. Even without seeing 'her' expression, Klein could hear her agitated breath.

'He' continued looking at 'her' calmly , fully aware that the Justice would have been hurt by his remark. Still, this was a necessary step in recognizing the abnormalities that were present in this version of 'her'.

The Oracle of Greed then coldly regained composure, the tone of her voice turning an icy tone.

"I did everything I could to protect the Tarot Club. Even when their actions had turned fully hostile against our church."

Then it turned pained, shaky.

"I remember each and every one of them… I mourn them."

'He' continued looking at 'her' with an unnaturally calm gaze, as if pondering over both her reactions and words, before letting out a sigh of defeat.

"I am sorry, Audrey."

The Discerner didn't outright answer, letting her gaze linger over 'Him', as if debating onto whether analyze his thoughts to find his real intention, or to let this go with his apology.

In the end 'she' chose neither.

"You have to hunt the God of Deceit."

Klein's eyes widened for a moment before returning to a calm expression, although with the sternness gone. 'He' then promptly asked. "Is that the request to join the Oracles?"

"No."

'She' then removed the veil, letting her hair fall naturally, before continuing. "It's what I want from you, I hope there aren't any objections?"

"None at all." 'He' calmly answered.

***

"In the end… this version of her doesn't seem to know about the remaining members of the Tarot, and she seems to avoid the matter of the eradication of the Evernight Church." Spoke the figure of the Fool, his real body, overlooking the half-ruined city of Trier.

One part of the city appeared to have been submerged, dragged into the catacombs below, leaving untold devastation.

A sneer came from behind, the figure of the Blasphemer could be seen resting against the dilapidated wall of a soon to crumble house.

"Why haven't you killed her yet?" Asked the Angel of Redemption.

Lumian, who had been quietly observing the sunken city, turned to look at Amon with a bewildered expression. Still, the angel remained unafraid of angering the Fool.

"If you exchange places with your projection, with me at your side, ambushing and killing her could gain us access to her symbolism, and thus, to her fate."

"If it's death being set in her future what worries you, then I can separate that from her river of fate… but you already knew that, even more, that is possibly one of the roles you've brought me here to execute."

The former Error then straightened 'his' posture, before narrowing his eyes and asking in an uncharacteristically serious tone. "So why haven't you done so?"

Klein just looked upwards, gazing upon the false Cosmos that bore none of the colored stars and planets that in reality represented the greatest threat.

Even the Crimson Moon appeared as only a sneering fake.

It gave 'Him' both a sense of urgency and helplessness, making him reflect not only upon the recent events, but also reviewing the events that happened during his Dream.

'He' let out a sigh as he got up, taking the cane inlaid with starlight out from the Historical Void.

The Fool then questioned the Seven of Wands. "Have you found her?"

'He' was referring to this reality's Lumian Lee.

"Yes, Mr. Fool. We found that she is currently part of the Demoness Sect… a high-level Demoness of Despair, not yet bearing a color."

"I see…" 'He' then took out a coin to perform a divination, soon indicating. "We'll hunt her down when I regain my full strength."

"Yes, Mr. Fool!" The hunter answered with energy, although he pitied the version of himself that would have to face a Lord of Mysteries at sequence 4.

The Blasphemer scoffed, irritated by having been completely ignored, only daring to retort to the Fool. "Then what are we going to do until then? Surely, we aren't just going to go sightseeing in this cursed world?"

"No, we are going to hunt you." 'He' calmly said, lifting the cane and lightly tapping the floor.

The next moment, the ruins of the sunken Trier were left in silence, bathed in the light of the setting sun.

***

The Error stood at the edge of the Southern Continent's barren highlands, overlooking the perpetually clashing darkness and twilight.

'He' had witnessed the Divine War between the Evernight Goddess and the God of Combat… one that soon broke far from the confines of Backlund and devolved into many battlegrounds where both energies remained.

Amon was now deep in thought, his expression uncharacteristically stern.

After waking up, no, after being expelled of Sefirah Castle, 'He' had instantly noticed the mental imprint, the constantly resurrecting aura of the Celestial Worthy diminish and disappear in an instant.

The characteristics inside 'Him' remained in an eerie silence, with only the mental imprint of the Original Creator barely presenting any risk of losing control.

Normally, this would have been a welcome development.

'What was that thing…?' 'He' questioned, only remembering that it had suddenly subdued both himself and the Door, not to mention the near certainty that it had also been the one to silence the former Lord.

Still, this wasn't the worse development for 'Him' that day.

After recovering from the effect of Fooling, Amon had instantly gone to the Forsaken Land of the Gods, seeking to find his father to both get answers and plan his next course of action.

The Error easily mobilized a newly created army of avatars, each scouring different places where the Visionary would have met with him in the past.

Naturally, 'He' didn't find Adam in any of them.

This happened until Amon decided to go towards Chernobyl, to the very source of the Chaos Sea's seeping into the real world.

There 'He' found an entity, so alien, and yet so familiar…

Its aura had already been witnessed by the Error before… long ago, in the final days of the Third Epoch, when 'He' had nearly fully revived inside the Ancient Sun God.

But now it was so, so much worse… with 'His' existence extending as far as the illusory waves extended, with light and shadows clashing against a surreal shore.

A complete resurrection where the consciousness of 'His' father had already been fully consumed by the Primordial One.

All 'He' could do was run.

Hide.

This left Amon, for the first time ever since having been born… truly alone, without the only anchor who, in one way or another, had always been present.

'That snake is dead for all I know… from the traitors, the sun was absorbed, and the other two are deeply wounded… why hasn't 'He' attacked? Waiting for something?'

'Medici is nowhere to be found.' 'His' thoughts trailed off.

The Error knew that with the silence of the Characteristics he had the greatest opportunity to keep advancing, to absorb once again the Door's Authorities, Characteristics and Uniqueness.

'That requires hunting Bethel…'

After that, 'He' would enter Sefirah Castle once again, possibly finding the Fool's ingredients there alongside the First Blasphemy Slate.

After that, all 'He' had to do was reach for the Throne of the Lord of Mysteries.

'He' let out a sigh, naturally acknowledging that it was not going to be that simple, but still recognizing the silver-lining in this situation. 'This anomaly might be inside of the Fool Pathway, without affecting the neighboring authorities.'

If 'He' avoided accommodating it, then his chances of success would skyrocket.

'It will be waiting there…' 'He' thought, concluding that, in the end, hunting the Door was the wisest move for the cornered rat.

As the Blasphemer stood up, preparing to go into the Spirit World, he heard a mocking voice chanting his honorific name.

"Oh, Great Trojan Horse of Fate!"

"Pitiful Slug of Time!" Resounded the familiar voice.

"The Loopholes in rules, laws and badly written novels!"

"The Manifestation of All Errors!" The man finished.

Instantly, Amon appeared in front of the man.

The two of them still remained inside of the barren highlands, where the darkness was also combined with deep storm clouds that seemed to close in from the distance.