“Can you open this?” Isadora asked, her tone flat and indifferent as her sharp eyes lingered on the cube holding Celestia captive.
Aqualina flinched slightly, her focus shifting between Isadora and the burning remains of the Master’s bisected body. She inwardly sighed, brushing off the unease curling in her chest, before replying,
“Well… the keys are actually built into the cube, but finding them is no easy task.” Her hands moved methodically across the transparent surface, searching for the remaining buttons.
Isadora gave a soft nod, her gaze drifting toward Celestia, who remained within the confines of the cube, oblivious to what was happening outside. Her voice softened, almost as if speaking to herself, “Where is Aether?”
Aqualina stiffened, caught off guard by the question. With a nervous cough, she quickly fabricated an excuse, “O-of course, what else would you expect from a servant? He bolted the moment things got dangerous!”
Isadora’s pink heart eyes narrowed slightly as she studied Aqualina. The latter shifted uncomfortably, clearing her throat to change the subject.
“So… this is your real form, huh?” Aqualina asked, her tone laced with curiosity as she took in Isadora’s appearance.
Isadora scanning their surroundings, her movements calculated and vigilant. “You could say that,” she murmured, her voice guarded.
Aqualina raised a brow, genuinely intrigued. “Then why hide it? Is it because you’re the last of your kind?”
Isadora’s fox ears twitched at the question. “Not because of that,” she replied evenly, her voice tinged with a hint of weariness. “It’s a bloodline ability… something personal.” Her tone turned sharp as she added, “Anyway, did you figure it out yet, or should I break it?”
“Wait!” Aqualina hissed, her tone firm. “It’s not that simple. If you try to break it, the cube might shrink—or worse, self-destruct. Trust me, it’s not worth the risk.”
Isadora’s lips curled into a small, annoyed smirk, but she relented, crossing her arms as she glanced toward Jack’s lifeless form riddled with swords… Her gaze then shifted to Victor, Aether’s clone, who stood silently, staring blankly at the Master’s burning corpse.
Click!
Thud!
“Finally!” Aqualina exclaimed, her face lighting up as she found the final button. The cube shifted, its transparent walls turning black before collapsing, each side falling away.
Celestia stepped out, her expression a mix of exhaustion and relief. She immediately turned to Aqualina. “Are you alright, Princess? I was worried sick when you vanished all of a sudden!”
Aqualina hugged Celestia tightly, her face softening into a happy smile. “Don’t worry, everything’s fin—” Her words cut off abruptly by…
Grrrrlllll!
Celestia flinched and turned toward the source of the sound, her eyes widening in shock. Standing there was a mechanical fox, its jaws gleaming with two sharp rainbow-colored Arcane crystal fangs.
“Tsk, still want to play, huh?” Isadora muttered with an amused grin. She tilted her head slightly as the fox flinched, its posture betraying a flicker of fear… The movement didn’t escape Isadora’s notice. ‘So it can feel fear… unlike the previous ones. Interesting,’ she mused silently.
She glanced at Aqualina and Celestia. “You two can leave. I’ll deal with this thing and catch up later.”
Aqualina and Celestia exchanged glances, nodding before preparing to leave.
But—
“No one… leaves…”
A chilling, raspy voice echoed from nowhere, cutting through the air.
Tang!
Isadora instinctively moved, her body reacting faster than her mind as she blocked a sword that had appeared seemingly out of thin air. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the sword, ‘Origin weapon….?’
“You?” She whispered in utter shock as she saw in the Master, whole again and covered in the same hoodie…. It was as if the fire hadn’t even touched him.
“H-How is he even alive?” Aqualina stammered, her voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and terror.
The Master chuckled darkly, tilting his head as if amused by their reactions. “Alive? Oh, you poor child,” he began, his tone dripping with mockery. “To understand that, you’ll have to die first.”
Before they could react, the man adjusted his grip on his sword and lunged toward Aqualina, aiming to pierce her heart.
“Aqualina, move!” Isadora yelled, shoving her aside just in time. Her body pivoted defensively, and her sharp eyes locked onto him.
“You need to deal with me first!” she snapped, her fists clenching tightly.
‘There’s definitely something wrong here!’ she thought, her heart racing. Her eyes flicked toward the weapon he held, ‘That origin weapon… it could kill me easily. Fuck!!!’
“You two—leave this place. No–!” she commanded sharply.
CHUCKK!
The sickening sound of steel meeting flesh cut through the air…. Everyone froze, their breaths caught in their throats. Slowly, their eyes shifted to the source of the noise.
The Master’s sword had pierced through someone’s neck….. Victor’s neck!
“Tsk,” the Master clicked his tongue in annoyance. With a sharp tug, he pulled the sword free, blood spraying onto the ground. “I can’t believe he sacrificed himself for you,” he said with derision. “The blade was meant for you, Isadora…. But here he comes, playing the martyr at the last second.”
However what stunned everyone even more was the realization that Victor’s wasn’t killed by Master rather…. There was another!
“T-Two?” Isadora gasped, her voice betraying her disbelief as her eyes darted between the two identical figures, ‘How is this possible? Don’t tell me… It’s because I cut him?’
Aqualina, though visibly shaken by the bizarre turn of events, showed no concern for Victor’s apparent sacrifice…. to her Victor was no body!
On the other hand, Celestia’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart lurched at the sight of Victor’s crumpling form—until his body began dissolving into mist. Relief washed over her as she realized he was just a clone.
“Hmm… fascinating,” the second Master remarked, his tone dripping with curiosity as he watched Victor’s dissipating form.
GRRRRRLLLL!!!
“Shit!” Celestia cursed, narrowly evading the sharp claws of the mechanical fox lunging for her. Its rainbow Arcane crystal fangs gleamed under the light, each swipe a near miss.
Aqualina rushed to her side, drawing her swords in an attempt to slice through the beast. But despite her efforts, the blades skidded harmlessly off its impenetrable surface, leaving no marks.
The second Master, observing Victor, chuckled softly, “So that was just a fake,” he mused, his voice almost amused. “Interesting. I wonder what secrets he was hiding.” His eyes shifted to Isadora, who remained frozen in place. Instead of worry or pain, her expression was one of pure, stunned disbelief.
“Ah, so you already knew him, didn’t y–” the second Master continued.
PUFFFFF!!
Before he could finish, Isadora’s fist connected with the first Master’s head in an explosion of raw power. His skull shattered under the impact, fragments scattering as his headless body collapsed to the ground.
Thud!
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“Fucker!” Isadora snarled through clenched teeth. Her chest heaved, her fists trembling at her sides. Even though Victor was just a clone, the sight of him dying before her eyes had nearly pushed her to the brink of madness.
A single thought plagued her mind: What if it had been the real Aether?
She took a shaky breath, forcing herself to focus, ‘I need to retreat,’ she thought.
This enemy was unlike anything she’d faced before. She had no clues, no leverage, and no idea what other tricks he might have up his sleeve and most of all he acting like someone she knew which was not possible… The priority now was to get out of here alive—with Aqualina and Celestia.
“Both of you come to m–“
“Thinking of running away already?” The Master’s voice interupted her. His tone was unsettlingly calm, almost approving. “That’s actually a wise decision. Knowing nothing about your enemy, retreating is the best option..
Isadora’s fists clenched tighter as she prepared to attack and make her escape.
But then—
“Just like you ran away before… abandoning her,” the Master’s voice turned sly, ‘If I can’t win with power,’ the Master mused with a sly grin hidden beneath his hood, ‘then I’ll win with manipulation.’
“What do you mean?” Isadora demanded, her voice shaking slightly as her guard faltered.
“Oh, Of course… you’ve forgotten her, haven’t you?” The Master’s voice was venomously sweet now, “She meant nothing to you, after all. You never saw her as anything more than a healing potion… did you?”
At his words, Isadora intitally forzen… but then her heart sank, her body stiffening. Memories she had buried deep clawed their way back to the surface.
Isadora’s breath hitched, her eyes widening in pure horror. “Y-You…”
“… Indeed… as I said before, it’s me… Dora… It’s really me… Your Master Snape,” he said, his voice now turning softer, warmer, as if trying to comfort her.
Isadora shook her head, still refusing to acknowledge what he had just said…. Those words, they were only meant for her and the real Master Snape—but even so, she refused to accept the truth.
Because….
“YOU ARE NOT HIM, BECAUSE I FUCKING KILLED MASTER SNAPE!!!” Her voice echoed like a dreadful roar, reverberating through the empty area… Her eyes shook, and her body trembled violently—the way he had hoped it would.
“Hmmm… Yes indeed and also…” he said with a sly grin, “Eleanor? Trial? Abandoned?”
“!!!” Isadora’s heart skipped a beat, her heart pupils dilating in pure shock. Her body shook uncontrollably, fear creeping over her like a cold shroud.
Master Snape grinned even wider as he watched her face twist in terror. He could see her guard slowly lowering, her emotions slipping into imbalance.
‘You still haven’t gotten rid of the fear and guilt… Ah, thank you, dear,’ he thought to himself, his grin widening as he whispered, “And that’s…”
Who was Master Snape?
Celestia’s eyes widened as she heard Isadora’s voice tremble, “M-Master Snape… You mean the previous Sovereign is… alive?”
Before anyone could respond,
Chucckkkk!
Thud!
Isadora’s head rolled from her shoulders, blood spraying from her neck in a horrific burst…. The headless corpse slumped to the ground, lifeless…. Behind, the Headless Master—who she had just punched with full force—stood holding a sword, its blade glistening with Isadora’s blood.
“Checkmate,” the Master’s voice echoed in the deathly silence.
Celestia and Aqualina blankly watched the sense with horror.