250 Lunar Sickle

Inside Helial's Soul

Alexander crossed his arms over his chest, offended. Iblis had become furious when the King had given Helial Ligir's cloak and crown, when he himself had given the Lunar Sickle to Lumia.

"Despite my seclusion here, on this planet forgotten by the rest of the universe, I have continued to keep myself informed about great events," said Alexander still offended, but with a strange light in his eyes. "Tell me, who was the real second of your army?"

"If you really are that wise, you should already know."

Alessandro waved his hand annoyed: "Don't pretend you don't understand. Siche is your spiritual heir, apparently; the great commander of Destruction, the most beautiful woman in the universe."

"So you already know the answer, don't you see?"

"You keep playing dumb. I asked you who your real second is." Alexander waited for an answer that showed no sign of coming and then resumed speaking, in a strangely calm tone of voice. "Lunar Sickle, Tsukuyomi's weapon. That scythe took the life of more than one big fish in the ranks of Life, am I wrong?"

Alexander bent his body forward on the table, getting even closer to the Devil.

Iblis nodded slightly and remained silent.

"According to rumours gathered here and there by Bucephalus, it appears that Tsukuyomi was no weaker than Siche. Indeed, it is said that only her lack of interest in a life as a commander prevented her from taking your place after the mysterious disappearance of the most powerful Devil in the universe."

Iblis didn't show it, but Alexander could guess his annoyance with unspeakable clarity. It was as if those two terrifying monsters could read each other's minds at times. It was the closeness of the great, the spirit shared by those who reigned an entire era.

"Not only that: there is also the question of how you could have obtained Tsukuyomi's weapon. It is known that she disappeared with you, but for what absurd reason would Tsukuyomi give you her weapon, unless she knew of your imminent disappearance?"

Turning abruptly, Iblis realized he had fallen into a trap. Alexander was trying, subtly and indirectly, to explore an event in the history of the universe that no one knew exactly, except Iblis himself. He was trying to extract information to find out what exactly happened in the life of the Devil.

It didn't take long for Alexander to understand that Amaterasu was alive exactly as Iblis was and that the two were destined for yet another confrontation through their respective disciples. Still, the King of Kings still wondered how things really had really happened. Why had Iblis and Amaterasu ended up like this? Who could have imprisoned then lives into objects so that their heirs could fight to the death again?

Iblis sighed, but remained neutral and did not reveal any other emotions.

"To be honest, speaking of Siche, in my day it wouldn't have been so strange to think of having a relationship with one of your own disciples-"

CRACK

Yet another teacup cracked in front of Iblis's cold and expressionless eyes.

…

In the Colosseum

Lunar Sickle is a much more powerful weapon than you can imagine. Weapons generally have a level cap based on their potential. But true masterpieces do not require any restrictions. These adapt directly to the abilities of those who wield them, bringing their true and greatest talent to the surface. There is no mighty warrior without a mighty weapon.

The origin of this scythe is much more mystical than anything you can imagine at the moment, so you are not allowed to know anything about it. Until I say otherwise, you will need to ask me for permission before using it. The only thing you are worthy of knowing is that Lunar Sickle was the weapon of a person I love immeasurably. So, try to treat it well and honor it when you handle it.

The words Iblis had uttered when he delivered the Lunar Sickle into Lumia's hands were still etched in the little girl's mind. The Devil had never been a particularly playful type, but when he made this speech, Lumia had seen in his eyes an unprecedented seriousness. It seemed that Iblis cared a lot about whoever had owned Lunar Sickle before her.

Lumia looked in front of her, where Vetal, the Dolly, was looking at the arm removed from her shoulder joint. The wound was so clean it had something uncanny about it. It was as if scissors had cut a corner out of a sheet of paper.

CRACK! DONG!

The other Folly, Vetalia, suddenly stopped attacking Frankenstein and stared at the silver-haired girl with a piercing gaze of death. That brat had hurt her sister!

Follies were twins and shared all their sensations.

In fact, the Undead couldn't feel pain. Yet, Vetal felt the lack of something, she felt a strange feeling of emptiness where she usually should have felt her arm. It was impossible to describe, but it was as if a piece of her was missing. And it was literally like that.

Vetalia was also able to feel that same strange sensation, as if one of her arms had also been cut off by the girl's weapon. A dull rage had enveloped her body. Vetal, on the other hand, continued to stand still and stare at the missing arm.

The Follies were a very powerful and particular type of Undead. Their minds had no menory of their past life, unlike the Revenant. The two sisters were born from the madness of a battlefield, from owners of bodies who had gone mad before they died. Only a huge feeling of sheer madness, despair and dementia could have engendered such atrocities.

Born from fragments of the human intellect, Follies were the maximum expression of conflicting emotions. They didn't always act according to reason. Often their movements were unpredictable, following the only hint of distorted human emotion they still carried with them: madness.

They were creatures born of schizophrenia, from souls totally reduced to pieces.

Vetalia threw herself violently against Lumia.

Skill - Upgrade!

Titan Shield is temporarily transformed into Lunar Shield!

Skill Activated:

Lunar Shield

A whitish barrier blocked Vetalia's attack; she hit the shield with hundreds of blows in a few seconds, making it tremble visibly. But not a single crack appeared on the Skill.

Lumia's face had the same expressiveness as a corpse. Rage had erased all emotion from her body. While she wasted time with the two Follies, her brother was struggling with the Prince of Darkness; that damned monster was far more powerful than anyone could have imagined.

But the girl, towards whom everyone felt an instinct of protection at the mere sight, had a chasm in her heart, inside which rivers of anger and hatred were pouring.

Frankenstein was still shocked by what had happened within minutes and by the coolness that Lumia was showing on such an occasion. Although the girl, after having dissolved her Formation, had caused the death of two Goblins and had injured one Folly and blocked the other, she had not showed any emotion.

A shiver ran down the Goblin's back. Frankenstein was sure that if he himself or Snowflake or even Cesar stood between Lumia and Helial, they have faced the same destiny as the mutilated Folly before them.

Vetalia continued to strike relentlessly, but the whitish shield showed no sign of falling.

There was soon a sudden change.

Lumia launched a blow that should have stopped on the shield. Still, Moon Sickle passed right through the Moon Shield, without breaking it or interfering with the Skill.

Its blade pierced Vetalia from side to side in front of Vetal's incredulous eyes. Lumia hurled Vetalia across the arena with a swift movement of the Lunar Sickle and disappeared.

Being an Undead, Vetalia had received no substantial damage, but had been driven away with devastating ease.

Lumia appeared behind Vetal, while the Folly was still apparently in a catatonic state. She prepared to separate her head from her body, without paying any attention to the opening that had just appeared in the position she had just assumed.

A terrifying Aura covered Lumia in a split second, leaving the Folly breathless.

Vetal's neck turned at an uncanny angle, rotating 180 degrees, while a chilling laugh rose from the other side of the arena.

It was then that Lumia realized that everything was going too well.

That had to be a trap.

The Follies must have realized the change within her Aura, and that the little girl now posed a real threat. They had drawn her into the comfortable belief that she was invincible and ahead of them.

Now, Lumia found herself uncovered, with Moon Sickle behind her, ready to strike with all her might; she saw the Folly's remaining hand, sharp as a sword, go straight towards her heart. The loss of her arm hadn't shaken her in the least.

The silver-haired girl showed a bitter, reproachful smile at herself in the last moments that remained before the beast in front of her tore the heart out of her chest.