Itadaki no Hecate

Decision, Action, Retribution

She was here, he knew it, even if he did not know that he did before, when he had given up. It was the place where Konoe Fumina had disappeared, her last memory, and Hecate's first memory of the city, when she had first met him.

Night was falling. He found the Priestess kneeling on the open ground, still deep in prayer. But her expression was troubled, her brows pushing against each other. He approached her carefully.

"Konoe-san," Yuji said softly. It was out of habit, but regretted it immediately. He recalled what Lamies had told him.

"Something that only you can say to her, after understanding her this much."

"Hecate," he said. And he noticed the Priestess stir. He continued. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I only looked at one part of you, and didn't accept everything about you. I can't forget what you did, nor will I ever will, but that's because I want to understand you. I'll accept everything that you are, even the side of you that is a Crimson Lord. What I'm trying to say is that I don't see you as a monster, and I never will."

"You're wrong," Hecate suddenly said. She stood up and looked him straight in the eyes. Her gaze was cold as ice stabbing into his soul.

But Yuji did not back down, not this time. He stood before her resolutely. She was still Konoe, he knew, but she was more than that, she was Hecate. And he was convinced that he meant something to her, and with that fact, he trusted her. He wanted to understand her.

But did she trust and understand herself?

The Priestess raised her staff against Yuji, her piercing eyes full of a chilling fury.

"I am a heartless, soulless entity. My only purpose of being is to be the Priestess of Bal Masque," she said. It was emotionless and cold as ice. But even if there was no hint of it there, Yuji could sense her sorrow, anguish and confusion as she spoke. "My master's will is all that matters to me. Everything else is meaningless."

Suddenly, a sharp pain plunged into the Mystes. As he coughed and gasped in pain, he felt something come out of him. An orb wrapped in a clear blue light emerged from his chest, and floated into Hecate's hand.

Yuji looked at her with disbelief. Then stood as he did a moment ago, unaccusing, unafraid, sure of himself and sure of what he believed in the girl before him. He smiled at Hecate, who felt her own gaze thaw under his warm expression.

Hecate gritted her teeth and clenched her staff tightly. Without so much as a goodbye, she turned around and floated into the air with the Treasure in her hand. She turned back, the Mystes was now a small figure below. She could not see his expression, but he continued to look at her.

Why? Why did she still feel so horrible inside? Her mission was completed, and she had a reason to leave the city and return to serving her master...

Yet why did she hesitate, even now, when it was over?

Episode 6: Decision, Action, Retribution

Friagne walked through a populated street, glancing from side to side.

"It appears that our undercover Rinne couldn't find our little meddler," Friagne said to himself. "Maybe the Tool of Hunting would have some idea of who it is. It shouldn't be too hard to wring the answers out of the barbarian, no matter how powerful it is, as long as it is just a Flame Haze. But first, we'll have to invite it for a chat."

He raised his hand and cast his spell. "Fuzetsu."

The sky was painted crimson red, and all time froze within the Seal.