Itadaki no Hecate

A Cold Family

"...And so, ever since then, Konoe-san hasn't consumed a single human being, and instead drains some of my Power of Existence every evening, just before midnight."

Yuji and Kazumi walked on the road parallel to the riverbank where the stands and décor of yesterday's festival was being taken down. As they walked the little dog Ekaterina together, Kazumi listened as Yuji had been recounting past events since his meeting with the Faux Vessel Konoe Fumina.

"So, Konoe-san's a Denizen trying to be a good person?"

Yuji smiled a little. "Rather than that, I don't think she was ever evil. Sure, she was ruthless, but I think she's just... very lonely, and pretty much unaware of how we see right and wrong, among others. But I do think she really is changing from who she was before."

That's right, otherwise she wouldn't have been so upset about Hirai-san becoming a Torch, he thought. I guess that's the only silver lining there.

"And besides, being a Denizen doesn't automatically make you a bad guy."

"Just like being a Flame Haze doesn't make someone a good person," Kazumi added, recalling the way Flieder behaved.

"Yeah, it's just that it's unfortunate that Denizens have no choice but to live off people's existences."

"Like that Lamies person told you?"

"Exactly."

"By the way, where is Konoe-san right now? I thought she'd come along with us."

The Mystes looked towards the distance. "Something else just came up, and she had to go meet a couple of new arrivals."

Sydonay and Bel Peol stood in front of a certain manor, waiting patiently. They had arrived in the city just less than an hour ago, and it wasn't too long until the Priestess Hecate arrived at the front gate. She was in her human guise, with dark greenish hair and a light blue dress.

"It has been a long time, Supreme Throne Hecate," said the woman.

"It is good to see you again, my Hecate," said the man.

The Priestess nodded once in acknowledgement. "Thousand Changes Sydonay, Judge of Paradoxes Bel Peol," she greeted them with a flat tone and an emotionless face.

Episode 20: A Cold Family

The Supreme Throne let the other two-thirds of the Bal Masque Trinity into her home. They looked around, not satisfied with what they saw. It seemed like a well furnished ghost house more than anything else, and they didn't even bother checking how thick the layer of dust was.

"Maybe we should have brought a butler with us," said Bel Peol sighed as she pulled apart a pair of large curtains to let in more light through a window. Immediately after doing so, she fanned aside the airborne dust she just let loose.

"Yeah," Sydonay agreed, although his attention was on Hecate. "You seem tired, and you've used up much of your energy. Were the enemies you encountered that powerful?"

The Priestess simply stared at him silently and turned away before coming to look out of the window Bel Peol had just opened. While it was true that she did face some of the most powerful opponents, it was only until she fought Khamsin that she had recklessly and unnecessarily used up so much of her power. And now that she thought of it, why did she suddenly feel so enraged after seeing Yukari Hirai as a Torch? She had certainly seen no less than a million Torches in the past, much of which she had made herself, so why? And then she realized, it was already too late for her to sever her bonds painlessly; she had begun to grow attached to not just Yuji, but to other people over time as well. She bowed her head, distressed by a fear of loss.