friends: the blank principal          



Chapter 7

People gathered all though the night to fill the slopes surrounding the stage to try and get a close look at the princess. The burning light of the lamps created a suggestive scene before the daybreak. Those who were late lumped before the screens that had been placed at distances around that area, and waves of people kept coming to the venue packing themselves to the point that no empty space could be seen when looking at the surrounding hills.


* * * * *


"Don't worry, Claus will surely come," Sophia tried to encourage Lavie and Al before she stepped up to the stage to address those who gathered.

"Listen everybody, we have very good news. The reports from our settlement say that the wheat brought from Anatoray to the new world sprouted safely and grew abundantly." People's expressions softened at the princess' first words. Sophia was going to kindly speak about the new world and the bright future awaiting them all. Vincent stood closeby, keeping a wary eye on the crowd.


* * * * *


"True, many people still reside there who, originally excluded from the Exile plan were left behind on the planet during the environmental upheaval, resisted and survived for all this time," Princess Sophia spoke earnestly.

Beneath a grimy cloak, Coccinella hid within the crowd and stared with narrowed eyes. "Fake princess."

"At the start of our return, it is likely that our claims will cause clashes. But we will eventually come to understand each other as we are all human beings. I firmly believe in this." Sophia then began speaking about the beautiful water that filled the Grand Lake, as well as all of the countries surrounding it.

"Now, let's begin," Apis took off his hood. With a signal, assassins who were standing in the crowds cast off their cloaks and began running.

Vincent's sharp senses picked up the sudden, murderously-intent movement. "One, two-- six figures."

Like white winds, they aimed for the stage from all sides. And with a simple glance from Vincent, the escort guards began moving. They stepped up to engage the enemies without hesitation, but the assassins knew that the soldiers could not use their guns among the crowd. The young assasin boys started killing the guards without slowing their pace. People who were listening to the princess' speech barely even had time to notice the soliders starting to die a hair's breadth away.

"Lavie..." Hearing Alvis' completely anxious voice, Lavie was suddenly on the alert.

She was just watching Sophia, now she is looking behind her, frightened. What is that? Those white winds.

The moment Lavie grabbed Alvis' hand, white shadows jumped onto the stage, like thieves bursting in.

"Sophia!" Vincent jumped in to protect her with his his body. He pulled out his gun and repelled the enemy's blade with the gun's barrel. The attack and defense movements repeated over and over, lighting up the stage with sparks. Eventually Vincent, although having dodged the tip of Apis's sword actually aiming at his neck, was hit in the shoulder. Fresh blood gushed, as that silouette stood in front of him.

"Indeed you are strong ... not like those other soldiers."

"You monster, they were my friends." As Apis smiled down at him, Vincent slowly pulled the trigger of his gun. The bullet fired at zero distance pierced through Apis' body.


* * * * *


"Don't get in my way! I will avenge my {sister}!" The crowd had begun to move away, leaving a wide opening. Coccinella looked at Sophia on the stage but was shot down by countless bullets.

If only I could strech my arms enough, I would lay my hands on that imposter. I would strangle her with all my strength. Even if that woman cries out in pain, and suffers, suffers, cries and begs for her life, I would not forgive her. But, we still have our fellow...

"Delphine ... sister..." Coccinella fell to his knees. The grass around him began to stain with fresh blood. "Ki ... ll ... for ... Lucci... o ... la..." Coccinella managed to choke out those final curse words before he fell, and stopped moving.


* * * * *


"Ki ... ll..."

Dio heard Coccinella's final words. "Yeah, for ... Lucciola..." The robes that he wore contracted around his body. There was no emotion in the face of the boy, as his once serene eyes glassed over and clouded.

No ... you don't have to kill... these... people.

Ros' stretched her fingers out from where she stood.

"...Lucciola." A small light that was held in the palm of Dio's hand grew and extended, changing its form and turning into a knife.


* * * * *


Relief spread amongst the soldiers as the terrorists were all taken down.

"...Lucciola." Slowly, as if he were simply taking a walk, Dio approached.

"A song...?" A young soldier listened to Dio's voice as he stepped lightly toward him. With a flash of blue light, the soldier's head went flying. The rest of the remaining soldiers tried to restrain their fear to confront the boy in order to protect the princess.

"...Dio." Was that really a slaughter happening in front of Lavie's eyes? Flashes of blue and white danced within water droplets dyed red.

"Beautiful..." Alvis' voice trembled with fear.

"Don't look!" Lavie covered her eyes.


* * * * *


The clouds began to become slightly visible as the sky began to grow light. The princess and the boy stood on the stage and at their feet, the knight who could not protect her had fallen.

"Vince..."

"Princess ... Sophia..." Vincent's eyes pleaded her to try and run away, but Sophia resolutely faced the boy.

I will absolutely not run away. Not from a crisis right in front of me.

"...For Lucciola." Dio's hand that held the knife went up slowly, that sparkling blue light from earlier materializing. Just as he brought it down on Sophia, a small white shadow slipped between the two of them. With a gush of fresh blood, the delicate body of Ros collapsed.

"Lucci ... o ... la?"

"I'm ... so ... rry..." Ros squeezed out a voice from the back of her throat. Her blood silently spread across the stage, as her skin began to pale into a beautiful crystalline white. Even Sophia could not hide her surprise at the recognition of that familiar face.

"Di ... o ..." The girl's lifeless hand fell to the floor.

"Lucciola!" Dio's trembling fingertips stretched out, his heart pounding faster, eyes opened wide. "I killed him ... I killed Lucciola!" In his lost, panicked state, Dio began clutching and clawing so harshly at his chest that his nails tore through and at his skin. He thrust his knife into the floor of the stage, over, and over, and over... Debris fragments chipped off the ground, flying and cutting at his skin. Shocked, Lavie couldn't take her eyes away from the scene.

"A vanship?!" Alvis called out as she stared at the sky. In the air, a silver aircraft glittered in the light of the sunrise, as the sound of its steam-type-machine-gun being shot echoed. The machine-gun shells ricocheted off the ground just near Dio and Ros body. The bullets cut through the floor, and debris scattered all around the stage.

Dio looked up, his eyes locking on the vanship. He had found the {enemy}.


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