In a hut near Cygnus's outpost, which was Vera's home, Kitsune and Vera stood over Arthur's feverish body as he lay in a bed that had become soaked with sweat and blood. His skin was crinkling as his flesh slowly began to peel away, becoming paler with each passing second. The quiet house, only livened with Arthur's labored breathing, was dimly lit by a candle on the nightstand. It flickered with his fading vitality, as if guiding him to the next life.
"Can you save him?" Kitsune asked.
Vera lit up one of her herbal cigarettes. "I've never seen insane symptoms like this before. What the hell happened to him?"
"It was the Blood Countess," Kitsune said. "She must've injected him with poison when he caught her knife."
"Old Lizzy, eh?" Vera asked. "This must be the work of her magic. Horrifying stuff, I must say, definitely worthy of an assassin like her."
"You didn't answer my question," Kitsune said.
Vera took a deep inhalation of earthy smoke. "Aren't you a deity? Why don't you cure him?"
"I can lightly soothe the pain, but I'm unable to heal," Kitsune said. "Those types are quite rare, even amongst spirits. And for even those that can, this is impossible."
"Hm, interesting stuff," Vera said. She shrugged. "Unfortunately, there's no way to cure him. That blood she injected into him is the amalgamation of a bunch of history's worst diseases. Viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi– he's got every sickness under the sun, and then some. There's no way to cure him. Look, his flesh is literally melting off his bones as we speak."
"So there really is no way to save him?" Kitsune asked.
"I didn't say that," Vera said with a smug grin. "If he'd fallen like this anywhere else, I can assure you he'd be as good as dead. Luckily, he's exactly where he needs to be if he wants a chance."
"Where he needs to be? What's so special about this place?" Kitsune asked.
"Because I am here," Vera said, sighing. "There's no way to cure him, but I can give him a little more time."
"He was not much longer for this world, regardless. If you can allow his body to fight at least one last time, that would be enough," Kitsune said. "Please, I beg you. Do not let him die just yet."
"Yeah, was already gonna do that," Vera said as she began carefully assessing Arthur's rotting body. "The infected blood is in his system and quickly multiplying. What I'm going to do is replace his blood with artificial blood, drop by drop. As for his infected organs, I'll slowly cut away those and replace them with synthetic flesh I'm growing in the basement. His heart will be tricky, but I can manage. What's most important is preventing it from damaging his brain too much. The brain is quite tricky, see. It's best to cut off flow for a bit and-"
"Artificial blood? Synthetic flesh? What sort of monstrosities are you cooking up in that basement of yours?" Kitsune asked.
"So, not even you know, all-seeing fox?" Vera giggled.
"My eyes see much, but not nearly all," Kitsune said. "All-seeing has always been an overstatement. As of now, I can't see anything."
"Well, it's something that's going to revolutionize medicinal practices around the world!" Vera said. "My work is still in the early testing phase, but I guess there's no better subject to test them on than the king himself! When I'm finished, he's going to be a walking marionette of blood and guts I grew like mushrooms in the cellar."
"You're an odd one, but if there's a fair chance, then I'll have faith," Kitsune said hesitantly.
"A fair chance? As if. His chances of survival are essentially zero," Vera said. "But he's not someone who ever fought against fair odds. I'm going to give him that .0000001% chance of survival because I know he'll find a way to make it a 100%. That's just the type of man he is."
"I know that," Kitsune whispered. "My powers are at your disposal. I'll do everything I can to help."
"Hell yeah. I get to drive a deity like a slave!" Vera said excitedly. "I don't know how many weeks or months it'll take for him to come back, but I know he will. For now, we'll flood his body with antibiotics, steroids, and any sort of healing magic you have to keep him alive. I'll start draining his blood immediately and transfusing the synthetic blood. We'll keep repeating this process, filtering him out like specs of dirt in water. Also, his magic power seems to be waning as well, so try to give him some of your own without overwhelming his senses. These next few hours will be the most pivotal, so get ready."
"Anything it takes to save him," Kitsune said.
"Oh, and one more thing," Vera said.
"What's that?" the fox spirit asked.
"If we want him to survive, we're going to have to temporarily kill him."
…
"It's odd, Cygnus, my friend," Samson said. "I've barely heard the name, yet you seem to know this foe's entire history. Is there a particular reason you're interested in her? Was she not before you were even a scholar of Wunderdum?"
"You do realize I'm in charge of all records in the kingdom, right?" Cygnus asked. "She was long gone by the time I was first brought to the capital, but I've studied the case extensively at Lancelot's request. Her actions are chilling enough, but what's even more horrifying is the type of magic she uses."
"We didn't have a chance to see it," Kofi said.
"Be glad you didn't," Cygnus said. "Though I'm sure she's a foe we'll have to face in the future."
"Can Arthur truly not beat her?" Epsilon asked.
"As he is now, doubtfully," Cygnus said. "Her wicked magic is perpetually thirsty, always seeking a way to become stronger. Who knows how powerful she's actually become? At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if she could take down an angel. She might even rival that witch from when we fought her."
Epsilon tilted his head. "Just what type of powers does she hold?"
"Blood scythe magic," Cygnus said. "It's a type of vampiric magic that siphons blood from others and empowers the user in all sorts of ways. Not only can she steal the strength of those she kills and add it to her own, but she's able to manipulate her blood in devious ways. She can manifest it and control it, imbue it into her scythe, and give her body unbelievable physical energy and unmatched speed. With her blood sense, she can feel every cell of blood in an opponent and predict their moves with utmost precision. Supposedly, there's a plethora of other abilities she holds, but they were hidden from even the Agents of Darkness. When you're their leader, it's pretty easy to cover up your tracks."
"I've heard of a Western demon, more a myth than anything, who drinks the blood of her enemies, becoming more monstrous with each taste," Kofi said. "Could this be the same person?"
"No way to know for sure," Cygnus said. "But probably. She wasn't someone our kingdom openly flaunted due to her sadistic methods, though I'm sure there was no way word didn't get out. Quite frankly, the only reason her brutality was overlooked was because she was an invaluable asset to the kingdom. Unbeknownst to Arthur, of course. If he and his Round Table had found what Lionel had been covering, then they would have taken action without hesitation."
"So what changed?" Ada asked.
"One day, she snapped," Cygnus said. "Her daughter died in a freak accident due to political negligence, or at least that's what the records say, and that's when the killings started. While we now know the story in retrospect, at the time, no one was able to piece together that the corrupt politicians getting killed one by one were her doing."
"Ain't killing corrupt folks what the Agents of Darkness do anyway?" Brax asked.
"I'm sure it happens often enough, but that was far from the case with her," Cygnus said. "What she was doing benefited no one."
"Was she really that bad?" Brax asked.
"The worst," Cygnus said. He looked back with a forlorn stare. "But alas, I don't think there's anyone who can stop her now. I can feel it in the air, even here. She's reached a level we can never hope to compare."
"So what are we supposed to do if she attacks again?" Brax asked.
"Pray and run away as fast as we can," Cygnus said.
"Are you sure your king will be okay?" Ada asked.
"While he hasn't a chance of beating her as he is, I'm sure he'll pull through," Cygnus said. "Anyway, he's got Galahad and Percival by his side. They're two of the most reliable guys I know."
"And my mother," Musique said quietly.
"Hm? Oh! I hadn't even realized the fox spirit had vanished," Cygnus said.
"She tends to do that," Musique muttered. "But this time, she at least spoke to me first. She told me to go along with you guys, and that she would oversee Arthur's for now. Just when I reunited with her, too…"
"Knowing they've got a deity on our side is reassuring, maybe they've got a chance to win, after all," Cygnus said. "I hadn't even considered the fox deity."
"I doubt she can add all that much," Musique said. "She's not a fighter."
"Regardless, let's hope she stays far away from us," Samson said. "Though I must wonder what she was after."
"I wonder myself," Cygnus said. He eyed Musique in his peripheral vision, but kept his gaze straight forward.
"Should we find a place to rest?" Samson asked.
"Rest? Who could do such a thing after that encounter?" Epsilon asked. "Besides, we're not nearly far enough from that evil woman."
"True enough," Cygnus said, placing his hand on the cart's orb to take over the driving from Brax. "Rest now, my friend. I'll take over for a few hours."
"You sure?" Brax asked.
"Aye," Cygnus said. "We must get to Wunderdum as fast as possible, and we'll need your power tomorrow. I'll take over for the night."
"Alright, just don't go wearin' yourself out or nothin'," Brax said as he walked to the back of the cart and slumped down. Somehow, he fell asleep almost instantly, alongside Samson. The rest of them, however, couldn't rest more than a wink.