Chapter 12: The White Bird and The Hypergoddess

We helped Merle carry her surprisingly heavy weight all the way from the entrance to a place called the 'Artist's Alley', located just beyond the entry lounge on the first floor: what would otherwise be an immense empty grey area is, apparently just for today, full of stands and booths of all shapes and sizes selling everything from art works to toys and even books, though the latter are quite rare; upon reaching an empty one, she asked us to deposit everything near the counter, explaining that this one was hers and that she would have proceeded to organize her goods later.

“Thanks for the help guys, I... really appreciated it." she thanked us, still shocked from this unexpected meeting.

“Do not worry: I was just behaving like a true knight is supposed to... and Lepris here was imitating me, I suppose." I joked, causing my friend to get a little angry before realizing I was merely jesting; after regaining his composure, he introduced himself to my acquaintance “I'm Lepris anyway: nice to meet you! Are you a friend of Red?" the dove immediately shook her head and corrected him, blushing slightly in the process “No, we barely know each other... we met yesterday afternoon, but we only spoke for fifteen minutes or so. We're not really friends... nice to meet you too, anyway." I suppose she was being correct, at least on a technical level.

I decided to skip any other unnecessary introduction and jump straight to the important questions, which lead to me inquiring “So, what are you doing in... this place?"

“Oh, you know... just making business, as usual: I figured out I might be able to sell more if I'm in a place full of animal lovers, especially since most of the subjects I draw are either animals or ferals anyway... which is why I rented a little booth and prepared myself for this big day! I won't return home until I make some good cash!" she surely was confident in herself... and quite enthusiastic as well, judging from her joyful expression; after a while, she added, in a much more controlled tone “Speaking of which... you're a feral as well, aren't you? Can't say I'm surprised but... wow..." a 'feral'? What was that supposed to mean, I wondered?

I was about to ask just that when Lepris, who figured everything out before me, jumped in front of me and inquired, hopeful “A 'feral'? Is that how you refer to... people like me and you? Like... shape-shifters?" Merle sighed annoyed, but kindly replied “That's how we call ourselves, yes... I think there are some of us who like to use a different name, but '' is the general consensus. At least we managed to agree on something, for once..."

“We? There are more of us?" Lepris inquired ecstatic, almost jumping enthusiastically at the perspective of meeting more of his kind; the woman once again sighed like she probably did countless times before and commented, defeated “Oh boy, here we go again..."

My name... is Red. I am a fire dragon, and the only survivor of the massive surprise attack that completely destroyed the capital of my kingdom. After learning a bit more about the problems in this world that I wish to solve before leaving, I finally allowed myself some sleep after a truly tiresome day. Now it's Tuesday, a new day full of exciting possibilities: it is my duty to make the most out of it... even though I do not know exactly how...

Apparently, Lepris and Merle are not the only existing otherkins in this world: at least from what she told us, there are supposedly a hundred more coexisting in secret with their human cousins within this nation's borders... and roughly a dozen of them are hiding in this very city. The dove was unable to tell us since how long have '' existed on this planet: just that they prefer to hide, even from themselves, and act as normal humans in fear of being persecuted and hunted to extinction... which reminds me that, were we to mistakenly blow our cover this instant, their worst fears would become reality... and we would be responsible for it. That kind of puts a lot of pressure on you, does it not?

“As for me, I try to make a living as a street artist... but you already knew that, didn't you?" Merle finishes her explanation and turns to face me “Sorry for not telling you the truth yesterday: I had a faint suspicion you were a feral, but even if you were... well, let's just say I learned to stay away from other ferals. As far as I've seen, most of them are jerks anyway..." that's... something important to note down, I presume. I have an odd feeling Lepris and Merle are not the only otherkin I will ever meet in my sojourn here, so I should know how to proceed in case I meet someone who is not as... sympathetic as they are.

Anyway, I should get back to our conversation: all this day-dreaming is surely making me look like an idiot “Oh, truth be told I was reluctant to tell you the truth as well, both because I was afraid my theories were incorrect and because... no, never mind that." if I were to tell her that I was (and still am) afraid that I could pull her in the same spiral of madness I am currently embroiled in... then I am sure the situation could only worsen.

Perhaps it's for the best I keep shut on said argument, especially since I am not entirely sure that's the truth... in the meantime, I decide to make a simple correction to her sentence “Also, I am not exactly a feral: I am a dragon, son and grandson of dragons and heir to a kingdom of dragons from another-" Merle's expression makes me realize from the beginning a short answer will not be enough... which is why I take some time to explain her summarily who I am, where I come from and the reasons behind my presence here; after I am done explicating everything I need to to her and after allowing Lepris to give his own version of the story, the avian finally replies, calm “Alright, I believe you: you definitely don't look like you're joking, so... either you're for real or you're both lunatics, and you don't look like the latter. Cool stories, anyway: I doubt mine is as interesting as yours." perhaps not to her, but to a foreigner like me every story is worth listening to.

Despite my desire to keep conversing with my acquaintance, I am afraid we cannot spend too much time here doing nothing: me and Lepris must do whatever he needs to before finally leaving and Merle should probably start reordering her things while she still can “Anyway, perhaps it's for the best if we leave you be, at least for now: you still need to set everything up after all, and I doubt we would be of much help. I am sorry for cutting this conversation short, but we might be able to return to it later if you want to take a break from your shopkeeping activities." I tell the lady, who waves at me friendly “No worries: I've had fun listening to you guys. Have fun at the convention!" after waving our goodbyes to the white bird, we leave her in solitude as we go exploring other parts of the building; sadly, due to Lepris having 'kind of forgot' the layout of the palace, we end up right where we started, at the entry lounge.

“Lepris, are you sure you are alright? You appear to be thinking about something else." I eventually notice, to which my friend answers “Yeah... it's just that, before meeting Merle, I didn't know if there were other otherkin like me... but now I know there are, and I... well, I can't help myself but imagine what they're like: Merle surely didn't paint them in a good light..." I understand where my companion is coming from... but his conclusions are mere nonsense, and I explain him just that “What other '' are like should be of no concern to you: the only thing that should matter is how you want yourself to be, and nothing else. When we judge someone, we judge them based on their actions: not on the actions of others."

“Yeah, 'Prince Charming' here is right: just because you're a dork doesn't mean everyone else is a dork as well, am I right?" Karma's sudden apparition behind our backs scares us both, even though we should have grown accustomed to the creature's nasty habits by now: the cat is still dressed the same fashion as yesterday, and his eyes are just as sharp and shining as ever “Anyway, jokes aside, how are you today? You definitely look much better than yesterday, that's for sure." their tone is a bit more serious than usual, but there is still a hint of sarcasm behind their otherwise polite words.

“I'm feeling great, thanks." the rabbit answers, unsure of how to behave in front of the cat.

“Why are you here, exactly?" I inquire, surprised “You do not seem like the kind of person who would enjoy such a loud and crowded place..."

“Because I'm not: I'm slowly dying of cringe inside. This convention is one of the most cancerous places I've ever been to, hands down: I'm only here to have some fun at the expense of others, and right now I can't even do that..." they answer as they grit their teeth, enduring some sort of pain I cannot understand... and that I do not wish to understand either.

“Alright... where are Dante and Fortune then?" I proceed to ask, wondering whatever those two powerful humans may be up to.

“Dante's here... I think. Last time I checked on him, he was in the bathroom, puking his soul into the nearest toilet... just like I heard your friend was last night: I don't think he's coming out of there soon enough... especially considering that every time he gets out, he has to go back in right away!" the creature laughs amused, before adding “As for Fortune, she's... awfully late: she still hasn't left her home, and I'm kind of worried something, or rather someone, is preventing her from coming to work... I would check on her myself, if I weren't banned from ever stepping foot in that... place... ever since that time I made chocolate rain from the ceiling for three days. Her boyfriend's faces when he realized what was happening were priceless, that much I can assure you!" they truly do revel in others' distress... I cannot say I ever met someone as twisted and perverted as the entity in front of me is.

“Anyway, did you find out more about that monster that attacked me yesterday? I'm pretty curious to know more... especially in case something like it attacks me again." Lepris asks, hoping to change the subject into a much more... manageable one.

“As a matter of fact, yes, I did... or rather, the person who I sent investigating did: I was watching some Youtube videos when that happened..." that's wonderful news to hear! However, Karma does not appear to be done talking yet “...Which is why I will have her explain everything to you instead: after all, I'm... not a very good teacher..." I cannot shake the feeling there is some other reason other than their mere incapacity to explain in detail, but I decide to stay quiet for the time being as to not upset them; meanwhile, the cat starts looking at the doors behind us, almost annoyed for whatever reason “Weird... she's almost never late: did something happen—oh, no, there she is. Almost right on time!" they point to a small, childish figure running towards the entrance as fast as it can, visibly fatigued.

As the person, who appears to be a young woman, approaches us quickly, she excuses herself in a childish, girly tone “Sorry, I know I'm late: this city's way bigger than I expected, and catching the right bus was a pain! I've had to ask for direction three times just to get to the first bus station! And the map you gave me was... well, unreadable: your calligraphy is the worst I've seen in my life!" I am not sure whether she is embarrassed or simply passive-aggressive, but there are bigger priorities at the moment.

As I inspect the girl from up close, I realize that she is indeed merely a child... and a rather frail one at that too: I do not know exactly how old is she, but she is definitely younger than anyone here present... although, when I first looked into her eyes, I had a weird sensation she might have been older than she looked; strange indeed, but that does not seem to be the case. The girl has lively, very small-looking pink eyes and only wears a white t-shirt with various pictures of pink flowers and hearts drawn on it and a pair of simple, blue jeans (other than a pair of simple brown boots, of course) despite how cold the air outside is: either she is quite reckless or she is just as impervious to the outside weather as I am... one of the two. Her most interesting feature, however, is most certainly her hair, which looks more like a beautiful painting than actual hair: a myriad of delightful pink and white flowers of different shapes and sizes is painted on the surface of her long, straight hair... the art work is especially visible from behind, but a small fraction of it can be seen while looking at her directly; overall, I believe it makes her look even prettier than she would be otherwise. Not only that, but she also wears a red circlet decorated with a luminous red rose resting atop her head, just slightly tilted towards the left, and a red, tied band of cloth on her right wrist. She reeks an aura of youth and positivity, but I cannot understand if it's real or if I am just imagining it... based on Lepris's own expression, I can almost certainly assume it's the former.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. What's important is that you're here now, right?" Karma turns to face us and introduces the young woman to us “Her name's Felicity, and she's another one of my... collaborators: she's a prodigy child, a smart researcher, an expert negotiator... and a total weeb, but that's beside the point. She's going to help you in your future operations, just like Dante and Fortune." oh, so that's how it is... quite interesting indeed, but it also raises some important questions: how could a little kid such as herself possibly be on the same level as the other two humans that work under Karma?

“Oh, are you Red and Lepris by any chance?" she inquires, surprised; after receiving a positive answer, the young woman adds, ecstatic “That's amazing! I should've guessed that by... you know, your bodies, but... it doesn't matter now! I've heard so many things about you from Dante, and I was really looking forward to meet you... and you look just as I imagined!" it's clear she would like to keep on talking, but she has to interrupt herself as she suddenly remembers the reason why she's here in the first place “Oh, that's right: I had to inform you of what I found out about these 'Primal F.E.A.R.' things you wanted me to research. I hope what I've gathered so far is enough..." she grabs some notes she was storing in her jeans' pockets and begins to read what's written on them to us “So, according to ancient sources, a 'Primal F.E.A.R.' is a unique variation of 'F.E.A.R.' and they have existed for as long as humanity itself has. They were born from the collective unconsciousness, precisely from the deepest realms of the human psyche, and they pretty much represent a very specific fear or anxiety shared by many people on the planet... which they also feed off of, but on a worldwide scale. They can be... or rather, they are everywhere at the same time and they hold immense powers compared to the other 'F.E.A.R.'s because of the shear amount of negative emotions that form them: however, attacks by this sort of creature are very rare... but it's important to note that, whenever they get aggressive, they always hunt down very specific individual targets instead of random ones... and their preys are usually much more susceptible to the fear that the 'Primal' represents than most other people. If one of them were to be defeated, which was thought to be impossible before... well, yesterday night, they would cease existing forever... unlike the fear they represent, which unfortunately cannot be erased from the minds of humans. Oh, and someone can only be targeted by only one 'Primal' over the course of their life, meaning that Lepris is theoretically safe from them for as long as he lives; I've also found out that 'Primal's have some degree of self-awareness and even possess a higher intellect, but both of them are very limited... and that's it, really. That's all I could find, sorry if it's not much." perhaps the information Felicity brought us might not help a lot in battle... but that does not make it irrelevant and, in fact, only further helps us understand our enemy.

“Not much? What are you saying? You shared with us information that I doubt we would have been able to learn otherwise: for that, I must thank you. You should give yourself more credit for the hard work you do." my praises have the strange effect of causing the kid to turn as red as my flames themselves and mutter some barely audible words of gratitude... either she is not used to this kind of response or she is merely shy, and I honestly cannot tell...

However, without any warning, her body suddenly stiffens as her eyes widen, almost as if she were scared by something “Oh no..." she says alarmed, just as the ring on my finger begins shining a dangerous light... a 'F.E.A.R.' attack in the early morning? This most certainly did not happen yesterday... moreover, where are the 'F.E.A.R.'s themselves? And why am I not feeling that odd sensation of uneasiness they always bring with them... is it because we are we still in the real world?

Karma must have realized it as well, as they ask aloud “Wait, where are all the monsters? Why can we still see all these hipsters?" they are probably referring to the people near us, but I do not have time to attempt to make sense out of their senseless ramblings.

Felicity seems to be more sensible to the 'F.E.A.R.'s than any of us, as she soon comments “There's a darkness nearby... whatever it is, it's not attacking us: it's attacking... someone else!" they are attacking an innocent civilian? Why would those monsters do that instead of coming for us? The answer to that question, at least for now, is the last of my concerns: we all immediately dash in the direction the girl points to, ready to save whoever might be in danger from the hollow fangs of those heartless monsters...

Felicity does not take long to bring us where we are needed and, in a few minutes, we are back precisely where we were just a handful of minutes before: in the middle of the 'Artist's Alley', not too far away from Merle's booth. Before we even reach our destination, we can clearly see a white winged figure fighting what appears to be a horde of 'F.E.A.R.'s of moderate size: I would like to scream I was going to help her, but it would not be very wise given that we are still outside the 'Astra-grid' and that she would not be able to hear me... I cannot say the same for everyone else, though.

Lepris appears to be rather confused, since he cannot see the enemy like the rest of us (Felicity included, apparently) can “Wait, why are we stopping? Where are all the monsters?"

“On a different world layer, as usual." Karma answers, their usual sadistic grin almost glued to their face; they then throw a black ring to the rabbit, similar to my own in size but devoid of the rich dragon-like decorations mine has... it looks more like a common wedding ring than an enchanted tool, to be honest “Here, put this on: this should allow you to see the 'F.E.A.R.'s... I hope. The alternative is expensive eye surgery, and we don't have the budget for that... which is understandable, considering we cannot even afford some official artwork." the cat begins chuckling between themselves, but none of us present seems to have understood the joke... except Felicity maybe, whose only reaction is a resigned sigh.

Anyway, as soon as Lepris puts the ring on and blinks a couple of times, he finally exclaims “Oh, no! They're everywhere! Merle can't handle them all by herself: we have to do something!"

“Why should we?" Karma replies, their grin widening even more “She's doing fine on her own... for now, at least. If you were to intervene, the battle would end much faster... and that would be really boring to watch, you know?" are they really saying what I am hearing? Are they insane? “Let's keep an eye on her, just for a few minutes: I want to see what she's truly capable of... and I think everybody else does as well." they then add, amused; I admit, I too believe you can tell a lot about a person by learning their fighting style... but putting someone's life at risk simply to satisfy Karma's desire for entertainment is purely despicable!

“You cannot simply toy with the life of an innocent like this! This is utter madness!" I shout at them, miraculously not alerting any bystanders in the process.

In response, their grin widens even more, soon becoming as wide as their face itself... I am afraid they were expecting me to say this “Good thing you don't get to decide then: only individuals with incredible powers can travel between different layers of existence... and only those with an even bigger power can allow others to do so as well. Unfortunately for you, I'm the only such person who can do just that in this room: whether you like it or not, I'm the one who gets to choose whether to intervene or not... it might seem evil or selfish to you, but I frankly don't care. You'll just have to trust me when I say she'll be fine..." I have to admit, I truly do lack options in this situation... the only two positive things at the moment are that Karma does not seem to be upset by the fact I am attempting to go against their will and that they are not threatening to end our deal because of it either.

Lepris is shocked and is looking at me hopeful, expecting me to find a way to help Merle... but I am afraid we have no such possibility at the moment; unsure of what to answer or what to do, I turn to face the little girl, who is watching the battle intently, a determined expression on her face “She can do it..." she keeps repeating to herself, just barely audible to others “She can do it... she can win... I believe in her..." she trusts Merle... despite them not even being acquaintances? This child is definitely different from the ones I am used to... but perhaps she is right: the only thing we can do as outside spectators is to hope our champion triumphs over her enemies...

[3-01 – Limpid Sky - “Light The Fire Up In The Night (P4 Side)" from Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth by Shoji Meguro, Atlus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpM6wyE7Gx8)]

I don't understand what in the world these creatures are, where they came from or even how they dragged me in this... alternate reality or something, but I don't need Sherlock Holmes to tell me these monsters are after me: I'd call out for help, but everyone else seems to have... disappeared... I just hope they're okay is all; plus, I doubt they'd really be of help... especially since they can't defend themselves like I can.

As long as I keep flying, the vast majority of these monsters, which resemble small goblins from D&D or something, can't even reach me: they just mindlessly follow me from the ground wherever I go, sometimes even launching themselves from the roof of nearby booths, vainly hoping to catch me. The problem are these freaking birds, who keep following me wherever I go: they resemble eagles or something, but they're much bigger than the ones you see on the Internet... and those huge fangs they've got for beaks aren't really a great sight.

I think it's about time I fight back: I grab my two fans from my jeans' pockets and look at them, making sure they're in perfect shape for combat. The right one pictures a beautiful prairie under the daylight, full of plants, animals and mountains in the distance, while the left is exactly the same, only under the moonlight... with these I can defend myself, I think. I've never really used them to hurt anyone, but... if there's one good time to use them, it's now.

I turn towards my flying pursuers and slash the air in front of me horizontally with my two fans, shooting a bunch of sharp white feathers at them in the process: the monsters don't have the time to dodge my projectiles, or maybe they just don't care about them is all, and most of them are hit by them and reduced to a gooey pulp soon after. I didn't think that would kill them, and honestly I don't even know whether I should feel sorry for them... but, in a situation like this, I can't afford to care! It's either me or them, and I can't die right now! I've yet to make a single dime from my paintings!

I stop for a second and begin flying towards the creatures, dodging every single one of them as they attempt to crash right into me: meanwhile, I manage to slice a few of them with my fans, killing them on the spot... all the others join them soon after, pierced by my feathers. For now, I'm safe... at least, it looks like it. All those little freaks are still gathering below me, desperately trying to reach me: they're technically harmless as long as I'm flying, but I can't keep this up forever... maybe it's about time I show them what I'm made of.

“Wind-gale!" I shout as I blow the air below me with my fans: a small tornado appears right next to the ground, sucking all nearby monsters into it and reducing them to goo a second later... there are still a few left, however, but nothing a second 'Wind-gale' cannot solve. Now, the coast is clear... well, not really: another wave of those little freaks is incoming on my position from the far corner of the room, but they're too far to be a threat... I just take my time to snipe them from afar with my feathers, thinking that nothing could possibly go wrong.

Obviously, everything goes wrong: before I even realize it, something explodes behind me... like a bomb full of really awful cigarettes or something. A disgusting cloud of greenish smoke engulfs me, and the poison it emanates enters my lungs before I can do anything about it... I suddenly feel sick, really sick. I try to keep on flying, to get out of the cloud, to do anything apart from falling to the ground like an idiot... but I can't, I'm too weak. As I drop helpless, I catch a glimpse of the monsters responsible for this: a group of small-looking imps standing on a nearby roof, holding what looks like poorly-made cannons between their arms, almost laughing maniacally as I plummet to the ground helplessly.

In a few seconds, I land on the ground: the fall could've been worse, I suppose... and my wings aren't broken, which means I could take off again if it weren't for this freaking poison... I don't know for how long it'll last, or if it'll even kill me.

Well, if the poison doesn't end me, those goblins over there surely will: they're still charging at me despite the losses they've suffered, and those rocket-wielding imps are surely approaching me from behind as well...unless I can recover instantaneously, I'm pretty much doomed.

Just as I think my fate is sealed and I close my eyes to avoid looking at my death, I hear light footsteps approaching me and a girl's voice reaching out to me “Come on, you cannot give up just yet! Don't close your eyes!" this voice... whose is it? I open my eyes, following the girl's command, and see that the person who's here with me is... a thirteen-year-old kid with bright pink eyes, beautiful pink long hair that extends down to her elbows and an expression that inspires confidence in me. Not exactly the azure prince in shining armour I had in mind... what is this kid doing here? Doesn't she realize she's in danger?

“Who are you?" I ask, but I quickly realize that that's not the right question “Never-mind that: I don't know how you got... wherever we are right now, but you need to run, now! Those monsters are going to kill you if you don't do as I say!"

“Don't worry, I can handle them." they smile kindly as they turn to face the incoming monsters, who have... apparently slowed down their pace, almost as if they were just as surprised by this girl as I am “Trust me, like I trusted you. Run in that direction for ten feet or so: my friends will rescue you safely." the girl points to a side-alley that is devoid of enemies... but I don't see anyone over there. Is she nuts or something? I don't know, she looks really confident and everything... but that poison really knocked me out, so I don't think I have a choice: I'll have to do as she says and hope for the best.

“Thank you." I thank her, still suffering from that hit; “See you later." she simply answers as she begins walking towards the monsters, calm and relaxed.

Hoping she'll be fine, I drag myself in the direction the girl told me to for a few seconds before a pair of invisible arms grabs me, and a both calm and reassuring voice comforts me “You got hit real bad... but don't worry: we got this."

As Dante somehow pulls the bird from the 'Astra-grid' into our reality, I rush to aid her as well: she was downed the same way I was, and I can understand her pain more than anyone else “The poison only lasts for a minute or so: please, do not stress yourself too much until you have recovered." the lady turns to face me, a vague expression on her face “Red? What are you doing here?"

“It's a long story." I answer as Merle is left in Lepris's custody, who hides her behind a nearby booth and attempts to take care of her to the best of his ability; meanwhile, I turn to face the human in black, who suddenly appeared next to us while we were not looking “How long have you been here with us for?"

“Just arrived, and I'm already pretty uncomfortable." he answers as he briefly looks at one human wearing a... dragon-like (oh Gods, can I even call that a dragon?) costume, before turning away disgusted and commenting “Gah, furries... remind me to kill Karma once this is all done." he showed the same distaste for these 'furries' yesterday evening as well... I should inquire him about it later, perhaps.

“Ah, if only you could do that..." Karma replies with a chuckle, adding soon afterwards “You kind of went against my orders by pushing Felicity into the 'Astra-grid', but I can't really be mad now can I? After all, I'm sure that little weeb will prove to be as equally entertaining as that little birdie over there..." unbelievable... now that they have had their fun with Merle, Karma plans to do the same with Felicity! I know I already asked myself this, but just how twisted are they?

“Why are you not going to help Felicity? She cannot possibly fight those monsters by herself! At least let me go if you plan not to!" I suddenly lash out at the human as soon as I remember he can both enter and allow others entrance to the 'Astra-grid'.

“Nah, she can take them on by herself." he calmly replies, confusing me quite so “What? Are you serious?" there is no way that child can fight those 'F.E.A.R.'s all by herself... or can she? Is she perhaps... stronger than she externally looks?

“I'm perfectly serious: she can kill them all, and in less than a minute... much less than a minute. Her fighting style might not be as mind-blowing as ours, but frankly I don't care: that kid's efficient, I can tell you that much." efficient? There is no way she can hold such power within herself... and yet, the way those monsters are currently purposefully avoiding her, almost waiting for her to make the first move... maybe I truly was mistaken.

“So... you must be those 'F.E.A.R.'s I heard about..." I hear her talk to herself, in a much calmer and even colder tone than before “...You look hollow. You lack everything: a brain, a heart, a soul... you're like black holes, only existing to suck everything inside you. I'm not sure if that's a good enough reason to fight you, but... negotiating isn't really an option, and I can't allow you to hurt other innocents! So, if I don't have a choice, so be it!" as she gets in a battle stance, her hair starts moving on its own, gently moving left and right at random “Soul Clock!" she suddenly shouts as she tends her right arm to the sky... or rather, the roof above: a small, pink, glowing heart comes out of her hand and floats all the way to the centre of the room as the number 'one' followed by a colon and two 'zeros' appears below it, just barely big enough for us to see it. The number then quickly shifts to a 'zero' followed by a colon and a 'fifty-nine', then into a 'fifty-eight'... is that some sort of countdown?

[9-01 – Blooming Rose Blossom - “Border of Life" from Scarlet Weather Rhapsody by ZUN (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlhxImY0WaY)]

“Now, try to hit me... if you can!" she taunts the monsters, who, apparently terrified by the 'clock' the young lady summoned, are no longer hesitating to attack her directly: however, just as one of them is about to slash the girl in half with its sharp claws, time appears to stop for a moment as she nonchalantly dodges the attack by side-flipping, causing everyone and everything, me included, to stop moving for a few seconds... after that, everything turns pink for a moment as she quickly slides away from her attacker, with time returning to its usual speed soon afterwards.

“What was that?" I inquire aloud, but before Dante can answer my question time stops yet again, forcing him to slightly delay his explanation “Felicity's very frail, so frail pretty much any attack would kill her on the spot: every time she dodges an attack at the last second-" the human is interrupted by the same ability mid-sentence, but immediately continues as soon as time starts flowing again “-She's basically fooling both death and destiny, and that sudden change of events-" after another pause due to Felicity dodging yet another attack, he finishes “-Causes fate itself to stop for a few seconds to recalculate its route, allowing her to move for a few seconds outside of time." that's... unbelievable... and overly-complicated as well: how can a child as little as her be capable of such incredible sorcery? If I thought Dante's teleportation abilities were astoundingly powerful, Felicity's... I cannot even describe them!

However, judging from Lepris's and Merle's expressions, neither of the two are experiencing what me, Dante and... apparently Karma as well are: between a stop and another, he comments on the fact “I had a feeling you'd be able to experience Felicity's time-manipulating powers: there's something... different about you. Something unique. I haven't met someone like you in ages." he chuckles, just as amused as Karma is, but for a different reason.

“Anyway, have you noticed the countdown up there? Look at it for a few seconds, and you'll realize why I think Felicity's extremely efficient." the human advises me, and I do as he says: the countdown is now at less than thirty seconds from the looks of it, and as Felicity stops time yet again... the countdown keeps going nevertheless! Those few seconds she steals from time by dodging at the last moment are counted by the clock as well!

“See? Told you she's good: those few extra seconds always count, especially in short battles like this one..." indeed... but what happens after the countdown reaches 'zero'? I ask that to the human, who replies “You'll see soon enough." that's not really an answer... but I guess I will have to accept it, for now.

Felicity's constant dodging, however, has in the meantime given her enemies a chance to gang up on her: she is now surrounded by enemies on all sides, and escaping now seems almost impossible; I tell this to Dante, who is surprised but not worried by how the events unfollowed “That's not a problem: just watch." I turn to face the young woman, who appears to be unafraid of the 'F.E.A.R.'s around her.

“Try to catch me now!" she shouts as a pair of... pink, feathered, transparent wings sprouts from her back and she begins floating in mid-air, her wings only barely keeping up with her rapid movements: I do not know what's happening right now, but... it's clear she's floating, not flying. Those wings are just as fake as Karma's, even though these ones do not look like it.

I try to ask the human for explanations, but he refuses to say anything, explaining “That's not something you should know from me: if you'll learn it, you'll learn it from her." I have to remind myself to ask Felicity for details later, then... I cannot understand if those wings are supposed to be a magical projection or if she truly is not human after all.

Nevertheless, as the young lady floats, she is attacked by the same imps that knocked out Merle, who attempt to suppress her with their poisoned artillery: by skilfully manoeuvring in the air, she manages to dodge all bombs before they can even explode and even flies between them all to humiliate them, causing the imps to shoot at each other in an attempt to bring her down... and somehow managing to kill themselves with their own weapons in the process.

I have a feeling time's almost up for the girl's enemies: a new squadron of flying avians appears out of nowhere and attempts to bring her down in a rather desperate fashion... but that only allows the girl to steal even more precious seconds as she narrowly avoids one, two, three... all the charges, one after another! I have never seen such a skilled air performance, even back in Draconia! She could teach my air troops so much... she could teach me so much!

As soon as the countdown reaches zero following this last streak of dodges, the heart floating in the middle of the room starts glowing a blinding pink light as the girl turns to face it and shouts, very determined “I won't give up now! Salvation!"; her battle-cry echoes throughout the room as an incredibly powerful wave of pink energy is released from the very core of the floating heart, engulfing the entire room in pink and causing me to close my eyes for a few seconds at least as my mind is emptied of all superfluous thoughts...

When I finally manage to reopen my eyes, there is no trace left of the monsters Felicity was fighting just a few moments ago: it's as if they vanished in thin air in mere instants, without a clear clue as to where they might have ended up... or if they are even still alive to begin with.

The girl herself, on the other hand, is safe and sound and is calmly walking up to us with a bright smile printed on her face “So, what do you say? Have I bettered after all?" I think she is referring to Dante, who immediately answers, almost... proudly “Sure looks like it. Welcome to the team... again."