Chapter 1386: Perspective
There were some things that the minds of men were simply incapable of comprehending. Though they were given limitless imaginations, allowing them to rationalize even abstract concepts, there were times when they were presented with things they simply couldn't, or instinctually resisted, trying to understand. Such was the case with the massive maw of teeth, the swirling vortex within, the malicious purple eyes, and the absolute darkness that made them doubt whether or not they even existed...
The only thing the men knew for certain was the chill that now permeated everything they once believed to be themselves. It was this, combined with an overwhelming sense of dread, that allowed them, at least for the time being, to know they still existed. Whether or not they were still alive was another matter entirely, however, as all other feelings had long-since faded away. Even the passage of time had stagnated to the point where they didn't know whether ten seconds or ten years had passed...
Fortunately, just as the maw seemed to close around them, the vortex within shredding them apart in its chaotic tide, a sound similar to glass breaking cut through them like vicious shards. In the next moment, they fell like marionettes with their strings cut, the light in their eyes having faded almost completely as the white-haired girl, with furrowed brows, exclaimed, "Who is it!? You dare interrupt Betty's vengeance...!?"
In response to the girl's outburst, the rhythmic tapping of a cane could be heard as, from the far end of the alleyway, an inky-haired gentleman wearing a modified Inverness coat appeared. This caused the girl, self-identified as Betty, to glower as she muttered, "You are the one that has been following Betty...a dog of that heartless man..."
Hearing the girl's biting remark toward Vahn, the man issued a light hum before tapping his cane on the concrete, stating in a polite tone, "As this is our first time meeting, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sherlock Holmes, Master Detective. Though it is not the first time I've been called a dog, I would rather you address me in a less abrasive manner."
As Sherlock introduced himself, several mechanical limbs appeared from within his coat, each ending with a golden magnifying glass adorned with complex runes. This caused the girl to take a few steps back, her expression darkening as she venomously stated, "To think, even someone as famous as you is now nothing more than a dog serving the Empire. Tell me, are you proud of what your Master has done to this world...!?"
Ever the gentleman, Sherlock allowed Betty to finish with her outburst before stating in the same casual tone as before, "I'll not deny that things progressed in a rather...regrettable...way. However, I have little to do with the decisions made by our idealistic Emperor. All I seek is the truth in all things. Now, please enlighten me, Miss Betty...if you are so upset by the actions of the Emperor, what, might I ask, gives you the right to pass judgment onto more than fifty men and women? Tell me, why do you always have a sadistic smile on your face when watching them suffer?"
Rather than respond to Sherlock's words, Betty clenched her teeth before spontaneously pulling up her skirt, revealing that, unlike the rest of her pure white outfit, she was wearing black lace panties, complete with tiny white ribbons. Though this was noted by Sherlock, his expression didn't change in the slightest. Instead, he waited for several seconds, his open pocket watch ticking loudly in his left hand.
Seeing Sherlock unharmed, Betty's expression became darker than ever before as she released the edges of her dress and asked, "Are you a eunuch or something? How can you feel nothing when a woman is exposing herself to you?"
Hearing Betty refer to herself as a woman, Sherlock cocked his eyebrow in mild surprise, an action that caused the white-haired girl's brows to twitch. Then, to further exacerbate matters, he plainly stated, "You'll have to forgive me...I'm afraid women of your...stature...don't suit my preferences. Still, I must thank you for confirming my suspicions. I'm curious, do you have any actual powers outside of messing with people's minds? If not...well, I'm afraid this will be a little anti-climactic."
Incensed by Sherlock's words, Betty hunched over, her hands extended slightly to her sides as she began to laugh in an eerie 'kukuku' pattern. From beneath her perfectly straight bangs, her blue eyes shimmered with a cold light as she asked, "You think you can defeat me? You, a dog who can't even begin to comprehend the truth you seek!? Well, bear witness, Sherlock Holmes, to the endlessness that transcends all things!! You want the truth? Fine! Experience it for all eternity...!"
Following Betty's outburst, it felt like the entire world had started to tremble, everything from the ground beneath their feet, the buildings in their surroundings, and even the void itself quaking as a result of the aura radiating from her body. This was enough to change Sherlock's expression to a far more serious one as, contrary to his initial speculation, it seemed that Betty did, in fact, possess a considerable amount of power...
Before Sherlock could interrupt whatever Betty had planned, the latter began vomiting an endless stream of black liquid as her previously white hair and dress shifted to a shade of purple akin to an inky black. At the same time, her dress seemed to become more organic, gaining a hide-like quality as the frills turned into sharp, fang-like protrusions. Even her previously fair skin gained a purple hue while, affected by the encroaching inky-black liquid, her legs became pitch black, losing their shape and becoming something akin to a mass of darkness...
Despite realizing he had erred, Sherlock remained completely calm in response to Betty's sudden transformation. Though he couldn't understand exactly how strong she was, he was able to deduce that her power was still lacking in comparison to the more monstrous entities associated with the Empire. Thus, while pulling out his pipe and stuffing a pinch of tobacco into the end, he muttered, "Lilith, be a dear and help our friend here calm down, will you?"
Immediately following Sherlock's words, a sensuous voice, appearing from the voice itself, stated, "As you will, Master~." Then, just as Betty seemed like she was preparing an attack, Lilith, appearing in her true form, appeared right in front of her. This caused Betty to immediately shift the target of her attack but, before she could execute it, Lilith's clawed hand, covered in sleek black scales, closed around her neck. In the next moment, they were both propelled toward the sky at hypersonic speed, the buildings in the surroundings collapsing due to the force of Lilith's leap.
Though his combat potential wasn't exactly low, Sherlock could tell at a glance that Betty was far stronger than him. Leaving her to Lilith was the most efficient course of action so, while they were wreaking havoc within the sky above, he made his way over to the unconscious Hugo. The other men were beyond salvation at this point but, from the very beginning, Betty had gone out of her way to spare the giant of a man.
Sherlock wasn't arrogant enough to consider everyone who opposed the Empire as evil. He, like Vahn, accepted that the things they were doing weren't good, at least from the perspective of humanity. Though humans would undoubtedly prosper under the rule of the Empire in the future, the main purpose behind Vahn's actions had been to ensure 'everyone' was allowed to be happy, not just humanity. The latter had squandered the planet they lived on, subjugated their own species, and wiped out thousands of others. It would be impossible to create a prosperous world without drastic change so, while most humans hated the Empire, nearly every other race saw Vahn as a ray of hope, a chance to return from the brink of extinction.
Still, this meant there would be many people, both good and evil, who opposed the Empire's rule. It was easy to see from Betty's modus operandi that she wasn't necessarily a bad person. Rather, most of her victims had been rather vile individuals her predated on others. Her power seemed to trigger in response to wicked thoughts and ill intent so, if you harbored no such intentions toward her, she was effectively powerless...well, at least in her base state...
Assuming that Betty was part of the same group that had appeared a month prior, there was a good chance their enemies considered themselves the 'Heroes' trying to save the world. Since this wasn't far from the truth, it created quite the quandary from the Empire's perspective as, with Vahn's nature, he was unable to go all out against those who, on a fundamental level, were justified in their actions. Because of this, it was up to those who supported Vahn to prevent him from having to interact with these types of people as, if he had to crush Heroes fighting for justice, it would undoubtedly weigh heavily on his heart and mind...
While wondering how he ended up with such a paradoxical Master, Sherlock bent down, placing his palm against the unconscious Hugo's back, healing him in an instant. At this point, he had mastered every form of Thaumaturgy, at least in theory, so he was able to use nearly every spell that had been recorded within the records of the Empire. His only real weaknesses were his lack of reserves and, as a matter of principle, his unwillingness to fight unless it was absolutely necessary.
Fortunately, Lilith had no such principles so, high in the sky above Barcelona, a rather terrifying battle was taking place between her and an ever-expanding mass of darkness. Despite the latter seemingly having no form at all, it would, at times, appear like a mass of black flesh with a vortex-like maw filled with vibrant yellow teeth. In the next moment, however, it would look more like a storm cloud, albeit one that moved around and proactively attacked the phantom-like Lilith at every opportunity...
Despite the fact that her opponent was growing progressively stronger with time, Lilith was enjoying herself quite a bit. There was still a vast gulf between her and the amalgamation of darkness so, with this being the first time she could cut loose in thousands of years, she wanted to enjoy the moment to the fullest. Thus, rather than try and end it as swiftly as possible, she would periodically form long spears of pure white light, each more than ten meters in length. These caused Betty great pain and, even though the darkness continued to increase in size, Lilith could tell her attacks were eating away at the former's stamina.
In a desperate attempt to deal some damage in return, the black cloud shifted into its more organic form for a brief moment, the end facing Lilith opening to reveal a blood-red vortex filled with row upon row of teeth. At the back of its throat, a furiously luminescent purple eye could be seen and, despite the fact it didn't have anything like an eyelid, it was very easy to tell it was angry. As if to emphasize this, it shot out a purple laser that, despite Lilith's best efforts, she was unable to evade. Instead, she used her wings to envelop her own body, protecting herself from the magical attack that cut through the skies, reaching far out into deep space...
When the thick beam of purple light faded away, Lilith's wings unfurled to reveal her undamaged figure and the seductive smile on her face. She couldn't help but lick her lips in anticipation and, if not for the fact Sherlock was watching her, she wouldn't have been able to resist giving in to her more carnal urges.
Since it would become increasingly difficult to hold back, as pain only made her more excited, Lilith decided to bring an end to the fight. She flicked all six of her wings, ascending so quickly it appeared as if she had teleported several thousand meters in an instant. Once she reached the pinnacle of her ascent, a pulse of energy erupted from her body, carrying with it a tremendous force that dispersed all of the surrounding clouds and even affecting the buildings below. Then, shrouded in an aura of purple energy, she descended from the sky with meteoric force, crashing into the mass of darkness and dispersing it in an instant...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Betty. Sherlock is stone-cold xD...','Even Master Detectives aren't without faults','Lilith be like, "Harder...(UwU)"')
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