When they defeated Junker and moved on, they ran into the third guardian, Philomela Ainsworth.
Philomela: "Hehe."
Philomela: "Alright then… you two are left… that one over there lost his face, from the pain he'll…""Huh?"
He stood up.
Nacht: "Hmph."
His face healed itself.
Nacht: "…Sorry… you only ripped off one half. Thanks to that, I figured out your ability."
Philomela: "Oh la la… and that would be?"
Nacht: "Invisible hands… not gravity like I first thought."
Philomela: "Oh wow."
She clapped.
Philomela: "Good… one hundred points… very, very good… fantastic, boy… but… how did you see that, if I may ask?"
Nacht: "Since I have a contract with a dark figure and especially an owl, it's easy. I just borrowed his eyes for a moment."
Philomela: "Oh… well, that makes sense… I'm sorry, but… that doesn't change anything… because…"
Nacht: "Ugh."
Several hands appeared.
Philomela: "I have more than 100 invisible hands… so I don't know if that changes anything… my little one."
Nacht: "Ugh…"
Philomela: "Alright then… so… do you want to fight me?"
Nacht: "Hey… clown."
Diego: "What?"
Nacht: "(Sweats)… I actually meant the girl… but good that you answered anyway… get out of here, you take care of Kisa, and I'll take care of this one… I can see her invisible hands, you and Kisa can't."
Diego: "Are you sure?!"
Nacht: "Just go."
Diego took off as fast as he could.
Kisa: "Nacht…"
She whispered quietly. Diego ran as fast as possible.
Philomela: "Well… I can just follow them later after I've cleared you out of the way."
Nacht: "Don't underestimate me."
Philomela: "Ah, ah… no, no… I don't… kid… I have to say, I kind of like you… hehe…"
Nacht: "Sorry, I'm too young."
Philomela: "Hey… so am I… I'm 16!"
A short silence, because Nacht needed a second to process that.
Nacht: "Lie."
Philomela: "No!"
Nacht: "Lie."
Philomela: "Nooo… do I really look that much older?!"
Nacht: "Yup."
Philomela: "How much?!"
Nacht: "23."
Philomela: "Gghhhh…"
Nacht: "No way a 16-year-old… has skin that pale…"
Philomela: "Ghhhhhh…"
Philomela: "Besides, with that hoodie I can barely see your face."
She pulled it off.
Nacht: "Your hair isn't nice… looks like you don't take care of it… your bags under your eyes are so deep…"
Philomela: "Hey… are you trying to say I look disgusting?"
Nacht: "No… more like… repulsive."
Philomela: "Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr… aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhh!"
The hands went wild and so did her magic, trees were flung away.
Philomela: "…That's enough now… you miserable brat!… if you think it's funny to make fun of a girl who suffers from insomnia… then you're real scum."
Nacht: "Nope… just accept that you look older than you are!"
Philomela: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhh!"
Crane: "Nacht… what are you doing!… do you want to die?"
Nacht: "No, you idiot… just watch."
Ichabod: "I think I get it, Crane… let him."
Nacht: "Oh… by the way… your eyes are too big… that disgusts me."
Philomela: "…Ghhh!"
The hands went crazy and attacked him blindly.
(Crash!)
Nacht: "Haha… (it worked, making this girl angry was easier than I thought.)"
Philomela: "…Grrrr…"
The hands attacked him. Dodging them was easy now because she was striking blindly.
Philomela: "…Ghhh."
"Philomela!"
A loud voice suddenly called.
Philomela: "Oh…"
It was the witch.
Nightmare: "…Calm down… my girl… calm down."
Philomela: "But… but he insulted me!"
Nightmare: "Don't listen to him… because I love you… that's more important, right?… his opinion, or mine?"
Philomela: "Do I really look too old for my age?"
Nightmare: "No… no… you're sweet… and cute…"
Philomela: "Hehehe…"
Nightmare: "…So… finish him… that'll make me happier."
Philomela: "Of course!"
She calmed down.
Nacht: "Ahhh… damn… that could've worked."
Ichabod: "Well."
Nacht: "Whatever… thanks to that… I found her weak point."
Ichabod: "Which would be?"
Nacht: "Her back… all the hands come out of her back."
Ichabod: "And?"
Nacht: "That means if I hurt her back… I can do this."
Ichabod: "Good… it's worth a try."
The hands no longer struck blindly, they focused again.
Philomela: "Well then… can you please hold still?"
They attacked him and he batted them away.
Philomela: "You're quick… but that's not enough…"
Suddenly the hands grew larger. They lunged at him, lengthening as they pleased, dodging them was nearly impossible.
Nacht: "Ghhhh!"
The hands multiplied until they grabbed Nacht.
Nacht: "Ghhhhh…"
and flung him.
(Crash!)
Philomela: "I'd be interested… in what your past tells you…"
She held his head, her hand went through his skull, her fingertips came out of his eyes.
Philomela: "Show me… your memories."
Nacht: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhhh…"
The hands went through his whole body—no… into his body. They rubbed his heart, lungs, everything… even the lower thing… ahem…
Philomela: "I want to know everything about you… sadly… I don't have enough hands to touch everything… so… I have to do this… let me feel your pain…"
Suddenly she kissed him, rubbing her tongue against his tongue, it was wet, soft, wrapping itself around his tongue.
Philomela: "Mmm…"
Then she pulled back, her tongue still stretched out.
Philomela: "Ghhhh… that's not enough… I have to go deeper."
They did it again.
Philomela: "Mmmm… gahhh…"
She held her head.
Philomela: "Hahhh… gghhh… what… what… what… am I seeing…?"
Severed… corpses, organs… corpses… crying… death… suffering… Nacht… they were his corpses… Nacht died over and over. His curse that won't let him die… is the worst thing you can experience… the deeper you go… the more you see his suffering.
So… how about a little story?A little child… searching for a cure for his cursed sister… searching in many ways… until one day… a circus gang caught him… a criminal gang as well… stealing children, dark-skinned people and women. Nacht, at the time only 8 years old, was taken. And he had to do things…
One day, an expensive barrel broke, which enraged the circus owner, and he hung Nacht on the wall and cut him apart with a chainsaw. Just when they wanted to throw away the corpse, he regenerated again. The owner was shocked… but then it all clicked for him… he used Nacht for his circus, to play dangerous games for the audience. For example the "cutting-in-pieces theater", which is normally fake so you don't kill the actor… but if you don't die?… there's no reason to fake it. So they really cut him apart, his organs… everything… that was something new for the audience.
But it wasn't enough… they found other ways. For example, they threw him into a piranha tank, fed him to the lions… played knife-throwing at him and actually hit him… all in front of people… who clapped while the poor little child suffered… a fate even worse than being killed.
The child… suffered… and suffered…The name of the circus master: Jodge Holden.
Nacht didn't even get food. Even if he starved, he'd come back. But what they didn't know, and didn't care about, was that when he woke up, he'd still be hungry.
So… he experienced all that… Nacht… died… in that circus, in just one year… 1000 times… at the age of 8. Nacht managed to escape thanks to a female member who took pity on him. But… his suffering didn't end… because his sister is still cursed, just like he is. And as bad luck would have it… the circus found him again… and the suffering continued… until one day bounty hunters killed them all—except Jodge, who escaped, and Nacht. They left Nacht alone… lucky for him, because he had no bounty.
Philomela saw all of this.
Philomela: "Hahhh… hahhh… hahhh… that… was too much… too much… too much… aaarghhh… these images…"
Nacht: "Well… that's why you shouldn't go into other people's heads…"
Nacht was still kneeling on the ground.
Philomela: "I… I can't do this… I can't kill you anyway… and I don't want to…"
Nacht: "Huh?"
Philomela: "…Hmm."
Suddenly she stood up and hugged him.
Nacht: "Ugh…"
Philomela: "…You've suffered enough… you poor thing… you don't have to keep living like this… come with me… my mistress will take care of you… and I will take care of you."
She held his cheeks.
Philomela: "But like this… you'll keep suffering…"
Nacht: "I just insulted you."
Philomela: "Someone who suffered that much… has the right to hate people… no matter how… I'll take care of you…"
Nacht: "Ugh…"
She looked at him.
Nacht: "…Hmm, no…"
Philomela: "…Huh?"
Nacht: "Sorry… but no."
She smiled.
Philomela: "I understand… but I still don't want to kill you or hurt you… I can't… that's why… attack me… do something… injure me badly…"
Nacht: "What?"
Philomela: "So my mistress won't think I betrayed her—I didn't… but… I can't fight you."
She held the knife, reversed.
Nacht: "Ugh…"
Philomela: "She's watching us… by the way… but don't worry… we're too close… come on…"
But Nacht couldn't do it… so she stabbed herself instead.
Nacht: "Ugh…"Philomela: "Urk…"
She still hugged him.
Nacht: "Why!"
Philomela: "…Run…"
Nacht let her down, gently. But before he left, he said something and walked away. Philomela smiled.
Philomela: "…Hehe."
What he said was:
Nacht: "…You must be a pretty girl… and your kiss wasn't bad."
Nacht headed off.
Philomela: "…Hehe… run… you lost soul… you've almost lost your emotions… and then you met her… Kisa, her name… hehe… sorry… that I took your first kiss."
Nacht hurried to the place where the other two, Diego and Kisa, had gone.
Nacht: "Hahhh… where are those two idiots… which way…"
(Sploch!)
Nacht: "Huh."
When he looked down, he found… Diego lying on the ground… covered in blood…
Nacht: "Ugh… rookie!… wait… what happened… where is Kisa…"
He looked around. Suddenly something fell from a tree onto him.
Nacht: "Ugh… what the hell… ugh!"
It was Kisa… six severe wounds… her face covered in blood, her arm and body so badly beaten that her whole body… was twisted…
Nacht: "Kisa…"
Kisa: "Ugh… hahhh… run… away…"
Nacht: "Huh?"
(Patch!) (Patch!)
Drago: "Well then… well then… who do we have here…"
Nacht: "Ugh…"
He turned around… it was a man in a dark suit and a hat.
Drago: "My name is… Drago… third guardian of the labyrinth."
Chapter 19Drago, the third guardian of the labyrinth
Once upon a time, there was a lonely boy… who was abused in a circus… because of his curse that he could not die… they used him to gain success… and killed him in front of the audience… again and again…
After the boy freed himself from the circus… he was found by a woman… who loved children… a bit too much. This woman abused him… with his hands and feet tied… she slept naked next to him… and abused him… if he didn't do what she told him… she hurt him…
At the age of 9… he was abused by her… the woman was 20… she herself had once been a prisoner… and supposedly she was afraid… well, of grown men… so she abused… children… because they couldn't hurt her…
The poor child… Nacht… was abused by her. He did get food, water… and you could say she apparently… had some feelings for him… but she was still not really a nice person…
One day… when she was abusing him again… he managed to push her away, or rather, kick her away… but… what happened then was not planned… the woman fell, and her neck hit the clothes hook… and pierced her throat.
When Nacht, the poor little child, wanted to leave… the woman grabbed his hand. She cried… even though she had been cruel… thanks to her, Nacht had experienced one thing… every night… she hugged him… when they slept… warmth… that's what it is… warmth.
So… he stayed out of pity for the woman… until she died… but… it got worse… for Nacht… because the villagers… found the corpse… and blamed Nacht… they didn't believe it was self-defense and wanted to execute him. In this village, execution was different… they threw the condemned into a deep abyss… tied up… so that the animals could eat him…
So they ate him alive… the poor child died there almost every day… until one day… an old man saved him… who took pity on him when he found him while checking the bodies… he took him with him and brought him somewhere else.
As for his sister, who is a cat, she always followed her brother… the cat couldn't die either…
The poor child had died so often and suffered so much that he lost his emotions and senses… he felt only one thing… rage.
The child was lonely… he had the cold gaze of a corpse… his eyes, no color… no soul… like a walking corpse. For years he wandered, searching for a clue… until he finally found something… the Hunters' Guild… and there… it was cold as well…
But then… the little child met a girl… Kisa… her name. At first he didn't like her, just like everyone else… but… he noticed… that she also… suffered a lot…
One day, when he helped her… she thanked him with a smile and hugged him… and finally the child felt… something… something it was feeling for the first time… love… he felt love… her warmth… it was new to him… he didn't know what it was…
When he then patted her head… he felt the warmth… her smile was like an innocent, sweet soul… she seemed very warm, like a fairy tale… that's how she looked…
She smelled so nice… he wondered how she might taste… how her mouth tasted… the child… fell in love with the girl named Kisa… and from then on… thanks to this feeling… this love… his senses and emotions returned… especially thanks to another person, Isolde her name… to him… she was like a mother.
She didn't have a particularly lively gaze, rather a weak one, sickly and her skin pale, but beautiful. He doesn't show it, but he loves it when she strokes his head… like a cat… he blushes…
One day… Isolde took him… and slept next to him… she knew that Nacht was lonely… she wanted him to feel warmth again… a mother and a girl he loves… two new things he experienced. Isolde was warm… smelled nice… gave him a good-night kiss on the forehead… he was red with embarrassment, but… happy too…
Since then… the little child has again had the feeling… of wanting to live.
Nacht: "Huh?"
Drago: "My name is Drago… third guardian of the labyrinth…"
Drago: "You're too late, boy…"
Kisa: "Nacht… run…"
Nacht: "Ugh…"
He held her up.
Kisa: "Run… away…"
She grabbed his hand.
Kisa: "…Please…"
Nacht: "Ghhhh… it's alright… rest… it'll be over soon."
He gently laid her back on the ground… and stood up.
Drago: "Hmph… what's this now… ugh."
Nacht: "Heeeyyyyy…"
(Dark aura)
Dark aura suddenly wrapped around the forest.
Nacht: "You bastard… how could you do this to Kisa and Diego…"
Drago: "Oh… boy… boy… I like this."
He pulled out his cards, pictures and titles drawn on them.
Drago: "Hmm… the card of the lost dead…"
He threw it, and strange beings appeared.
Drago: "Hmm."
Nacht: "Hrrrrrr."
(Sploch!)
He sliced them apart without effort.
Nacht: "You damn bastard… you'll pay for this!"
Drago: "Oh… oh… card of swords…"
He tossed the cards into the air, and they turned into swords, flying toward Nacht but missing him.
Nacht: "You missed."
Drago: "I wasn't aiming at you."
Nacht: "Ugh!"
The swords flew toward Kisa and Diego.
(Sploch!)
Diego: "Ugh… hahhh…"
The swords… pierced his body…
Nacht: "Alright… rookie…"
Diego: "Nacht… why…"
Nacht: "Why?… hehe… we're friends, right… rookie… isn't that obvious… just… give me… a… second…"
Dark hands appeared and pulled the swords out.
(Sploch!)
Nacht: "Gaaaaghhhh…"
He turned around again.
Nacht: "I'll save both of you… just… stay… down."
Kisa lay unconscious on the ground… blood flowed and slid under her eyes… she opened her aqua-blue eyes for a moment… looked at Nacht… worried eyes… as if she were the one worrying about him…
Nacht moved on.
Nacht: "…Hmm… Sleepy Hollow!"
He transformed… chains appeared and he turned into the Hollow Rider.
Nacht: "Haaaaaahhh…"
Drago: "Oho… that's interesting… show me what you can do."
The cards he threw turned into scarecrows.
Drago: "Go on… take him down if you can."
Nacht: "Dark… Slash!"
(Fuff!)(Sploch!)
He sliced them up… but they re-formed.
Ichabod: "Nacht… I think they have a core."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
Ichabod: "…Look… they regenerate from a specific spot… the bellybutton."
Nacht: "Got it."
Nacht rushed at them and cut them apart… this time it worked.
Drago: "Not bad… boy… but can you dodge these?!"
The cards floated and turned into guns.
Drago: "Hehe… bang bang, bang!"
Nacht dodged them.
Nacht: "I may have the curse of immortality… but… I also have a weak point… (I found it out not long ago… but… I don't want to die anymore… not before… I kill my big sister the witch, free my little sister… and confess my love to Kisa. My weak point… actually isn't my body… but my spirit… someone can steal my spirit… and I'll become an empty shell… even worse than death… I won't be able to move… and I won't truly be dead… people will just forget I exist… a human… without spirit… and name, like some old legend… long forgotten. And his cards are dangerous, they're probably that kind of ability… when those swords pierced me… they hit a part of my spirit.) …Dark breath… heavy slash!"
(Fwish!)
(Sploch!)
Drago: "You think you can hit me like that…"
(Sploch!)
Drago: "Huh?"
His hand was bleeding.
Drago: "Interesting…"
He gathered the cards.
Drago: "Let's go!"
They floated toward him.
Kisa: "…Hhh…"
Diego: "Get away… they'll explode."
Nacht: "Huh!"
(Kaboom!)
He was blown away several meters.
Nacht: "Gaaaaaahhhhh…"
Drago: "My cards… are the best ability… you can't do anything."
Nacht: "Hahhh…"
Ichabod: "Nacht… your magic."
Nacht: "I know already… are you ready?"
Ichabod: "So we're doing it… fine…"
Suddenly, several crow feathers appeared… and Nacht transformed slowly… he got armor… dark hands wrapped around him and his face was replaced with a pumpkin… dark armor or suit.
Nacht: "Hahhh…"
Drago: "Creepy… but that still won't be enough to beat me… boy."
He jumped and ran toward him. He was very fast.
Nacht: "Hm."
Drago: "He got faster…"
(Puff)
Drago: "Ugh!"
Suddenly Nacht was behind him. He punched him, but Drago managed to block in time.
Drago: "Ugh…"
Nacht: "…Hh."
The hands were placed so he could run along them, and the crow feathers flew at Drago and wounded him.
Drago: "Ghhhh…"
Nacht: "…Hmm… Dark Slash… Dark Hollow!"
A dark circle with slightly purple edges flew at him and exploded.
(Kaboom!)
Drago: "Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhh…"
He was blown away several meters.
Drago: "…That's enough now… boy…"
The cards floated and spun around him.
Drago: "…Hmm."
He transformed through the cards…
Drago: "Mirror, mirror… what… monster… am I today?"
The mirror showed…
Drago: "I see… a dragon!"
He transformed into a large, white dragon-like form.
Drago: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaarggh… roaaaaaaaaaaar!"
Nacht: "Ugh…"
He charged at him. He was fast, and hurled trees at Nacht.
Nacht: "Ugh… whoa."
Drago: "Aaaaaaaaaaarghhh… roaaaaaaaaaar!"
(Puuuuuhh!)(Whooom!)
From his roar came fire.
Nacht: "…Seriously!…"
He picked up Kisa and Diego onto his back and jumped high.
Nacht: "That was close…"
He set them down again.
Nacht: "It's getting tight… I have to end this quickly."
They were lying on the ground. Nacht… suddenly grew crow wings.
Nacht: "…You can fly?… so can I."
He flew at him… and again Drago blasted fire at him.
(Whooom!)
And Nacht dodged it.
Drago: "Damn… hold still!"
Nacht: "Sorry… a crow is quicker…"
He struck him in the stomach.
Nacht: "Dark Fist!"
Drago: "(Bleaargh!)"
Nacht: "Ghhh…"
He slammed him into the ground.
Nacht: "…Hh…"
Drago: "Wroaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!"
He flew at him again.
Drago: "You damn brat!… Dragon… roar… black fire!"
Black fire came at him.
(Whooom!)
Nacht: "Ugh… Gaaaaaaaaaaaaarghh!"
But it wasn't normal fire. It didn't burn the outside… it went into the organs… and burned them.
Nacht: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhh…"
Drago: "Hahahahaha! What do you say now, brat…"
Nacht: "Ghhh…"
The hands still attacked.
Drago: "Ugh!"
(Punch!)
Drago: "Gaaaaaaaaaarghhh!"
The hands multiplied and pounded him into a pulp.
Drago: "Ghaagghhh… enough…"
He flew, used his dragon tail and hurled Nacht away.
(Crash!)
Diego: "Oh no… Nacht!"
Nacht: "Hahhh…"
He immediately flew at him again.
Nacht: "Die… already!"
Drago: "You die already!"
Both of them formed a large spherical attack that flew at each other and exploded.
(Boom!)
Diego: "Ugh…"Kisa: "Hahhh…"
The dark smoke clouds faded… you could then see… Drago… starting to fall… and Nacht… still hovering.
Kisa: "Hahhh… hehe…"
Diego: "He did it… that damn bastard… is cool!"
But then he also fell.
Diego: "Ugh…"
Diego tried to stand… but couldn't… at the last second, a large ghostly hand from Kisa caught him.
Kisa: "…Ugh… I… got… you… hahhh…"
After a while, Diego was able to stand. But Nacht and Kisa lay unconscious on the ground.
Diego: "Hmm…"
He carried the two of them, Kisa in his arms and Nacht on his back.
Diego: "Ghhh…"
"Blich… blich… blach… blich… blach… tell me who ruined my sleep…"
Diego: "Ugh!"
A figure appeared, a woman…
"Blich blich… blach… so this shall be my prey…"
Diego: "Good… grief…"
"Good morning… intruder… blich blach… my name is… Bisca… blich, blach… and you shall be my new prey…"