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—Damn vixen!–
A shout of rage and frustration is heard inside the reception of the Nocturna Antigua antique shop, once Detective Salieri Montenegro Neiruk had gone far enough not to hear anything.
—Why didn't you tell me, you idiot! –Katerina Monterreal Rusein, the Antiquarian and owner of this shop located in the Historic Center of the city of Melbury, with narrowed eyes and clenched teeth, grips both shoulders of police Agent Arisa Montessori Romanov tightly, while looking at her with an expression of repressed rage– Why didn't you tell me that woman of almost 25 years was THAT Salieri? Do you know how ugly it was, how scared I got when I saw those characteristic traits of hers, unique and exclusive? When I saw her scarlet eyes and silver hair I felt like I was going to die! I almost had a heart attack right there in front of her!–
—But I did tell you~ –Agent Montessori replies, not flinching in the slightest at the Antiquarian's strong grip. Her tone is innocent, but riddled with mockery that is hard to hide– Although it is true you could not see her well because of the shadows where she was, I did warn you that the woman you were flirting with was not someone you, even with your position as a collaborator of the Imperial Family, could handle. It is not for nothing that she is not only a Detective highly known for having a 100% solved-case ratio, but also for being the current Heiress of the Montenegro Family, who are one of the 7 Founding Families of our country, the Central Republic, and the second wealthiest after the Imperial Family. She has family power, dynastic power, monetary power, as well as State power. And all of this completely earned with utmost effort, without a hint of nepotism or anything illegal –Arisa says, deliberately stretching her words. Of course, Katerina already knew all of this, so saying it was only to mock the cat girl in front of her– But what did you do after being given that warning? Oh yes. You turned your gaze to her and told her: "come on, my darling, come closer so mommy can see you better," ha, ha–
—You! –The grip on the shoulders grows stronger, now drawing a slight groan of pain from Arisa due to the force applied. Noticing this, Katerina, worried about doing her real harm, immediately loosens the grip– Haaa, with you… –After that, her whole self deflates as if she were a balloon, her face finally falling against Arisa's chest– Really, with you. Why do you do this to a poor and innocent Surnaturel of the Misakirte race like me? I am just a little kitty who does no harm to anyone and who tries to go unnoticed in this human world as one more human –she adds, with a sad tone, almost sobbing–
Then, taking advantage of Arisa having given her light pats on her black, wavy hair as a way to calm her, and also taking advantage of her head now touching the blonde girl's body, she quickly begins to rub her face against the Agent's DD-cup chest. The curious thing here was that this place felt soft, even though Arisa was wearing a police uniform and a jacket for the cold.
—How good this feels –Katerina murmurs, her tone cheerful and playful– How I missed these big, soft beauties. You deprived me of them for two weeks, you know? You are so crue~l –she adds, while bringing her right hand to the blonde agent's chest to try to grope them–
—Enough –Arisa, upon noticing this action, as well as her own breasts already moving quickly, from one side to the other, and even how some fingers were beginning to dig at her waist, trying to pass her belt so as to get under her shirt, immediately brings her hand to the black-haired girl's ear and squeezes hard, while her face blushes at Katerina's frustrated attempt–
—Nyaa! –the woman with wavy black hair exclaims, pulling her face out of that "wonderful hollow," those "cotton clouds," lifting her head in a rush, and withdrawing her hands that had almost achieved their goal. Her amber eyes immediately fill with pain– Ari, no, stop! You know well that my ears are sensitive! Even when we are in our human form, the Seige, and my ears are human, they are still sensitive! Meow~!–
—Stop being filthy, you perverted cat, this is not the moment for that –Arisa adds, now sketching an amused and malicious smile (but without real malice), while increasing the pressure of her grip– Get serious, for heaven's sake–
—But I ca~n't –Katerina sobs theatrically, with no real tears or sadness– You know well how we of the Misakirte race are. Getting serious is extremely difficult. It is like telling us "don't fight on the rooftops with other cats at night." That is why you cannot ask something like that of this cute, tender and adorable girl whose Wesnaf form is that of a little black-furred kitty with amber eyes, you know? It is basically going against her nature. And that, according to our tribes, that is a very grave and punished sin, UwU–
Arisa, upon hearing these words that are simply a way of manipulating her so she will not punish her, rolls her eyes and sighs. However, this time, unlike the previous ones, she would not fall for such a manipulative act that usually made her yield and fulfill her whims, no matter how particular and extravagant they were.
—I am not like you, Miss Elegance –Katerina adds, seeing that her sadness was not working. She even allows herself the luxury of showing a sad expression– You are a Fuchsgenheit, who in her real form, the Wesnaf, is a beautiful vixen of golden fur and green-blue eyes. You carry elegance, restraint and seriousness carved into your genes, even when you are in your human form, and even when you carry those enormous tits of yours who do not like coming out to greet me when they see me nearby–
—Yes, yes, whatever –annoyed by the Antiquarian's words, but also amused by them, Arisa finally lets go of the cat girl's ear. This causes Katerina to rub it to lessen the redness, while looking at Arisa with playful resentment, even showing her a pout–
—Mean busty girl –Katerina says, her tone like that of an angry child–
After letting her go, Katerina looks farther on, toward the exit of her antique shop. On her face, confusion is now marked.
—By the way, what is Sali doing here? –she wonders, setting her childish attitude aside for a moment– She is supposed to live over there in the Capital right now, isn't she? Centralia is 2 hours by plane from here, so unless she is coming to visit Dad, she should be working arresting the bad guys in the Homicide Unit of the National Police–
—Arisa, upon hearing the question, shakes her head and sighs with sadness. Unlike Katerina's theatrical one, this time hers is real– Leon Montenegro Solís… –she adds, and Katerina, seeing her expression, cannot help thinking something is wrong– He… was murdered this morning…–
Katerina, upon receiving the news, stays paralyzed for a few seconds. On her face now there was nothing. Neither sadness, nor joy, nor her typical childishness. Absolutely nothing. Only a total paralysis.
—Wh, what…? –And then, after a few seconds, a question with a broken voice leaves her mouth–
—What you heard –Arisa now also leans against the reception table and sighs again– He was found this morning on the outskirts of the City of Melbury, where State Highway 55 is. Specifically inside Lanel Recreational Park, on a soccer field–
—Bu, but that is impossible –Katerina says. Her brittle tone is now impossible to hide– He cannot be dead. He is a Mehr-Wissen, humans chosen by divine entities to fight Incarnate Chaos. And he is not a simple Mehr-Wissen. Of the 15 types of Mehr-Wissen in existence, he is a Sehwert, the most powerful of all and the only one whose Race was created by Astel herself, so they possess the purest Divine Power of all the others–
—That is what I thought, but… I saw his body… –Then she points to her chest– He had an opening, an almost perfect circumference of about 5 centimeters here. It was as if a thin spear or a bolt had gone through him–
Katerina falls silent once more. At the edges of her amber eyes, it can now be seen clearly how they begin to turn red.
—How is Salieri? –she asks, putting on an expression of concern– Is she all right?–
—You could say so –Arisa replies, also looking ahead– But you already know how he was. Leon taught the three of us how to control our emotions when it comes to something serious, with the purpose of being able to continue with what we were doing without interference –Then she cannot help laughing slightly in her mind, for these teachings rarely worked on someone like Katerina, which caused frustration in Leon and amusement in Arisa– Surely right now Sali must be holding in her sadness and grief in order to investigate properly. But once the investigation is over… –A new sigh escapes the Fuchsgenheit's mouth–
—Bam! A strong blow with the palm of a hand is heard on the reception table– Agh! I hate not being able to tell Salieri that we are her adoptive sisters! You don't know the horror I felt moments ago, believing she already knew about our identity that you and I share with her. And worst of all, the fact of having flirted with her and having come on to my own sister. If I want something like that, well, I already have you, even if you don't give me the time of day–
—Heh –Arisa cannot help laughing as she remembers the previous scene, her flirting when she could not see Salieri because of the shadows, and her later horror upon realizing who it was–
—Haa… –This time the sigh comes from Katerina– If it weren't for this nonsense Father forced on us, we could be giving her emotional support right now–
—Calm down, you know well the reason Father forced this on us. He did not want Sali to have to go through this supernatural environment that is so dangerous. He wanted to give her a relatively normal human life, without facing deadly supernatural dangers at every moment –Arisa says, seeing Katerina's now real anger– That is also why he kept us hidden from her, because, well, the two of us are Surnaturel, and therefore we belong to the supernatural, to what ordinary humans do not know and believe are simple fairy tales. –she adds. Although it is something that even Arisa herself is bothered by, it is also something both of them have to fulfill– I dislike that too, by the way, but we have no choice but to accept. After all, we have to do something to repay Father's kindness, not only for the fact of having rescued us from Surnaturel traffickers in the Commune of Sharia, here in the Aynu, the Human Plane, 25 years ago, when we were barely 5-year-old girls, but also for adopting us, educating us, giving us a great deal of love, and treating us as if we were his daughters by blood. Now that he is gone, it is our duty as her older sisters to ensure the protection of our little sister–
Then Katerina, unable to help it, throws Arisa a look of frustration, while at the same time clicking her tongue at having to keep following this order.
—Don't you think I am going to keep respecting that –she says, with a defiant tone– Besides, remember that although Dad prevented us from showing ourselves to her and revealing our filial kinship, he also gave us a deadline for this to end. And that was that we would only be able to do it if he died. –This time she puffs out her chest– Now that he is no longer alive, it is our turn to protect her, guide her, and if possible, train her in case she also turns out to be like Dad–
—Well, I have bad news for you –Arisa looks at Katerina with an amused smile–
—Huh? Bad news? –the Antiquarian, confused, tilts her head–
—We can protect her, yes, but guiding her and training her is already someone else's job, heh, heh–
Katerina's confusion, with these words, only increases. As for Arisa, seeing her childhood friend and sister, she cannot help bursting into laughter in her mind. After all, she found her very cute this way.
—Sariel –her tone and expression upon pronouncing this single word become moderately serious–
—Sariel?! –Katerina, upon hearing that name, arches her back, as if she were a bristling cat– That Sariel? The cosmic womanizer who is said to come from a dimension vastly superior to ours, and who has been in this world since the Creator Goddess Astel arrived on this planet to create life 4 billion years ago?–
—Exactly –Arisa nods– That same Sariel, whose years of existence could easily surpass the 4.6 billion years this planet, Astel, has, or even our entire galaxy–
—Bu, but how is that possible. Sariel rarely lets himself be seen. Are you sure it is him?–
—One meter ninety in height, immaculate white skin, black hair in a rebellious style, a slim but athletic build and a sarcastic attitude that does not take anything seriously. It was definitely him –Arisa replies, her tone firm– The only thing different from his typical appearance were his eyes. They were not the color everyone knows, red like venous blood, but dark green. However, they were just as piercing. If you stared at them you could easily feel very small. And that even though he now has his powers locked at 99.9% –Then a slight laugh escapes her mouth as she remembers something– You should have seen him over there at the Morian District Station. He was completely bound by chains that kept him from even moving a little, ha, ha, ha–
—Hold on, girl –Katerina extends her hands toward Arisa in a gesture to stop her– What do you mean he has his powers locked at 99.9%? Isn't he supposed to have already had his powers locked before at 20% more than the strongest entity of this world, that is, the Creator Goddess Astel, so as to prevent his real powers from warping the very reality of our universe?–
—Well, that is what Salieri told me. I don't know if the fact that they locked his powers again is real. Although… –Upon remembering again the scene of Sariel tied to an interrogation chair, with chains that kept him from moving a little, Arisa curves her lips into a smile of amusement– Considering he was bound with chains, it is surely real. After all, destroying those things, no matter how specialized they were to bind and immobilize demons, would have been a piece of cake for him–
Then a sigh escapes her mouth. A sigh of sadness that even comes accompanied by a shake of the head.
—Besides, there is another thing that confirms that he no longer has powers now–
—What thing? –asks a curious Katerina–
—He was at the crime scene. Or rather, he fought alongside Leon to finish off Lumen, that demon who is part of the well-known Infernal Triad, who serve Lord Luciel, the Ruler of the Infernal Plane–
—What?! –the Antiquarian exclaims, completely startled– Did you see it? Did you see Dad and Sariel fighting together? Did you use your Ability «Vista Passa» that lets you see the past up to 24 hours?–
—Arisa nods– Yes, I saw them. I saw Dad inside the Lanel Recreational Center, armed to the teeth, fighting side by side with Sariel, to finish off that demon, Lumen, the Bearer of Infernal Fire. –she narrates, with a vacant gaze, while at the same time remembering everything– They succeeded; they were able to stall Lumen long enough for dawn to break, thanks to the use of special weapons, for they already knew that due to the sins committed by Lumen when he was human, the Infernal Tribunal ruled that his death could only be by the sun's rays. However, that bastard, right when he was about to be killed by those same rays, used his last strength to finish off Sariel. He formed an ethereal Shadow Lance that came out from his back, and headed toward him, taking advantage of the fact that he was now already technically mortal. However, Father, at the last moment, pushed Sariel to get him away from the impact and took that blow full in his chest. Sariel tried to save him, but due to the loss of his powers, he could do nothing more than watch him die–
Silence settles in the room. A heavy silence, charged with sadness for the death of a loved one, and shock for the same.
—That is why I tell you that he really lost his powers. –After that, Arisa is the first to break that silence– If he had them, he would have finished Lumen with a simple snap as soon as he saw him. After all, even though he had a power lock before, he was more powerful than Astel herself. Lumen is a Count-Rank Demon. If we compare him on the Celestial scale, he is barely an Archangel Rank. Above him there are 8 more Celestial Ranks, 9 if we count Astel. –Katerina nods upon hearing this– Besides, in the given case that Lumen had wounded Dad, also with a simple snap Sariel could have healed him, and he surely even could have extended his life –she adds– In fact, when we found him at the crime scene after he called Emergency, he looked very traumatized. He was sitting on a bench near Leon's lifeless body, with his head down and eyes that only looked at the floor. He did not even answer our questions when we approached him the first time, after he called Emergency. That is why, according to what I saw, he surely lost his powers before meeting Dad–
—...–
Katerina says nothing for a few moments. She simply keeps silent before such a revelation.
—What else did you see? –she asks, breaking the silence– Or hear, with that thing about your ability also letting you listen–
—The reason Sariel is now with Salieri –Arisa replies, turning her gaze toward the woman with wavy black hair– Before dying, Leon asked Sariel that, in his words, "he find his daughter, his precious treasure, protect her from everything that was going to come after he was gone, take care of her as he did or even more than he did, and also, teach her everything necessary so she would become strong and could face everything that is on the other side of the Veil"–
—Oh~ –Katerina's eyes immediately shine with excitement– But if Sariel lost his powers, how is he going to train little Salisita?–
—Arisa shrugs– That I have no idea. But even so, the fact that he has no powers does not take away that he has a brain full of surely billions of years of pure knowledge not only of our world, but of countless many others more.–
—Katerina nods– Well, that is true. Surely both of them will manage to find a way to complement each other. Although… –a little laugh escapes her mouth– It would be funny if the formerly powerful Sariel ended up now being kept by a rich and beautiful girl, ha, ha, ha–
—And not only that –a mischievous smile forms on Arisa's face– There will surely even be a romantic development–
—Huh? –In an instant, Katerina's Gossip Mode activates– But Sariel is a cosmic womanizer, isn't he? He is supposed to have had countless partners throughout his life on our planet. And besides, they are not even sentimental. The only one who has had that "privilege" is our Patron Saint, the Transcendent and Mehr-Wissen of the Folk Hunter type, Lyra. Besides her, probably, if the ancient writings are not wrong, the Creator Goddess Astel herself–
—Well, Salieri seems to like him –a mischievous wink from Arisa goes to the Antiquarian– When a woman over there at the Morian Station got quite close to him, I could notice a change in her expression, both facial and bodily. A change that does not match at all wanting an innocent to be safe–
—Katerina, stunned, cannot help covering her mouth– What?! Seriously?! But wait, isn't Salieri supposed to have romantic-type Alexithymia? According to what Dad told us, she can identify and experience every kind of feeling and emotion, except the romantic one. Although she can identify it too, but only for others, not for herself–
—That is what I thought too, but with him this was very different. –A gossipy smile now sketches on Agent Montessori's face– She clearly had jealousy, only that, because she has never had a precedent of this kind of feeling, she surely did not know how to identify it for herself–
—How exciting, how exciting! –Katerina exclaims, hopping behind her desk– At last our little sister is becoming a complete woman! –Then she stops her excitement, and seconds later she deflates again– But did it have to be Sariel? There are literally millions of men available, of every type, size, color and flavor. I mean, I am not saying he is not attractive, because he is, and a lot, and besides he has far more experience than any man or woman existing in this world. Any woman would want to be with him, regardless of her sexual orientation and even surely men. –She then arches like an elegant cat– For example, if I had the chance, I would without a doubt accept spending a night, or more, with him–
—In fact… –a new mischievous smile forms on Arisa's face– Do you know the most incredible thing about the current Sariel? Although he was teasing and mischievous with the Detective, he did not behave with her like the typical womanizer who only saw her as one more simple object of pleasure to have in his collection or in his bed. His eyes, when looking at her, had a particular shine, one very different from the one he usually has with any attractive woman. It was like the typical cliché of "love at first sight," or even, the one I have when I am apart from you for a long time because of missions abroad, which is that of "finally coming home"–
—Really? –Once more Katerina covers her mouth due to the shock of these words– Is that womanizer finally going to meet his match?–
—It is very likely that will happen. –Arisa shrugs– Although, if it does, it will be in the future, when things calm down. Right now Salieri could not worry about that kind of thing, considering what she has on her plate–
—True–
Once more, both look toward the exit of the Nocturna Antigua antique shop.
—Going back to the subject of Dad… –the Antiquarian pauses for a few seconds before continuing– I suppose what he told us, that only after his death we could approach Salieri, is thanks to that exclusive ability of the Sehwert, isn't it?–
—Arisa nods– It is very likely. The Ability «Mortal Foresight», according to the ancient records, allows a Sehwert to see their own death up to a week in advance of it happening. Dad surely already knew that his Ability was close to occurring, for even weeks before they have strange dreams with small fragments of what will happen in their death scenario, before the final vision unfolds. This would surely have allowed him to prepare in advance. Like the fact of sending me right on a mission abroad with the Private Military Agency, and you…–
—He sent me a mission to the Altern, the supernatural plane hidden from the Aynu by the Veil. According to Dad, there was an Ethenit in the Matriarchy of Relaia, trying to convince the Great Matriarch Arianna to join the Cult of Chaos. It turned out to be a false alarm, and it was only a Bishop of that cult who was doing that. That allowed me to kill that Cultist woman with ease, and along the way to sleep with, I mean, warn Arianna of the stupidity she was about to do, only because of her hatred and misandry toward men because supposedly a man stole her woman, when according to what I discovered, it was the woman who not only seduced that man, but also abandoned her for him, and was even already expecting a child of his. Fortunately, after showing her the truth, she listened to me, ended up expelling everyone from the Cult of Chaos, and was also willing to reconciliation–
—Haaa… –Arisa sighs upon hearing the part about sleeping with the Noble–
—Only that, unlike your mission which was a group one, mine was solo. That is why I could only six days, and return here to the Aynu, the human plane, and rest my body from that mission –Katerina adds while cracking the bones of her back, while at the same time in her mind she licks her lips remembering the encounter between her and the Great Matriarch, the mature woman's ecstasy upon succumbing to her skill–
—True –Arisa nods– My mission, on the capture of Surnaturel infant traffickers, was over there in the Commune of Sharia. Besides, it was together with the Private Military Agency, which, you already know, is the army and private security agency of His Majesty Emperor Lan. It took me two weeks, mainly because of investigating the terrain and having to draw up many plans to avoid unnecessary casualties, for it was full of traffickers both human, with heavy weaponry, as well as Surnaturel using their powers and showing their real forms, the Wesnaf–
—It seems the Veil Security Forces only operate in human territories where there is order, don't you think? They stop you for using Wesnaf form here in the Central Republic, but if you mention the Commune of Sharia, an anarchic country where the Surnaturel do whatever they want, they automatically discard your requests for help. Useless hypocrites. –Katerina interrupts Arisa momentarily to throw a cutting comment– Anyway, let's continue. It is not worth talking about the Vesefo, those cowards–
—A sigh of tiredness escapes her mouth. She knows perfectly the clashes Katerina has had with the Vesefo, to the point that they have placed a cousin of the Antiquarian to watch her– Continuing with what I was saying, who would have said that there there really was a real Ethenit who caused us a lot of trouble. With that thing about the Ethenit being created voluntarily by Incarnate Chaos, unlike us Surnaturel, formerly known as Conscious Corruptions, who were an involuntary creation of his. That is why they have much more power, similar to a Seraph, or even an Azelvi, the Celestial Rank that is above the Seraphim, but below Goddess Astel herself. –she explains– Luckily, the P.M.A. was able without problems to withstand the waves of Wesion, formerly called Unconscious Corruptions, that Ethenit sent. We did not manage to kill him, but we did make him flee with several wounds –After that, she sighs again, but this time shortly– And after that terrible experience, right when I thought I was going to rest after arriving, they called me for an important case located on the outskirts of the City of Melbury, at the Lanel Recreational Center–
—What a surprise you must have gotten, huh –Katerina jokes, a joke that at the same time also contains sadness in her tone–
—You can say that again. What I saw at that moment will surely give me nightmares –Arisa replies with a lost tone– It is not pretty to see your father with a white sheet over his body, you know?–
—I don't want to imagine it, truthfully –Katerina shakes her head with sadness– How do you think Mama Aisha will be?–
—No idea. She has not written me anything. Considering she is the Governor of the State of Melbury, and besides, Father's girlfriend, she should already have found out about his death from personal sources –Arisa replies with a resigned tone– Has she sent you even a Zel?–
—None –Katerina denies, while taking out her phone so she can enter ZeliX, the instant messaging application– The last message was a week ago, when she fought with Dad, for she wanted to find a way to keep him from dying, and Dad got angry with her because he knew that doing so would be a bad decision–
—It is understandable –Arisa nods– The Sehwert have a tacit agreement to avoid evading their death. According to what Father told me, if they try to evade their death, straying even a little from their original destiny, terrible things will happen, not in a personal way, but regional–
—Oh yes –Katerina's eyes shine slightly from the excitement of knowledge– The writings have shown the consequences of this attempt. For example, a Sehwert five million years ago. He tried it, for he was about to die at 25 years old, so he tried to find a way to avoid his death, like not going hunting that day. In the end his life did increase, but not his destiny, for he only lasted one more day alive, since he was assaulted by a horde of Wesion in the village where he was. Upon dying, he ended up turning not only that village, but the entire country, with people, animals and any form of life and even inanimate forms, into gleaming crystal. –the Antiquarian narrates with enthusiasm– And there was also that other Sehwert from 6 million years ago, whose wife had been murdered by the Emperor of a country, for the Sehwert had refused to sleep with him. The Sehwert not only calmly accepted her decision to die, but also used it as a weapon. She strayed from the original route of her death and went straight to the Imperial Palace, where she faced everyone, and right when she was about to kill the Emperor, she let herself be killed by one of the Imperial Guards. That guy thought he had been saved, but then pure lava surged from the Sehwert's body, which spread so fast that in a matter of hours it covered that entire corrupt country, turning it into a cauldron of lava where the remains of the dead could barely be seen–
—Exactly, and that is why Aisha and Father ended up fighting. Aisha wanted to save him despite the cost, while Father preferred peace over his own life –Arisa nods– Even so, even if it is a selfish wish of Aisha's, it is understandable. After all, it is not easy to watch the man you have loved since your adolescence die, after waiting so long for a chance to be with him–
—And not only that –Katerina adds– Also the fact of Aisha having broken the promise she made to Scarlett, her best friend, Dad's wife and in turn Salieri's Mother, about taking care of both Salieri and Leon if something ever happened to her. Aisha has been fulfilling it since Scarlett disappeared mysteriously 20 years ago, but now…–
The two women, sisters of the same father who adopted them, sigh in unison.
—Hmm, and what if she is actually hunting demons or looking for the remaining members of the Infernal Triad? –Katerina asks with curiosity– Mama Aisha is also a Mehr-Wissen, specifically a Cazden, who are demon hunters, so it would make sense that she is busy, whether looking for the Infernal Triad, or simply hunting and beating demons just to lessen her rage against her beloved's killers–
—I doubt it –Arisa shakes her head while also taking out her phone– Remember that Aisha has a GPS in one of her favorite weapons, which activates when it fires sacred bullets. If she were hunting, the tracking application installed on our phones would have detected her, but…–
—There has been no activation for a month –Katerina replies, while looking at the log in the application "Hunter Tracking," which Arisa also has–
—Besides, she also usually lets us know in case we want to join her on her hunt, but as your phone surely shows, there is no message at all–
—Haa… –Katerina sighs– Then Mama Aisha is surely processing the grief at the Government Building, or at her house–
—Father's Mansion has no activity of anyone having entered since the day before yesterday, so she must surely be at the Government House –Arisa replies after opening the monitoring application of the Montenegro Mansion, the original home where Salieri lived until she was 18–
—Ah! Now I remember! –Katerina immediately enters her phone's browser, and after a few seconds, she shows it to Arisa. On the screen an entertainment blog can now be seen, "Melburying in Melbury"– Look at this. Here it says that Her Majesty, Empress Eleanor, took a flight a few hours ago on the Imperial Plane bound for Melbury, confirmed through the IFA, the Imperial Flight Agency. If she is not answering, maybe it was because she must be meeting with the Empress over there at the Government House–
—Hmm. It is possible –Arisa nods– Considering this is a matter related to a Founding Family, and Aisha was the previous Heir's girlfriend, besides also being the Governor, the Empress will have a lot to talk about or deal with her–
—Exactly–
After that, the Antiquarian falls silent for a few seconds, thinking something in her mind.
—Hey, what time do you get off work today? –she finally asks–
—Do you want to go see her? –Arisa, knowing Katerina perfectly, correctly deduces her companion's thought–
—Katerina nods– Probably by the time you get off, Mama Aisha will already have finished talking with the Empress. Considering she is like us, that she also keeps her feelings for later, so as not to affect her work, surely once she is alone again she will end up falling apart. So, when that happens, I want to be with her. Mama Aisha has always been there for Salieri as well as for us. She has never asked us for anything in return, whether monetary, physical or sentimental. Her affection, presence and love were always sincere. That is why it is our turn to be at her side–
—Now it is Arisa who nods, while turning her back to Katerina, so as to use the desk as a rest– I understand –she says– I actually have upcoming vacation of a full week. Father set it for when I returned from my assigned mission, so technically, since I arrived this morning, I should not be on duty, but, well, you already know. Anyway, I get off at 6 in the afternoon–
—Perfect –the Antiquarian's eyes instantly shine– Then, when you leave the Station, you pick me up here at this humble shop of mine. We will go together to see Mama Aisha, whether at the Government House, or at her other house–
—Perfect –Arisa replies with a smile–
—Besides, since you have a week of vacation…–
Upon suddenly noticing the change of tone in the Antiquarian's voice, as well as the silence of a few seconds, a shiver runs down Arisa's back.
—There you go again –she murmurs with a sigh of resignation–
—A mischievous smile forms on the cat girl's face, while at the same time, taking advantage of Arisa being leaned against the desk, she brings both hands toward her two breasts– We can spend it, you, me, and these precious and exquisite DD-cup spheres, very well together, whether at your place or at mine, heh, heh –she smiles, while grabbing them hard. She even, without any shame, begins to knead them, as if they were bread dough– The Great Matriarch Arianna was fine, but she definitely does not compare to you at all. After all, I know everything about you perfectly, and it is much more satisfying for me to hear you moan than her–
—Instantly, Arisa pinches the two hands touching her hard, causing Katerina to startle and let out a little cry of pain– Would you stop being a pig, for heaven's sake –she replies with amusement disguised as anger– Besides, I do not accept types who like to sleep with everything that casts a shadow. They annoy me–
—That is what you say now… –Katerina, upon hearing the rejection, instead of getting discouraged, smiles like a hunter– Ah, but two weeks ago you were begging, with teary eyes clouded by pleasure, for me to stop my tongue and fingers, after you had several strong squirts caused by me, wasn't it? –she adds, bringing her mouth to Arisa's ear– That tasty clam of yours loves feeling my fingers inside it, so why don't we repeat it many times during that whole week you will have free? I just bought new interesting toys on Clickstor, in its adult section. They arrive tomorrow first thing, and with free shipping–
Upon hearing these words and feeling the Antiquarian's breath, Arisa's face blushes hard. She immediately brings her left hand to Katerina's ear, and as before, she pulls and squeezes it hard.
—Meow~! –the Antiquarian exclaims– Ari, no, please, no –she says while trying to get free of the grip–
—Dirty cat –Arisa replies in a neutral tone, without stopping squeezing– You are lucky I did not bring my water spray, or I would already have emptied it on your face–
—Dang… –she murmurs with disappointment. However, internally, she imagines that same water coming from Arisa–
After a few moments, where finally Katerina, upon understanding that her punishment this time would last longer and therefore let herself be punished, like a cat being carried by the scruff, but now she being held by the ear, Arisa finally lets her go.
—By the way, why have you and Salieri come? –the Antiquarian asks, while at the same time rubbing the ear that by this point was already redder than before– If you came to my shop, I suppose it must be something related to the investigation of Dad's death–
—Exactly –Arisa nods, while bringing her hand to Katerina's ear, this time not to pull it, but to rub it gently– A few hours ago, near where Dad died, in some bushes, we found a sword of large proportions. It is a sword of a metal that does not exist in this world, with strange inscriptions both on the blade and the hilt, and this hilt just happens to have a Baroque/medieval type shape. Besides, at times the inscriptions blink in purple –Arisa describes– We believe that sword belonged to the Bearer of Infernal Fire, that is, Lumen. If I recall correctly, I have seen it in one of those historical books you like to show me when we take breaks after our sessions in bed. The shape and appearance we found looks a lot like those drawings in those weird books of yours–
—And so you came to me so that, using my historical knowledge, I could tell you about that weapon and maybe help you find clues? –Katerina asks, raising an eyebrow– And Sariel? Couldn't he explain this to you?–
—Well, first of all, Salieri surely does not believe Sariel. After all, according to Sariel, during the hour they were together in the interrogation room, before they went to look for me, he told her many things that to her were strange. You know, things about the Old World, the Infernal Triad and probably many more things. Salieri's expression was that of someone listening to fantasy, so she surely simply thought they were ramblings –Agent Montessori explains– Considering how Sariel is, and how she treated him, he is surely trying to make her, the rational and scientific Detective, open her mind to the supernatural sphere–
—That is true –Katerina nods– If I were an ordinary human, and he told me similar things, I would surely take him for a madman. The only way I would believe is if I saw it with my own eyes–
—That is exactly what Sariel must be trying –Arisa replies after leaning against the desk again– And second reason… do you remember what happened in the Old World of the Aynu?–
—Yes –Katerina nods– The Aynu of more than 67,000 years ago was known for having conquered the stars and established a galactic metropolis of utmost importance. That until the AI the humans of that time created, Irisviel, decided to reset everything, cutting connections with other human establishments on other worlds, creating a barrier around this planet to make it invisible, and finally, dropping atomic bombs across the globe to wipe out the humans, except the 100,000 she chose to survive –she replies– Although the Altern did not go through something like that, for although Irisviel was intelligent, she never managed to hack the Veil due to its protections, it was affected by what happened on the other plane, causing natural disasters and the destabilization of the Ley Lines, those mechanisms that make possible the existence of the 5 Primordial Energies: Mana, Aura, Divine Power, Qi and Spiritual Energy–
—Exactly –once more, Arisa nods– Well, according to what Sariel said, 67,025 years ago, right when Irisviel had activated the Human Reset Protocol, unlike the Surnaturel who were in the Aynu and who were escaping to the Altern, he decided to stay to experience what it was like to feel atomic bombs falling on him…–
A curious silence hangs over the room. A silence that unlike the previous one was not of grief or sadness, but rather, the one someone would have upon hearing something extremely stupid and meaningless.
—What the hell?! –Katerina exclaims, her expression between shock and mockery–
—Yes, that made me laugh too –Arisa lets out a small giggle– According to Sariel, this event caused his memories to be affected, so nowadays he does not remember much of the past, of before the Old World. His memories apparently unlock with time, or when they are completely necessary. –she adds– That is why, upon seeing the weapon, he knew that thing was something important. However, not being able to identify it well, he encouraged her to look for an expert who could see it and tell her about it –Then she looks at Katerina– And that is why we are here, Miss Antiquarian–
—I get it now –Katerina nods– By the way, if I recall correctly, when you told Salieri to give us space, I heard you told her to "start getting ready to bring the greatsword"… Does that mean that…?–
—Arisa nods– Yes. We brought the greatsword, in physical form, live and in person–
—Huh?! For real?! –Katerina, with eyes shining from the excitement of knowledge, looks at Arisa. In her pupils pink hearts could practically be seen–
—Yes. The weapon is right out there, inside her truck –Arisa says while pointing at the exit, unfazed by her sister's expression–
—And what are you waiting for?! –the Antiquarian exclaims, almost drooling– Go get her, quick, let's go, come on, hurry–
—Hold on right there, girl –Agent Montessori instantly raises her palm and puts it in front of the cat girl, stopping her enthusiasm– Although I brought her to this place, because I know that, among all the Antiquarians in the city, no one compares to you in knowledge, that does not mean you completely spill the beans regarding the supernatural sphere. Remember that Salieri is still a human, so the law still applies to us. So do not reveal too much about our world, and under no circumstance are you going to show her your Wesnaf form. You already have a lot of problems with the Vesefo, so I do not want you ending up behind bars for telling a human too much–
—Awww, how cute~ –the Antiquarian says, with a syrupy but mocking tone of voice– You really do love me a lot~ –At the same time, she sketches an affectionate expression and forms a heart with her hands–
—Katerina… –Arisa looks at her firmly, with a frown and an oppressive seriousness–
—All right, all right –Katerina raises both hands in a sign of surrender and sighs with resignation– I will try not to spill so many beans. But you know well how I am. When I get talking, and even more about both human and supernatural history, there is no one, except you, who can stop my chatter. So if I talk too much, make sure to stop me–
—All right –Agent Montessori sketches an amused smile. She knows perfectly how talkative her companion is. Then she takes out her phone– Let me send Salieri a Zel so she can already bring the weapon. You go get the place ready to put that thing–
—Perfect! –Katerina exclaims with a big smile, while walking toward a door located right behind her, on the other side of the reception table. There is where she finds her office and private place– I'm gonna hide the toys we used the last time we had sex in my office. Especially that long two-headed one you like to use with me, and the little pink vibrators I like to put on your small, cute, pink and exquisite nipples, heh, heh–
—Kat! –Arisa exclaims with her face blushing once more. However, this time, unlike the previous ones, she does not manage to grab the Antiquarian's ear, due to this one's evasion and quick escape–
—Bleh~ –the cat girl adds as a final mockery, sticking out her tongue in a playful way–
—You… –Before this mockery, the only thing Arisa can do is sketch a tight smile, while in her mind she begins to formulate a plan to make the cat woman pay for her behavior of this moment–