Cyclia Cecilius

"Please don't forget your father's love, Cyclia!" A one-eyed Saitori yelled.

"My father hated me! He bothered to save the UICA instead of being with me!"

In the Kalahari Desert, Grandmaster Aian and General Saitori fought Cyclia Cecilius above the hidden temple that guarded Delmisa's sarcophagus. As the Vultau masters and apprentices held off the Federation armies afar, the two defended the coffin from Cyclia's hands.

The Vultau Grandmaster was a brown-haired Vulpi woman with green eyes and diamond pupils who wore a white robe and held a dizi flute staff. She couldn't speak but could communicate through telepathy. The last time Aian and Saitori worked together was during the Niang Chronicles.

Cyclia, the lost daughter of Cecilius, was a blonde girl with gray eyes wearing a dark Federation uniform. Aian and Saitori tried to reason with Cecilius' daughter, but her hatred was too great. Cyclia pierced her shadow blade into the ground to split the earth with black fire.

I sense a demon inside her. Aian's voice said in Saitori's mind.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Saitori jumped over the fissures.

"I'll kill everyone my father prioritized over me!" Cyclia sliced the air to summon a dark thundercloud at Saitori.

The General ran from the chaotic miasma until Aian punched a holy fist to stop it. "Great! Now what?"

I know it's been a while, but I can dispel demons by entering someone's mind. Aian whirled her flute to emit a bright light that blinded Cyclia. But I need your help to restore this poor soul's memory of her father to weaken the demon within.

"We didn't do this for years, but if that will help get Cyclia back, let's do it."

As Saitori clashed blades with Cyclia, Aian played her dizi flute. Cyclia pushed Saitori off and screamed, covering her ears from Aian's angelic music. The Grandmaster dematerialized into light, entering Cyclia's mind.

"What did you do to me?" Cyclia roared.

"It's for your good, Cyclia. We'll help you remember that Cecilius loved you!"

"Then prepare to die, Saitori." Cyclia's sword launched black fire at Saitori.

While the General held off Cyclia in real life, Aian walked into the dark realm of Cyclia's mind. Standing on the transparent prismatic floor surrounded by books and teddy bears, Aian looked at the pitch-black dimension of Cyclia's emotions. Memories of Cecilius spending time with Cyclia flashed before the Grandmaster, including when Cyclia argued against her father for caring about the UICA survivors more than her during the Niang Chronicles.

"I don't want you to go, Dad!"

"Cyclia, you know how much I want to stay, but if I don't find help, the last Niangs and Vulpi will die."

"Why does it have to be you?"

"Because Europe doesn't want to freakin help us!"

"Who cares about them? Leave them and stay with me! Mom is gone, and I don't want to be home alone again!"

"I'm sorry, Cyclia. The survivors are counting on me. I promise I'll come back. I love you."

Then, a memory of Amitonyx brainwashing her with the revolutionary Shin-Kaminari thinking.

"Home alone, again? Poor girl, your daddy doesn't care about you," The Shin-Kaminari Overseer pat Cyclia's head. "I know what it's like when people spit at you and leave you to rot in the streets."

Aian watched Amitonyx walk a crying Cyclia in a garden.

"Supreme Herald Fanghui provided me and the Shin-Kaminari a home where we're cared for. Why don't you join us? We're a far better family compared to the UICA."

Pour soul. Cyclia's mind is in turmoil. Aian wiped her tears. Nonetheless, someone is clouding her soul in doubt.

She then yelled through her telepathy, shaking the darkness. Omaunukai demon! Show yourself!

"I always hated your voice, Aian," Something said as hands exploded from the teddy bear heads.

Black smoke engorged in front of the Grandmaster. The mass heightened until it was double that of Aian's as a pale wendigo skull with antlers popped out of the blackness. His eyes were purple crescent moons while an ancient scorpion symbol decorated his head. The rest of his dark mass flowed like a cape in the wind, pitch-black and devoid of light.

"It's been a long time," The Omaunukai demon hissed.

Zefaquiel, I should've known you were still roaming about, abusing lost souls with doubt and deceit! Aian pointed her dizi at the demon. Leave this poor girl alone!

The demon laughed. "Leave? Why, that would ruin Master Iagen's plan!"

Whatever plan Iagen has to take Shien to power the three sisters, I won't allow it!

"But you already failed! Don't you see? I knew you would enter this poor girl's weak mind to save it. You're trapped with me while Fanghui sneaks into the temple for Delmisa's sarcophagus!"

The Grandmaster gasped.

"We took advantage of your compassion! You fell for it!" Zefaquiel giggled. "That's why Iagen is the rightful Grandmaster. Aian, you're too soft, and that's your downfall! You spend too much time thinking about others' feelings. What good does caring for lost souls do if you could instead take them for yourself? Unlimited power comes from devouring Makiyu's creations, not by helping them!"

So, you say I'm too soft? Aian glared. I had enough of you demons who feed off bodies that don't belong to you. If you refuse to release this girl, the power of Makiyu will banish you!

Zefaquiel's void cape erupted two long human-skinned arms. Long cuts bled open from the forearms, revealing thick sarcolemma fibers within the exposed muscles. Small baby arms sprouted from the cuts, ready to play the fiber strings.

"Very well then, Aian. Once I end you, Iagen will be the new Grandmaster and give me a share of Shien's blood!" Zefaquiel's baby arms played the strings, summoning jade Malaysian Kris blades into his hands. "The Omaunukai will win this coming dimensional war with the Vultau! There's nothing you can do to stop the Revelation Concerto!"

***

Shien whistled to call his backyard chickadees for hand-feeding in his grassy backyard. He enjoyed hearing the chickadee chatter as the tiny birds jumped into his hand for seeds. That was until a familiar air raid siren scared the birds away. Shien looked at the asteroid-sized Emphynixyion that sparrow-hopped towards him. He screamed, running away as the final boss beeped emergency alert systems. It pinned Shien down with its lyre talons and pecked into his chest to rip it open.

He screamed awake. "Agh, another nightmare? I can't stop thinking about that boss."

Soon, Kyrinna stormed into the prison cell to beat Shien up again.

"Back for more, you dumb ice queen?" Shien yelled as Kyrinna scratched his face with an icicle claw.

The Cerulean Countess punched Shien in the stomach and pushed him down, stomping her foot on his head.

"My mom can hit harder than that!" Shien muffled as his mouth tasted the rocky floor.

Kyrinna kicked him to the wall and sunk her claws into Shien's cheek, making him shriek in agony.

"That's enough for today, Kyrinna," Joltiarre walked in, speaking in Japanese.

Kyrinna growled before giving Shien one last punch in the face. She stared at him, watching Shien cough blood.

"A problem?" Joltiarre asked.

The Countess shook her head and left the cell.

"You think you can do better than Kyrinna?" Shien hissed. "How can you be better if Mivange is top-tier in looks?"

"Very funny you can keep trash-talking amid your injuries," Joltiarre growled with a vein popping off her forehead. "But I'm here for something else."

"If you need me to say you're pretty, then sorry to disappoint you."

"Shut up, you fresh mouth. I have a guest that'll like to speak to you. Let's see how brave you are."

Joltiarre's eyes rolled as a scorpion symbol appeared on her forehead. Her mouth melted together into holes where deformed fangs grinned. The eyes rolled back in place, switching from Joltiarre's orange eyes into red pentagram pupils. Shien gagged at the sight.

"Hello, Shien," A sweet male voice gurgled.

Shien shuddered. "Y-you're not Joltiarre. W-who are you?"

"An angel, dear friend," The porous mouth widened open. "The name's Iagen. Master Iagen. I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time."

"I-I don't even know you. Why would you want to meet me?"

"Shien, my dear friend. I believe you had trouble sleeping again?"

Shien hesitated.

"I'm right, yes? Even after beating Emphynixyion, you still have nightmares of it?"

"How do you know?"

"Dear Shien, I have the power to see every desire in your heart."

"I-I don't believe you."

"Your nightmares make you question if you're good enough for Mivangeline, correct? You wish to be the perfect boyfriend, ahem, husband for her. Yes, you want to be with her for the rest of your life."

Shien looked away, trying not to show his tears.

"I know you wonder if she loves you the same way. Poor you, so many girls hurt you. They laughed at your height. Oh, yes, the girls that said only wild pigs would marry you!"

"Shut up! I don't know you."

"There's no shame, my friend. After all, you deserve better. I can help prove you're worthy and strong enough for Mivangeline!"

Shien wept as Joltiarre's hand elongated into Iagen's skeletal fingers that stroked his chin.

"I know magics that can help you be a perfect husband. Be my disciple! Together, we can guarantee your wish to marry Mivangeline and-"

"No thanks." Shien interrupted. "Stop talking. I don't trust you."

"What?" Iagen frowned, not expecting a quick response. "Why not? I can fill that void of insecurity. I can help you feel the guarantee that Mivangeline loves you back!"

Shien! The devil is a liar! Don't listen to those voices. You must renounce them! I see beauty in you! So does Jesus! Don't forget, we made a pinky promise, right? Remember, you're fearfully knitted together by God! You're not an accident! I love you! Jesus loves you!

Mivange was preparing me for spiritual warfare. Thank you, Mivange. Thank you, God. Shien understood his girlfriend's words during the final boss battle. "Look, Iagen. I believe Mivange loves me for who I am."

"Don't be ridiculous! How can you know that Mivangeline reciprocates your love? There's no evidence that she wants to be your wife. You have no proof!"

"You're a liar, little devil. If God made me, I'm no accident. Jesus loves me! I renounce you, Iagen! I don't need anything from you!"

The possessed Joltiarre trampled in fear from the name of Jesus.

Iagen snarled, not used to rejection. "Fine, I apparently cannot possess you the normal way. You may not have the wisdom to appreciate my offer, but your mommy does!"

"What? My mom?"

"Yes, dear Shien. I promised to help Isrina rescue you and wipe Fanghui from the face of the Earth! I even offered to help resurrect your father and the Niang family so you could be happy. After all, she longed for you to have what the other kids had, a father and a whole family!"

"How dare you! Stay away from my mom! She'll never follow you."

"Sorry if I hit your sensitive spot, but I'm afraid she already has. Don't you see why I needed you separated from Isrina? Without you close by, Isrina's sadness, doubt, and anger boiled and summoned me, and she's already sworn loyalty to me!"

"Leave her alone, Iagen. I'm warning you!"

"I think it's time for me to abandon Joltiarre's body and be one with Isrina, my new apprentice to continue the Ouroboros Cycle!"

"Y-you're leaving me?" Joltiarre's voice argued through Iagen's porous mouth. "We had a deal! I helped you kidnap Shien, and you promised to help me be prettier than Mivangeline! You said you would steal Shien's heart from her and turn him into my dream boyfriend with the right height."

"Oh? Since when did I make that promise?" Iagen chuckled before leaving the High Visionary.

Joltiarre's eyes and mouth returned to normal after Iagen disappeared. "Master Iagen! Come back! I need you!"

The pink-haired girl knelt in tears.

What a complete loser this girl is! Shien sighed.

"Fine! If that's how it is, I'll keep you locked up forever so Mivangeline never finds you!" Joltiarre smashed her scepter into Shien's cheek. "I'll experiment on you and turn you into my perfect boyfriend. I can't wait to break Mivangeline's heart! Serves her right for having everything I couldn't have!"