Shattering Humanity-Chapter 154: Per SE Phōne DæMon

[Man’s Voice: "...’He was a murderer from the beginning, and he does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him...he is a liar and the father of it’."

Woman’s Voice: "But if HE is the father of lies, doesn’t that make HIM the grandfather of all lies created? What if the lies are meant to be advice or examples of the extremes humans can reach? Couldn’t all temptations also be considered tests? Can’t the one true Go(o)d also be a false D(evil)? Together, as one singular ’entity’, instead of two separate consciousnesses wanting to oppress each other?"]

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{12 PM In the city previously known as ’Hanabi City’}

The familiar sounds and sights of humanity rebuilding society, is in full effect all around the city. Carpenters, brick layers, and other dynamically important skilled workers are busy trying to reconstruct the city that was destroyed by a hostile alien invasion.

There is a crane lifting a sign to be placed above the same archway entrance that Squad 40 and Itsuka ran towards to get away from their first giant Iceman encounter.

However, now the entire brick wall is brand new and the mortar holding the bricks together is freshly dried.

The worker in charge of directing the crane is barking directions to center the sign.

Site Manager: "TO THE LEFT!...THE LEFT!...I SAID THE FUCKIN’ LEFT, YOU DINGLEBERRY!!...Okay! Perfect, right there!"

The man looks up at the beautifully hand carved sign which reads "Erebus City".

Nephilim: "If the sight of a finished job makes those of us not directly involved, feel like life is normal again, I can only imagine how you men who built it feel seeing your art."

The site manager turns around and is approached by the General of the previous military system within the Sister Mountains.

Behind him, his ’shadow’, Silpheed, who is smoking a cigarette with their half sewn together lips exposed and uncovered.

Site Manager: "Lord Nephilim! How are you, sir? I’m so glad you appreciate my crew’s work. I’ll admit, I was sceptical about whether or not we could successfully do this rebuild, but thanks to your soldiers and Lord MamMon DæMon, we haven’t seen a single Iceman, small or giant, in atleast two weeks. That sped up the progress of our border wall project and we finished up an entire week earlier than schedule."

Nephilim extends his hand and the two men connect a forearm shake.

Nephilim: "We’re fortunate to have men like yourself, working hard, helping build society. Thank you, and keep up the good work."

The site manager nods and turns, yelling at his crew.

Site Manager: "All right you pansies! Let’s pack it up for the day. I guess you guys earned a few drinks. They’re on me tonight!"

The sound of one dozen men can be heard cheering at the announcement.

Nephilim smiles watching the band of rugged men pack up the trucks and drive back into the city walls.

Silpheed stands beside him, stomps out the cigarette butt and pulls the thin cover back over their mouth.

Silpheed: "Oor- ziiee- iiz- cahhmn- ahung- niizlee-, Nef-e-uh-um Zr."

Nephilim: "You mean ’our city is coming along nicely’, Silph. MamMon entrusted the both of us to get this city back on track and to maintain a functioning society. Within a month, we should have a city that’s better than Roronora and actually civilized, instead of how that place is run."

He turns his head and looks at the still standing artificial mountains that were home for the majority of his people, only 1 month ago.

Nephilim: "I just hope, those kids she put in charge of the mountains in the place of the Sisters, aren’t in over their heads."

Silpheed: "iid- zhuui-nt beee- oou- hrrd-, oolee- enn- brrzenn- ov- dhh- beebl- rr- effd- nnziid-."

Nephilim: "10% of the Sister Mountains population is still 10,000 people that trust them to make the right decisions, Silph. Since the three previous leaders were in control of the entire society’s economy, now it’s up to Eden to maintain that as Treasurer for all Erinyes people. Whether they live inside the mountains or in Erebus.

While it’s up to Tristan, Stephanie, and Bethany to convince the people still cautious about returning to this world known as ’Hell’ and to help contribute towards getting the world as close to normal as possible.(sighs) Not only that, I can’t help but worry about Persephone and if she is okay right now. I hope I made the right decisions, Silph."

Silpheed: "Aii- noo- ouu- gare-, Nef-e-uh-um Zr.Avrr- woii- rereiid- Jay- good- eeraiid- err- gorapid- memrrii- wid- izz- abiiaee-, oou- err- zo- appi-."

Nephilim: "Unfortunately, now I live with the guilt Silpheed that he didn’t actually erase the memory from existence. It was a blessing at first, when Jay’s eye evolved to 2nd Stage and his ability turned out to be ’Organic Memory Conversion’. He was able to make Persephone forget about her horrific experience with that creature of a man, Decima. But as a sort of negative side effect to his ability, Jay then knew exactly how that poor girl felt during those few minutes. As a man, I can honestly say he’s a hell of a lot tougher, mentally, than I am in that aspect."

The Lord of Erebus City looks at the brand new city sign that was just hung up. The two walk underneath the sign, through the brick entrance, into the reopened city.

There are newly built small grocery store within a plaza of half destroyed old stores. People going in with empty reusable bags and other shoppers are walking out with their own full of food.

Nephilim: "But MamMon explained, Persephone was clearly accepted by Seiõr, and by the new ’Erinyes Laws’, all citizens eye user or not, who get accepted by Seiõr, must go through MamMon’s special training to ’help ensure the safety of all the people not just those accepted by that mystic magic energy’. That way we have a defense, in case Daisuki and his gang, or any other random tribe of thugs who try to destroy and take all of our people’s hard work, like they did in Roronora. I don’t care where this damn Seiõr originated, or who used it in history to conquer others. My mother taught me that the majority of people are more kind hearted now than they were in the past.

Vikings...

Terrorist...

In my opinion, Silph, those two words are synonymous with each other."

HFF soldiers are on patrol and taking the role of police, each with a handgun on one hip and a single SunSword, patrolling the area for any wondering Icemen or suspicious activity.

There are only trucks for construction or delivering supplies on the repaved street. The people of the reopened city are smiling, and using the side walk, some waiting to cross when necessary.

Nephilim: "We managed to convince her that she went into a short coma after an unfortunate slip, but only after we revealed to her people could finally leave the mountains."

Nephilim looks into the blue sky, scattered puffy white clouds with SeiõrSnow falling all around them and he chuckles.

Nephilim: "She truly does have a complexion as well as a mind of absolute beauty, doesn’t she, Silph?"

[TWO WEEKS AGO]

{In a hospital room within former Mount Morta’s Medical District.}

The 18 year old, beautiful Persephone, wearing a plain white T-shirt on has her legs under the covers. Her wavy brown hair goes all the way down her back with confused shining pink eyes.

Persephone: "Wh-What do you mean ’all the Sisters are dead’?! How long was I in a coma, Nephilim Sir?"

In the large hospital room Nephilim, Silpheed, Tristan, Bethany, Stephanie, Jay, and MamMon DæMon are there to catch the girl up to speed.

Nephilim is sitting on the foot of her bed, with tears in his alien/human heterochromic eyes, relieved his most favorite writer is no longer afraid of him like the night he stopped her rapist.

Nephilim: "For a couple of weeks my dear Persephone."

Tristan is sitting in a lounge chair with Stephanie in a beautiful dress sitting carefully on his lap. They are both watching their General’s reaction to this sweet young woman’s status.

Jay is stone faced, laying in the empty hospital bed next to Persephone’s. His hands behind his head, looking at the ceiling in extremely deep thought. Gritting his teeth left and right.

Bethany is asleep, passed out cold, in the largest cusion-y love seat in the patient room.

Nephilim: "You don’t have any idea, how overjoyed I am right now that you are awake and you’re okay... ’mentally’."

He goes to put a hand on her blanket covered shin, slowly. As a sign of sincerity and to test the result of Jay’s first attempt at using his eye ability.

Silpheed watches, remembering how traumatized Persephone was on that unfortunate night and how heartbroken Nephilim was that she reacted to him in that way. The mysterious sidekick’s uncovered left eye squints from a smile underneath their face cover.

However, right before he touches her blanket, Persephone flinches and gasps. Surprising her just as much as everyone else.

Persephone: "Oh! ... I’m Sor-Sorry Nephilim Sr. That was weird. I don’t know what happened, my body just spasmed on its own."

Stephanie gets a worried look and also remembers that horrible state the girl her age was in.

Stephanie: "Persephone..."

Tristan looks over at Jay with a worried expression of his own.

Tristan: "Aye Jay, you’ve uhh, been kind of quiet ever since Persephone woke up, you good over there Bro? Don’t be shy, hahe."

He responds while continuing to stare at the same ceiling tile.

Jay: "Just... remembered something, Triss. Something...Something not very pleasant."

Tristan looks over at the unconscious Bethany and taps Stephanie on the shoulder and his wife to be jumps off his lap. Tristan gets up and walks over to his passed out squadmate while Stephanie talks.

Stephanie: "We have Petra babysitting her two trouble maker sisters and there’s a whole house full of food now, so we need to get back before Timothea gets to it all."

Tristan picks up Bethany from the chair with ease then turns to Jay, still deep in thought.

Tristan: "You coming back with us Jay?"

Jay: "Nah...you guys go on ahead. I won’t be home too long after you guys."

Stephanie: "Do you have your key on you, Jason?"

Jay holds up his finger, a key ring with one single key around it.

Tristan’s eyes go from the key, down to the ’asleep’ woman in his arms right before she closes her peeking eye and fake snores.

Tristan drops the vixen and she hits the floor with a *THUD*.

Bethany: "Owwww!"

Stephanie lightly laughs off the scene and holds her hand out to help Bethany up.

Stephanie: "We’re all so glad to know you’re okay, Persephone. Let me know when they let you out of the hospital. Tristan and I can come by catch you up on everything you missed."

Persephone(smiles and nods): "I’d love that ’Stephii’. You know I love the insperation your adorable relationship gives me."

The two girls, Bethany rubbing her lower back in pain, follow Tristan out the room.

There’s an incredibly long awkward silence with only *tick* *tick* *tick* *tick* *tick* *tick* *tick* *tick* *tick* *tick* of the wall clock being heard.

The beautiful blonde DæMon in her black money tree cloak is standing in the corner. She has an emerald green SeiõrShield covering just her right hand, while it’s over her right eye. Her left crystal blue eye is looking at Persephone.

After looking at Persephone, the SeiõrShield around MamMon’s hand turns to bright yellow. The SeiõrShield fades and she lowers her hand.

The DæMon finally breaks the silence with an ominous chuckle that scares Persephone.

MamMon DæMon(chuckles): "Well well, this was a little unexpected but also a pleasant surprise, in both the girl’s and the boy’s situations."

Jay finally moves his focus from the one ceiling tile and side eyes the woman. He gives a snippy response.

Jay: "What do YOU know about ’my situation’?"

The DæMon looks across the room and gives him a glare.

MamMon DæMon visibly takes a deeeeep breath and exhales through her nose with her eyes close.

MamMon DæMon (thinking): *It’s for the ultimate goal.*

Then the powerful woman opens her beautiful eyes.

MamMon DæMon: "I say this out of respect for your resolve as a man who willfully helped a woman he didn’t know, but did you perhaps trust that organism, who acts as your sole connection between yourself and Seiõr? Ignorant to the full extent of your alien eye’s effects, you now are having unfamiliar ’repressed memories’, that contradict your life as a tradition man, am I wrong?"

Jay gets visibly irritated, gritting his teeth. Nephilim, fully aware of the subtext of the advanced Seiõr user’s words, stares at the young man who now has the memory of being raped, as a female, from Persephone’s perspective. Everything 5 minutes before the incident, and everything until he used his ability on her while she cried in her sleep.

MamMon looks back at the, now confused, Persephone.

MamMon DæMon: "It’s a pleasure to meet you ’Queen of Hades’, I’m glad to see you’re awake and fully coherent. My current name is MamMon DæMon and originally I wasn’t going to bother asking this, but have you ever heard of the term ’Seiõr’?"

Persephone: "Se...Seiõr?"

The hospitalized girl thinks for a minute and then her eyes widen after remembering something.

Nephilim looks back and forth between the two stunning women and stops at the DæMon.

Nephilim: "What’s the meaning of asking her?"

But before the woman explains her vague methods...

Persephone: "Wait, I actually...I actually have! There was a bedtime story my grandmother told my mother and then my mother passed it down to me. It was the reason I started writing, because I wanted to write a beautiful story, an amazing story like it.

The story was of a sad, lonely, woman, who was treated poorly by everyone, but still did the right thing and tried to help the people who rejected her. When she rejected her own feelings of hate towards those who hurt her and wanting to waste her existence, was when she was visited by a fairy who blessed her with ’Seiõr’ and eventually she became loved by a whole clan of women and a few men unafraid of ridicule."

MamMon DæMon smiles and giggles at the familiar story to the one Zoram had told to all of Takamagahara.

MamMon DæMon(to herself): "So we did miss a few...God Damn you, Skalmönd.

(to Persephone) Well that saves me time from using Seiõr to find out why, but turns out, you’re a DæMon! 2nd+ Generation too! Welcome to the family, ’Per Se Phōnē DæMon’."

...

...

...

Persephone tilts her head in confusion.

Persephone: "I-I’m sorry?"