Shattering Humanity-Chapter 279: Another Cursed To Love & Another Cursed To Be Loved
"Look to this day,
for it is life, the very breath of life.
In its brief course lies
all the realities of your existence;
the bliss of growth,
the glory of action,
the splendor of beauty.
For yesterday is only a dream,
and tomorrow is but a vision.
But today, well lived,
makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,
and every tomorrow
a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day." -Kalidasa (Ancient Sanskrit)
______________________
[Outer Sanpaku]
Regaining her composure, the blonde 2nd Generation with pink eyes looks over at the blonde Valkyrie descendant with pure blue eyes.
The two ferocious young women lock eyes from over 50 yards away and Jean smiles at Shelly’s hardass stare down.
Jean DæMon: "So this is the girl you’ve been hyping up, Mizz L’Orient?"
Shelly knows all too well about her great grandmother’s infamy and prepares for the worst.
Jean DæMon cracks her knuckles while "stepping up to the plate" against Takamagahara’s trusted Ace.
Jean DæMon: "Why don’t I give her a test run to see if she’s worthy of your time?"
Shelly takes her fighting stance but in an uncharacteristic act, Katsu steps up from behind her. The sudden intrusion slightly surprising Jean, making the pink eyes of the 2nd Gen raise an eyebrow, while catching Shelly off guard at the same time.
Shelly: "Katsu-?!"
Without looking at his purpose, Katsu tosses the glowing plastic baggie of SeiõrSuppliments at her and she catches it.
He stops in between Shelly and Jean his back turned to Shelly, but the wind blows his hair, as if the young man’s courage is actively being acknowledged by the world.
Katsu: "For the past 36 hours, Shelly has been straining her body and pushing it to the maximum, all for my sake and the sake of our people.
If you want to fight ’Skalmönd’ at her best, you won’t be getting it here and now."
Shelly(quietly): "Katsu..."
While keeping eye contact with the 2nd Generation DæMon, Katsu puts his arms out wide, as if shielding his adopted sister.
Katsu: "If you want to fight her, you’ll have to go through me first while she heals with a SeiõrSuppliment!"
Jean sucks her teeth and looks down at the chivalrous young man.
Jean DæMon: "Ew...gross.
Freakin’ as if!"
Katsu’s head tilts in confusion but isn’t given an explanation before an angry, on fire fist of fiery *BONKS* Jean on the head making a huuuge lump grow from the blonde’s skull.
The French DæMon is brought to her knees and rubbing the head lump, while L’Orient stands above her.
Katsu looks back at Shelly and she is also confused by the enemy’s friendly fire. Shelly shrugs before they both look back over at the scene
L’Orient DæMon: "How many times did I tell you before we left, ’we have to let MamMon fail first’?!
Dammit Jean!
Why do you have to be so gifted at Seiõr but also a dumb bimbo all wrapped in one?"
Grumbling in pain while using a finger to locate the exact spot of the injury, Jean DæMon finds the lump and taps once...twice...
Jean DæMon: "Ouchiezz...
That’s my b, Mizz L’Orient.
I totally get over excited at like, the thought of impressing you.
It always happens and I guess I’m just a bad sidekick..."
The small witch in her unique patched cloak lets a sigh escape and puts a hand on her magical apprentice’s shoulder.
Jean slowly turns her head to look at the "comforting touch"...
But that same hand slaps the pink eyed woman on her knees, leaving a mark on her cheek.
Katsu: "Hey!"
Shelly: "Katsu, don’t!"
Katsu stomps over towards the scene happening a half football field away.
At the same time, Shelly can hear multiple running footsteps getting closer from the tunnel’s darkness and turns around.
First to appear out of the shadows is the Vessel for the darkness itself, Saku.
Following closely behind with him is Friend, Itsuka, Scylia, Dom, Charybdis, Laban, Jormungand, Drakania and Xaaydagaay.
Shelly: "What-?"
She turns back around to see Katsu has closed the distance between him and the DæMon blooded pair.
He stops a few feet away, glaring at the "young girl" with two seperate styles and colors to her head and face.
Katsu: "I don’t know why you’re being a jerk to your friends, but I don’t care..."
Saku and his posse stop next to Shelly just in time to see and hear Katsu’s monologue.
From her spot on the ground, the pink eyes of the blonde sparkle, now seeing Katsu in a different light, the sunlight behind his head.
Katsu: "... That’s not how you’re supposed to treat family, or friends!
And once we defeat MamMon and Nephilim on Sunday, we’ll be coming for you next!"
He looks down at the young European/Scandinavian blooded woman with Above Sanpaku determination.
Katsu: "Shelly and Takamagahara will free all the people in this world who are abused, not only by you but by all you DæMons!"
Dom and Charybdis chuckle at the claim, look at each other and the superior shakes his head smiling.
Scylia blushes, tilting her head with her chin in her hand.
Scylia: "How heroically poetic."
Jormungand looks at his older sister and she blushes while looking away.
Jormungand: "He’s right Sis.
I’m going to get stronger, that way, I won’t have to rely on Big Sis Shelly, or Big Bro Saku to save you anymore!"
Drakania buries her tear damped face in her "bigger but younger brother’s"
chest.
Drakania: "Ohhh Jormyyyy!"
Saku grimaces, knowing his contemporary force is playing everyone like a fiddle with his, ’Voice of a Hero’.
Saku(thinking): *He’s pretending to play the hero again!
Definitely knowing, damn well we just got here and he has witnesses listening to one of his corny regurgitated monologues. Probably from one of his dumb corny nerd shows!*
Meanwhile, Itsuka puts a hand on her foster sister and checks to make sure she’s alright.
Itsuka: "Shelly, are you okay?
What’s going on?"
Shelly: "I’m fine.
On our way out, we were ambushed by two guys from the Sister Mountains.
Then these two came out of nowhere."
Itsuka’s gorgeous purple eye and IceEye looks over at where Katsu is standing.
She finally spots the child-like figure and injured blonde.
Itsuka: "Wait...who-"
But before she can even get the question out...
Laban DaeMon: "Sanngriðr...?"
Even though it was said at normal speaking volume, the sound waves from Laban’s name drop reach the ears of L’Orient and the DæMon’s heterochromic eyes look right by Katsu and lock with Laban, standing underneath the tunnel entrance overpass.
For the first time, Laban’s knees begin to shake and the stance of fight or flight is exposed by the DaeMon woman.
Katsu: "And another thing-!
Huh?..."
L’Orient walks away from the still injured Jean, and ignores the Yang Vessel’s attempt at a heroic speech in front of his team.
Katsu looks down at the injured young woman and holds a hand out to her.
In an all too familiar way, Jean is blushing, bashful and awkward compared to her attitude earlier.
She jumps to her feet and backs away without touching the Yang Vessel.
Jean DæMon: "Like g-g-gross!
Do- Don’t touch me with your totally disgusting, strong hands!
You- you idiot!"
Shelly’s eyes grow wide, knowing exactly what’s going on...
Shelly: "That girl...likes...Katsu..."
A look of absolute anger washes over her face, and she too begins walking away from her group.
Itsuka: "Wha- wait, Shelly?!"
Disinterested in the "DæMons & Skalmönd" plot, Shelly and L’Orient walk right passed each other.
Approaching the youngest witch to be born from the improper use of Seiõr with a stone faced expression she stops a couple yards away.
L’Orient DæMon: "Well, well, well
If it isn’t my widdle itty bitty sister, Eir.
Guess I was right all those years ago..."
The sweating Laban takes a step back and her knees almost give out in fear.
L’Orient DæMon: "...We should have never left you with Surtur.
Skalmönd’s reincarnate would obviously be destined to hunt down the weakest of her killers."
Dom has his gun aimed at the incoming young lady and is peeking at her through the horizontal scope.
His aim is shaky, clearly nervous about shooting someone who takes the form of a little girl.
Dom: "Sh-Should I take the shot?
I have a clean look at her?!"
Unfazed by the military weaponry pointed at her, keeping her stare on Laban...
L’Orient DæMon: "Go ahead and fire your useless projectiles, bitch boy.
Just know I will be putting the same bullet you fire at me, in your brain my...self..."
Just like how Katsu had stepped in between Jean and Shelly, Saku steps in between L’Orient DæMon and Laban DaeMon.
For a minute, there isn’t a single word said from the little girl staring at Saku with glistening red and blue eyes.
Enough time passes where Saku understands what’s going on and becomes defeated once more by the DæMon love curse (and his curse).
Saku: "Oh n-"
L’Orient’s eyes turn comedically into hearts and she jumps up clinging to Saku’s face making him fall backwards to the ground.
