a demonic smile upon his lips. "...You mean to say you anticipated this attack?" "Come now, precious daughter mine, what are you talking about? It goes without saying that it was obvious, no?" Vlad let out a laugh so free of malice that it was actually unsettling. He clearly wanted to express how odd the question had been. As always, he had a perverse talent for getting on people's nerves. Elisabeth responded with silence. Vlad strode forward, practically dancing. The hard sound of his footsteps echoed through the room as he passed between the coffins. "Sooner or later, this was bound to happenâ€”but surely, you knew that, didn't you? The stage was set. To compare it to a play, all the curtain needed to rise was a suitable actor." "True, we let too much information slip out. 'Twould be little surprise for someone to take it and turn it to nefariousâ€”" "Oh, goodness, no. That's not even the half of it." "...What?" Elisabeth raised an eyebrow. That wasn't what she'd expected to hear from him. Vlad shrugged in a theatrical display of disappointment. He gave his head an exaggerated shake. "What in the world happened to you? Why, even my dear successor was sharper than that, you know. It's as though you've taken dullness and dullness and piled yet more dullness on top." "As always, you talk much but say littleâ€”if you've something you wish to tell me, then out with it already." "Then I shall put it simply, my dear Torture Princess!" Vlad placed a hand atop his chest and raised his voice like an opera performer. Then after taking a few broad steps forward to close the gap, he brought his face in close to Elisabeth's. His crimson eyes gleamed directly before her, and he spoke in a low, sultry whisper. "Whenever did you go so soft?" *** His voice was full of scorn, and when he exhaled, his long breath lingered on Elisabeth's lips like a kiss. The moment he did, she twisted her wrist and pulled a dagger out from a swirl of darkness and crimson flower petals. Then in one fluid motion, she tried to gouge out his flank. He leaped backward to dodge the slash. He'd clearly anticipated the attack. After looking down and seeing she'd cut his coat's hem, he nodded. "Your temper's still the same as ever, hmm? I must say, I can't really endorse losing your merits but leaving your flaws. Though, perhaps you'll be better off this way. Becoming an ignorant sheep and joining the flock will certainly make your life easier; that much is for certain. It's not the most desirable change for you to make in this situation, though. Not unless you want to find yourself served atop a plate." "Yet again, you ramble about insignificant drivel." "It's entirely related! I'm 'telling you a story' here! A 'tale of God and Diablo'!" Vlad began inflecting his voice as though he was giving a speech. Elisabeth went quiet. The man was acting like a buffoon. What was frightening, though, was that Vlad was no idiot. There was a good chance that a grain of truth lay festering beneath those nonsensical words of his. Elisabeth, knowing that, dispelled her dagger. As flower petals cascaded around her, she spoke flatly. "There are some things only a jester can see clearly. Go on." "Three years ago, the world very nearly met a tragic end. However, that seemingly immutable fate was altered by a single person. After burdening himself with God and Diablo, the boy fell into a deep slumber at the World's End. Thanks to his deeds, the people of the world managed to avoid the apocalypse. The greatest good for the greatest number was, surely, the greatest outcome. One could say they all lived happily ever after. And that would be all well and good." But whenever someone's story ends, there are some things that yet remain. Vlad raised the corners of his lips, his mouth curled into a crescent smile, and he spread his arms wide. When the light from the crystals struck him, his shadow spread in every direction like the room's long-absent monster. "With its lease on life renewed, the world continued on. But the bells would eventually toll on a new curtain's rise." For that is the way bells and curtains are. His grin was unpleasant, bordering on demonic. Yet for all his posturing, he didn't seem to have any intention of ever getting to the point. Irritation and bloodlust swelled within Elisabeth. Vlad, perhaps sensing that, changed his tone. "And oh, how they toll! Come now, precious daughter mine, think about it for a moment. God and Diabloâ€”entities with the power to destroy and rebuild worldsâ€”exist. And now all three races are fully aware of their existence!" "Aye, they are...but surely, that goes without saying by this point, no?" "Ah, but look at it this wayâ€”now everyone knows there's a way to destroy the world." *** Elisabeth gasped. No normal person would have arrived at that realization. But of all the people who'd been narrowly saved and were now diligently going about their lives, the man before her, and he alone, saw things in a wholly different light. Vlad, speaking as evil incarnate, continued. "Sharing details on the particulars was an error, to be sure. But the true menace, the true threat, was the survivors' changed perception. Now everyone knows that the world is 'something that can be ended.' The end of days is no longer a pipe dream or a legend. It's oh-so-very real." Had you really never noticed just how horrifying that was? He's rightâ€”after the end of days was averted, people began conceiving of the world differently. Vlad's voice was tender and filled with a sort of pity. Elisabeth squeezed her fists tight. She and the Church had tried to purge information on the fourteen demons' uprising, but even that paled in comparison with the gravity of knowing that the end of days was something that people could cause. It was the kind of information that changed how people viewed the world. And as the man in black had said, "the true value of information lies in its ability to set people's minds in motion." "So not only was this situation bound to arise, and not only is it occurring as we speak, but it will keep happeningâ€”is that what you mean to say?" "That it is. The end of days cometh, and destroying the world is an attainable feat. With that fact proven, people will undoubtedly come out of the woodwork to try it for themselves. And in a sense, they won't even be doing it maliciously. For you see..." Vlad deepened his unpleasant smile. Then in his most irreverent tone yet, he gave his sinister proclamation. "...what kind of villain sees a chance to turn the world on its head and doesn't take it?" "You understand now, I hope. The calamities will keep coming, and the world will yet again find itself cowering as the end of days' footsteps draw ever nearer. Of course, my dear successor is the one who sealed away God and Diablo, those with dominion over reconstruction and destruction, so the process and conclusion will depend greatly on how he's handled. For now, though, our efforts would be best focused on dealing with the crisis at hand. No sense worrying about the future when we're about to join these pitiable fools, after all." Vlad gave the coffins a pointed glance and let out a contemptuous laugh. Elisabeth nodded. Now wasn't the time to figure out what they were eventually going to do about Kaito. She forced herself to think about something else. The fact that a number of people had reported seeing the ghost of mankind's third king while they were getting rid of the Saint statues and moving the coffins came to mind. Given the new Grave Keeper's attitude, though, it seemed only reasonable. Meanwhile, Vlad continued talking. "Now then, with my considerable detour out of the way, let us turn our thoughts to the attackers, shall we? This man in black wearing a bisected crow mask, this Fremd Torturchen, and this impression you had of them as being 'tyrannized'... I must say, it's all most fascinating, and all deeply troubling. If they were mere villains, it would have been one thing, but if they're avengers, then it's a whole different story entirely. The more righteous a man's motives, the deeper his obsession and the crueler his methods." "Avengers, eh. Hmm... Hmm? Now just wait a moment..." Elisabeth cut herself off midthought. Something about Vlad's words had caught her attention. As of yet, she hadn't told him any specifics about the attackers, yet he'd made a direct reference to one of their appearances. With an obvious "oops," he went silent. Elisabeth let out a deep sigh. "Ah yes, I should have known you wouldn't just sit down here quietly. You're eavesdropping on the entire graveyard, I take it?" "Ha-ha-ha, it's an honor indeed that you're as sharp as ever when it comes to me, my precious. Guilty as charged! Please, you didn't think literature would be enough to stave off my boredom, did you?" Vlad snapped his fingers, and the book from before plopped down into his hand. He proudly opened up its leather cover. Letters were scrawling themselves automatically onto its white pages. Presumably, they were writing out conversations occurring within the castle. And upon closer inspection, the cover wasn't leather at all. It was made of countless sheets of processed human skin pressed together. Vlad snapped the book shut. It transformed into flower petals as he spoke. "It's a magical device I made during my life that I was fortunate enough to avoid having confiscated. Thanks to this little number, I've assembled enough blackmail material to make dozens of the castle's staff into my pawns. Delightful, isn't it, how people of every social standing have just as many flaws?" "Ah, I understand now. Truly, there really is no option but to cut you down and burn your remains to ash." "Oh dear, precious, don't trouble yourself. I'm well aware of how your sensational moniker and garb clash with your strange overabundance of scruples, but I ask that you overlook this indiscretion of mine. I burned to death once already, and I can't say I fancied it." Vlad raised his hands in surrender. Elisabeth glared daggers at him. For as volatile as the situation looked, though, neither of them was actually being serious. If Vlad's speech had been a solo act, then their little exchange was akin to its intermission. Vlad was annoyingly fond of verbally sparring with his "beloved daughter," and Elisabeth, knowing that, had chosen her words so as to entice him into coughing up more information. Sure enough, Vlad playfully closed an eye and placed a finger atop his lips. "All right, all right. Ah, what a helpless child you are." "Don't take that affectionate tone with me. I'll torture you till you breathe your last." "Hmm, your bloodlust is a little more on the nose than I'd expected. Ah well, tolerating his daughter's rebellion is the mark of an ideal father, so I suppose I'd best give you my helpful warning anyhow. And in exchange, you can overlook my little hobby. How does that sound?" "Not information, but a warning, eh? I haven't the foggiest idea what you're getting at, but very well. If this warning of yours proves useful, I'm prepared to consider it. Prove your worth, and you may yet keep your head." "Then here it isâ€”would the likes of Vyade's suicide bombing have been enough to kill you?" Suddenly, Vlad's voice grew very quiet and very cold. Elisabeth's eyes went wide. His words were a slight against the dead, and if Kaito Sena were there, he probably would have gotten mad. But Elisabeth didn't care about that. Her memories of what transpired in the audience chamber raced through