Chapter 11 | Five of Cards against The Beasts beneath the Moonlight Part 1

Arc 1 | A Detectives End

Phase 1 | The 13th Star Etched In History

"SISTER!"

"RO WAIT, DON'T JUST

Tsubasa bellowed out to Ro on impulse as she swept everything under the bus and headed to the shriek of her sister. Tsubasa and the others couldn't tell which of the other two sisters was which, but that's beside the point in their current scenario.

-run"

The thunderstorm was like a molten silver sky, quenching the earth she cocooned in black. "Ok guys, we need to go after Ro!" Pointing to the door where Ro stood just seconds ago. Daphne brought her hand to her ear.

[Daphne]: Say what now?"

[Tsubasa]: I said we need to follow Ro\, Daphne!"

[Luna]: What are you guys saying?"

Daphne and Luna were unable to understand Tsubasa as the thunderstorm bequeathed a percussion of rain upon the rooftop; the sound was so severe that no matter how close the three were to each other physically, they couldn't hear one another. Tsubasa hadn't the patience to deal with this inconvenience and galloped out of the room, leaving the two to figure out what she meant. Daphne and Luna exchanged puzzled glances, their brows furrowed in confusion. Without Tsubasa's guidance, they were left to decipher her intentions on their own. Tsubasa could see Ro far down the hallway in a panic. For some reason, all the lights were out in a flash as each thumping strike from the sky dealt some effect on the mansion, which put Tsubasa at an even greater disadvantage with insufficient time to fully recover from her tiresome journey to get here. C'mon, hurry, my nugatory legs!" Making more than a few staggering falls to the floors, she fails to run upright thanks to the sweet and savory food delights she constantly ate when winning mini-games with the others, which made her physical prowess and dexterity poorer than usual. The relentless assault from the sky continued, causing debris to rain down and further impede Tsubasa's progress. With each stumble, her exhaustion became more apparent, her body struggling to keep up with the demands of the situation. The weight of her indulgences now felt like an anchor, hindering her every move and leaving her vulnerable to impending danger. Scraping her body off the floor in such fatigue was pathetic. She could feel her muscles screaming in protest as she pushed herself to stand upright, determination fueling her every step. Despite the overwhelming odds, Tsubasa refused to let her weariness define her. She knew that if she didn't find a way to overcome her physical limitations, the consequences would be dire. She harnessed herself as a whole and picked up the pace without falling to the floor, barely missing a pixel of Ro. This mansion was extraordinarily huge, with Tsubasa gyrating left and right, up and down the stairs, and down more corridors with numerous doors and paintings, which she had no time to analyze until she eventually found Ro standing utterly still in a room. As Tsubasa approached Ro, she could sense an air of tension and urgency in the room. Ro's expression was grave; his eyes were fixed on something in the distance. Tsubasa's heart raced as she realized that whatever awaited them beyond that room would test her physical and mental strength like never before. "I finally—hah—caught up."

Gently placing one of her hands on Ro's shoulder, Tsubasa panted in an up-and-down repetition from all that cardio she did to get here. "Hey, what's that all about? She asked, looking over Ro's body. There was a bloodied corpse of her sister Ko idling on the floor with the smell of gore. Tsubasa's eyes widened in horror as she took in the gruesome scene before her. The sight of her sister's lifeless body sent a wave of disbelief and grief crashing over her. With a trembling voice, she whispered, "What... what happened here?" The broken glass was seen splattered around the room, which Tsubasa deduced to be the kitchen with everyone's food in eye-shot as well as stoves and kitchenware, and of course, it would be the only place in the mansion that smelled like food. Ro collapsed on the floor in agony, wailing in pain, covering her face with both her palms, resisting the urge to look at her bloodied sister.

"Ro-chan..." a delicate whisper came from Ko.

"KO-CHAN" Ro was certain for a moment that Ko was gone. Her heart raced as she turned her head towards the source of the whisper, relieved to see Ko alive but visibly shaken. The room fell into a heavy silence, filled only with the sound of Ro's ragged breaths and the distant sirens of thunder growing louder outside. Ko was weak and had whispered something to Ro, while Tsubasa stood watch for anything that might strike the room again. Surprisingly, the kitchen was the only room in the mansion with lights, which Tsubasa found very strange, causing her to be extra alert. As Tsubasa scanned the room, her eyes landed on a flickering candle placed on the kitchen counter. Its wavering flame cast eerie shadows on the walls, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. She couldn't shake off the feeling that something sinister was lurking in the darkness beyond the illuminated kitchen, heightening her senses even further. "I apologize for asking this of you, Master Tsubasa, but I require your assistance in protecting my big sister while I venture out to slay the beast that did this to her". With such elegance and politeness, how could Tsubasa ignore this request? Tsubasa admired the young girl's determination and courage, realizing that her sister's safety was of utmost importance. He nodded solemnly, accepting the responsibility bestowed upon him. Deep down, she knew that she couldn't let fear hinder his duty to protect those in need. "Of course, we'll all safeguard your sister, and don't forget we're here to help each other, so I'll help you find this beast". She said this on behalf of herself and her friends. Tsubasa's heart swelled with a sense of duty and camaraderie as he listened to the young girl's words. She knew that together, they would face any challenge that came their way and ensure her sister's safety. With unwavering determination, Tsubasa vowed to find the beast and bring an end to the threat it posed.

I'm not too sure whether this goes against Daphne's moral code, but I'm certain that as someone who went out of their way to put their life on the line, I can count on Luna to help out. But this is all too sudden; we had barely just gotten here, and we're being attacked again. I'm on my way here, and I noticed all the lights went completely out, with the kitchen being the exception. Why is that? For now, we need to head back with the others and heal Ko's wounds. I'm also surprised at how Ro is carrying Ko with ease despite both of them looking light.

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[Ro]: I'm extremely grateful to you all for helping us\, sisters."

[Luna]: No\, no\, you don't need to bow for that." Luna smiled earnestly\, waving her hands.

[Ro]: But we truly appreciate your support. It means a lot to us.

[Daphne]: So you're saying some 'beast' just breaks into the mansion and claws your sister?"

[Ro]: That is correct\, Master Daphne."

[Daphne]: Tsk\, quit it with the 'master' thing; Daphne is fine and all."

[Luna]: "And um\, Tsubasa\, no matter how hard you try\, the lights won't turn on; trust me\, we've tried already." Luna remarked on Tsubasa's determination to get the lights working\, which worked by harnessing mana with some unique material.

[Tsubasa]: I appreciate your concern\, Luna. But I won't give up until I find a solution. Maybe there's another way to restore the power\, or we can find an alternative source of light. We just need to think outside the box and keep trying different approaches.

[Luna]: Hmm\, using our aptitudes would exact a heavy toll\, no?"

[Tsubasa]: "I see. Oh\, by the way\, how is healing Ko's wounds so far\, Luna?"

[Luna]: I've already done all I can; she needs to rest\, Tsubasa."

[Tsubasa]: Any word on Yo?"

[Daphne]: Nope\, this mansion is crazy huge! How do only the three of you maids handle such a place like this?"

[Ro]: "Mast\, I mean Daphne\, this mansion has the purpose of hosting big and important galas and other ceremonies used by the Astrea family and their branch families; it was designed that way."

[Daphne]: You didn't answer my damn question\, you!"

"Settle down, everyone!" Tsubasa had to raise her voice to steady the unnecessary tension in the room, which was held in the same room where Tsubasa, Luna, and Daphne mostly spent their hours.

Ok, here's the plan: Luna will stay here and guard Ko, while Daphne, Ro, and I go look for Yo and move on from there. Any questions?" Daphne and Luna immediately looked at each other in discomfort and concern, which drew Tsubasa's attention out of curiosity. "What's wrong?" Tsubasa asked, sensing the unease between Daphne and Luna. "Is there something you both want to share before we proceed with the plan?"

[Daphne]: Um\, Tsubasa-san\, there's one problem about splitting up."

[Tsubasa]: "Hm\, yes\, I'm aware that a beast is on the loose\, but we'll be fine since we can still use our aptitudes for combat."

[Luna]: "It's not the beast I'm afraid of—you see\, right when Ro rushed out of the room\, Daphne and I immediately noticed something eerie and ominous from outside the mansion."

"Go on"

[Daphne]: "There was some creepy-looking dude outside... I'm not afraid of anything\, but whatever that was\, it gave me chills down my spine\, you hear."

[Luna]: "As Daphne said\, when the thunder came down\, we felt this uneasy sensation like someone was watching us\, and there he stood\, cloaked in darkness; he wasn't too close to the mansion but was hidden in the woods. At first\, I thought it was Ryuosuke trying to attack us again\, but this mysterious person's aura felt off."

[Tsubasa]: "I see\, this person could be out to get us again; the beast may be some decoy to split us up."

[Luna]: "And the scary thing is\, Tsubasa\, that thunderstorm was destroying many of the trees in the forest\, which is causing a disturbance in mana\, meaning that's why all the lights came out." Luna was twitching her fingers against each other in unease.

[Daphne]: "But that was nothing compared to what we saw next...that dude we saw outside...none of that thunder nor rain even touched him; his cloak ain't even moving an inch from the wind. I'm dumb\, but even I know that with strong winds like that\, it should've been noticeable."

"You guys are serious?" Tsubasa said this in disbelief, hoping to only deal with some magical animal, yet only to discover an entirely new obstacle. As Tsubasa processed the information, a sense of trepidation washed over him. He realized that their encounter was far more dangerous than he had initially anticipated.

"Mhm," they both said in unison.

From the window, I watched the oak stand firm in every thunderstorm. There he was. I couldn't see his face. All of us met his spine-chilling figure.

All he did was smile and mouth something. What was it?

His mouth moved. Tsu

then curled into a smile. ba

then opened his mouth. sa

"You have to be choking me now".

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