Chapter 30

The Final Trial

“I always knew you would make it, Catherine.” Dante turns towards me. There was an ache in my heart when I looked into his eyes which radiated kindness.

“Dante…” I tried to take a step forward, but my legs gave out on me. The weight of the battle and the crushing guilt pressed down on my shoulders.

My chest tightens as the memories of all the times I nearly died flash before my eyes and the moment I took the life of another.

“Deep breath Catherine, deep breath. Let your body relax.” Dante gently places a hand on my back.

“You…” Somehow, I managed to cough out some words while I was choking. “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”

“If you’re asking about the trials then, yes, I was aware they would be tough this year.” Dante turned his back towards me and looked down at the capital, a portion of which was trapped in a dome of light. “Now, if you’re asking about the gangs in the pleasure district, I’ll admit I’m aware that they’re not fond of any military presence, but I didn’t know they would do something so drastic.”

“You didn’t know? There are so many people dead, and all you can say is you don’t know?” My blood begins to boil. I tightly clench my teeth to stop myself from saying anything I might regret later. “What happens if I win? What happens when this is all over? Do you even know?”

“…” Dante fell silent. His gaze went skyward towards the stars. Even with his back towards me, I could tell he was looking at something far in the distance, something I couldn’t begin to imagine.

“A new era. Or at least that’s what the king’s hoping for.” Dante turns back towards me, his eyes filled with hope. “For me, I hope that after this tournament. Regardless of whether you win or lose, I hope you find out who you really are.”

“What do you mean who I’m really am? I’m a girl who just wants her home back, that’s all.”

“After everything, you’ve been through these past few hours, do you really think you’re just a normal girl?” Dante’s eyes lowered towards my heavily bandaged arm. If I still had any strength, I would’ve jumped to my feet and grabbed Dante by the neck+ demanding answer. But in the end, all I could do was weakly ask.

“Why is The Crooked Man so obsessed with me, and what the hell are these marks on my arm?”

“I wish I could tell you, but it’ll only hurt if you heard the truth from me. You need to find the answers for yourself. You need to remember.”

“Remember? Are you telling me I have amnesia?”

“No, I wouldn’t say that more like you have gaps in your memory.” Dante kneels next to me, his eyes staring deep into my soul. “Why are you here, Catherine? Why are you so obsessed with getting your family store back?”

“In the back of my mind, I could feel the gate slowly opening again. But, this time, instead of being filled with strengths, I could hear my mother’s voice. At first, her voice was soft and inviting, but her tone became louder and panicked as the gate opened more, until there was only screaming.

“Stop! Please!” I tried to push Dante, but with no strength in my body, I just ended falling face-first into the dirt. “I can’t. I can’t.”

“It’s okay. Let your memories come back to you naturally.” He pats my shoulder before heading down the hill towards a panic Leo. In his arms was an unconscious Aaron. Blood still flowing from his bullet wound.

Leo was shouting something, but I couldn’t hear a thing. My mind was still focusing on the question Dante asked.

(Why are you so obsessed with getting your family store back?)

The answer to his question was obvious. It’s because I want to cherish the happy moments I spent with my family. But along with that answer came another question.

Was there a time I was ever happy?

.

.

.

Yes, there was time, but it was a long, long, long time ago. Back when I was ignorant of the world's cruelty.

I still remember it clearly, my child-self laughing as she tosses a ball towards my dad. Even after a long and hard day at work, my dad still finds some time to play with me.

“Go long, Catherine!” My dad pulled his arm back and threw the ball towards me, or at least he tried. Unfortunately, the ball flew high in the air. My father would’ve probably blamed the bad throw on fatigue, but the truth is he was never good at any physical sports, unlike me, who seem to excel at it. One of the many reasons why the other kids didn’t want to play with me.

I chased after the ball my dad overshot. I hopped on top of an empty stand and leaped towards a lamppost. I grab onto the lamp and swing into the air. The ball slammed into my chest, knocking the air out of me.

“Catherine!” My dad rushes over to check on me. I held the ball in the air and triumphally shout.

“I caught it!”

“Yes, you did.” My dad’s expression softens as he scoops me up and places me on his shoulders. “Since that was such an amazing catch, how bout I treat you to a snack.”

“Ooh, ooh. I want a pie!”

“Okay, but save some room for dinner.”

Free of any worries, we travel down the streets. Indeed, these were some of the best days in my life, yet I felt hollow, like something was missing for some reason.

“Is something wrong sweety, you’re quieter than usual.”

“I’m fine, dad. I was just wondering, where’s mommy at?”

“…” My dad looked down at the ground, making it impossible to see what expression he had. “Hey, sweety, how would you like cake with your pie?” My eyes widen from excitement.

“Let’s go, dad! Let’s go!” I roughly patted my dad’s head to urge him forward.

“Catherine…” A soft and lovely voice called to me. I looked in the direction where the voice came. A woman in a simple purple dress stood at the entrance of an alley, happily waving at me.

“Dad! Dad! Its mom!”

“Huh? Where?”

“Over there.” I pointed towards the alley, but no one was there.

“I think you’re seeing things, sweety.”

“No, she was there.” I hopped off my dad’s shoulder.

“Catherine, where are you going?

“I’ll be right back!” I ran straight for the alley before my dad could say anything else.

“Catherine…” Mother’s voice was close yet at the same time sounded so far.

“Mom, where are you?”

“Over here.” I turn around, but there’s no one there. Even stranger, the street was gone now. Instead, standing before me was a glass window that separated me from a pure white room. In the center of the room were two people: my mother and a faceless man in a doctor uniform.

The doctor looked down at the notepad in his hand. Despite not having eyes, the doctor scans his paper intensely.

“Please, doctor…” My mother’s voice was hoarse and shaky. Tears were forming from her redden eyes. It pains me to see her on the verge of breaking down, and yet I couldn’t look away. “Please tell me what’s wrong with my daughter. She won’t eat. She won’t even talk to me. She is just wasting away in her bed” My mother balled her hands into fists. blood drip from her hand onto the ground staining the pure white floor red.

“The trauma from the incident caused her to forget all of the events of the past twenty-four hours.

“What… What is this?” I back away from the glass window. In my haste, I ended up bumping into something. Behind me was another glass window.

My eyes widened in disbelief when I saw a little version of me sitting behind a window. A group of faceless doctors crowded around me, murmuring something to themselves.

“Poor thing. She never really got over her father’s death.” One of the faceless men says.

“She’ll make it. Time heals all wound.” Another faceless man said.

“I don’t know about that. Grief is a pain that never truly leaves you.”

“Stop, please.” I cover my ears silence the noise.

“You’re a thief, and in the end, that’s all you’ll ever be.” Even with my ears covered, I could still hear them loud and clear. It was as if they were speaking directly in my head.

“No, this can’t be real. This is just a dream.” So I closed my eyes and prayed for the nightmare to end. I prayed that when I opened my eyes, I’ll be back home with my family.

The voices grew louder and louder, and then suddenly it went silent. I slowly opened my eyes to a massive silver gate with an absurd number of chains and locks attached to it, half of which were already broken or unlocked.

I move my hand towards the gate. The locks shook violently as I got closer. An unknown fear seized my body, and I quickly pulled my hand back.

“Be careful.” I look behind me only to see what I can only describe as an endless black void.

“Some doors are locked for a reason. You should know that better than anyone. After all, you did a damn good job of locking that gate.

“Who’s there?”

“That really hurt my feeling. We’ve known each other for quite some time.” Heavy foot echoes in the darkness. With each footfall, there was a small spark of light.

“You know me. I’m the wound time can never heal. I’m the thorns wrapped around what remains of your heart. I’m every twisted thought that dwells in your head.” The voice chuckled. “Or perhaps I should say crooked.” A pale man emerges from the darkness. “Hey there, kiddo. It’s been a while.” Crook struck a match against the matchbox creating a small spark that turned into a small fire. Crook’s wooden right-hand trembles ever so slightly as he lifts the flame towards the cigar in his mouth.

“What are you doing here?” I tried to back away, but the sounds of the chains loosening behind caused me to freeze in fear again.

Crook slowly pulled the cigarette out of their mouth and blew out noxious smoke. Before saying, “I’m here to warn you. The floodgate is opening, but it can still be stopped if you turn back now and give up on this quest. Then everything will go back to normal, and the gate will remain close.”

“What inside the gate?”

“….” Crook silently stare at me. It was uncomfortable, but for some reason, I found myself looking deep into his black eyes. And then suddenly, amidst the endless darkness, I saw it, a vision.

Before me was my mother. Pale, bleeding. She weakly reaches out for me. Overwhelming guilt washed over me when I looked down at my bloody hands. I opened my mouth to scream, but the only thing that came out was a silent cry. I dropped to the ground and curled into a ball. My teeth clattered as I whispered.

“This can’t be real. This can’t be real. This can’t be real. This can’t be real. This can’t be real.”

“And yet, it is.” The vision faded, and I once again found myself in a black void with Crook. “This is only a taste of the hell that awaits you.” Crooks leans toward me and whispers in my ears. “The more you fight, the stronger you’ll get. And the stronger you get, the more the gate will open. And when the gate fully opens, all your memories will come back to you, and you will have to face a cruel revelation. One that will destroy what remains of your heart and soul.

“And you expect me to believe all that crap you just said? All you ever did is lie to me.”

“And yet you know what I say is true.”

I tightly clench my teeth. No matter how badly I wanted to deny what he said, deep down, what he said and what I saw was true.

“Wh- what happen to my mom?”

“That’s the wrong question, kiddo.”

Just answer the question!” I reached for his shirt, but my hand faded right through him.

“Looks like you’re out of time.”

I could feel some unknown force trying to pull me out of this world. I frantically grasp at Crook, but my hands continue to phase through him.

First-round!

In my desperation, I conjure an aura around my hand. The soft veil of light around seems to have solidified my hand, allowing me to grab Crook’s shirt.

“You’re not getting away that easy! Now, answer my question!” I violently pulled him down towards me so I could look him directly in the eyes. What happened to my mother? What is this cruel revelation?”

“Again, you’re asking the wrong question. If you continue down this path, all these questions will eventually be answered So, what you should be asking is, are you ready for the answer?”

Before, I had a chance to respond. An invisible force pulled me away, dragging me into the black void. And then I opened my eyes.

“Ah.” I let out a sigh of admiration to the thousands of dazzling lights adrift the endless black sea.

“Quite the sight to wake up to, huh?” A deep voice came to the right of me.

“I don’t know.” I continue to stare at the night sky blankly. “After everything that happens, I can’t tell if I’m awake or still- ouch!” Something smacks the right side of my face. “What the hell was that for?” I turn over to the massive man sitting next to me. Leo shrugs his shoulders like he didn’t do anything wrong.

“What? Now you know you’re awake.”

Pain and exhaustion wash over me as I try to sit up. Leo chuckles softly as he watches me.

“Looks like you went through hell today.”

“Same to you.” I glanced at his bare chest, which was covered in blood, bruises, and cuts. Honestly, I don’t even know how he’s still conscious.

“Indeed, I got my ass handed to me today.” Leo looks down at his wounded body like it was a trophy. “I’ll admit I expected all the warriors in this flourishing kingdom to be fat and lazy, but boy did they prove me wrong. Did you see that giant castle in the sky, that was crazy… You did see that… right?” Leo turns to me, worried.

“Yes, yes I did. Kind of hard to miss.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Leo heaves a sigh of relief. “I thought my blood loss was making me see things.” The childlike grin formed on Leo’s face. “Man, I can’t wait to see what the last trial has in store for me.” Seeing the adventurer glint in his eyes, I can kind of tell how he and Aaron became friends so quickly.

“Ah, what happens to Aaron?!”

“Oh, he’s right here.” Leo turns to the right of him. I lean forward to see past his huge frame. Aaron lay next to him. Seeing him snore soundly, it was hard to imagine that he was bleeding out a moment. “That old man has an interesting medical technique. First time I have ever seen someone heal a person by stabbing them.”

“Trust me. It’s not a pleasant experience.” I glance over at Dante, who was carefully examining the injured contestant. The ones that were healed by Dante all looked like they were traumatized.

“It’s a good thing Aaron is unconscious,” I mumble underneath my breath as I look over the wounded. My eyes eventually fell on a lone figure in a red hood standing near the top of the hill.

I stood up slowly and dragged my exhausted body towards Jez. “Hey, I’m glad to see your alive.”

“You, too.” Jez turns towards me, half her face still covered by her hood. She gives me a weak smile which quickly vanishes. She glances at a sword impaled into the ground.

“Is something wrong? “ I look down at her pet wyvern, who was nuzzling his head against her leg.

“This. Place.” Jez picks up Dark and pets his head. “Feels. Sad.”

“I mean, this is a graveyard, kind of the point.”

“A. grave?” Jez kneels and gently trails a finger against the rusted blade. “For. Who?”

“No, one. That sword represents thousands of nameless soldiers who died.” A man in rusted armor approached us.

“The Majin war went on for a hundred years. Few soldiers made it back from the war. Even fewer are remembered for their heroic deeds.” The armored man kneels next to Jez and stares at the grave. “All your sacrifices, and this is your reward, a grave without even a name. You deserve better than this. All of you do.” The man begins to tremble with rage. “I promise you, brothers, I’ll carry your memories with me, and I’ll make sure no one else ever forgets the deeds you’ve done.”

His promise felt more like a threat. It seems like Jez got the same vibe. She stood up and slowly backed away. I followed Jez’s lead and left as quietly as I could.

“You’re a soldier?” I jumped at the sound of Dante’s voice. Without a word, Dante gently moved me to the side.

“Not anymore. I’ve retired.” There was a hint of anger in the man’s voice.

“And yet you’re still wearing your old military equipment.” Dante narrows his eyes at man’s damaged and worn chainmail.

The man lets out a hollow laugh and turns slightly to face Dante. “I wear this, so I can never forget the hell we went through.”

“What’s your name, soldier?”

The man stands up and turns to face Dante. Malice emanated from the man as he said his name. “Lock.”

“Lock? I feel like I heard that name before.”

“I’m sure you have.” An uncomfortable silence. Jez tugged at the sleeve of my jacket. She silently gestures for me to follow her before I could respond to her; a bright light floods the entire hill.

I squint at the light from above. The very air itself seemed to shake as a metallic airship shaped like a giant whale slowly lowers itself until it hovers near the hill's edge. A metallic door slides open. Standing at the entrance of the airship was Sky riding on Emma’s back.

“Dante! Dante!!” Sky jumped off Emma’s back and leaped off the airship. “Your master is here!!” As soon as she lands, she dashes straight down the hill. Sky pushes past Lock and lunges at Dante with open arms.

Dante raises his hand and blocks a sudden punch from Sky.

“Huh?” I slowly blink at what I thought was going to be a heartwarming reunion.

A mischievous grin appears on Sky’s face as a ripple forms on the palm of his hand. Sky lowered herself and threw another punch aim Dante’s lower body. Dante takes a step back and moves his hand to intercept the attack. The ripple on his palm suddenly burst, forcing his hand into the air.

“I got yo- “before Sky could land her attack, Dante brings down his other hand and smacks Sky into the dirt.

Another silence fell onto the area as everyone stared at the royal guard lying face first in the ground.

The first to break the silence was Lock. His armor clanks loudly as he walks away from the awkward scene.

“It seems I have nothing left to teach you,” Sky mumbled, her face still in the dirt.

“Sky, I haven’t been your student for a long time.”

“Nonsense!” Sky lifts her face from the dirt. “Even if you are stronger than me now. You’ll always be the little boy who came to me asking for strength.

“I love to hear that story.” I chuckle at the thought of a little Dante begging Sky to teach him how to fight.”

“Oh, you’ll love this. Did you know, our little hero was a troublemak- ah” Dante grabs Sky’s jacket and lifts her off the ground.

“What’s the situation in the Pleasure District? Is everything under control?”

“Oh, speaking of Pleasure District. I took down a gang leader. He wasn’t that strong, but he had quite an interesting ability. It’s a shame I would’ve loved to train him.

“So is the Pleasure District under control?” Dante repeated, slightly more annoyed.

“I have no idea how you senile old men are still in the military.” A slender woman hops off the airship. Both her skirt and braid sway as she marches towards the other two royal guards.

“The gangs have settled down. So harden decided to stay behind to make sure it stays like that.”

“So, we can begin the final trial?”

“Unfortunately.” Bella averted her gaze from Dante.

“I see.” Dante closes his eyes. And for a few seconds, he and the other two royal guards stood in silence.

It was uncomfortable seeing the tense look on their faces. It almost felt like they were planning our execution. And after everything I have seen today, I supposed that isn’t far from the truth.”

“Go ahead, Bella.”

Bella nodded at Dante and took a deep breath before shouting. “Listen up, everyone! every single one of you past the third trial.” Bella stopped and scanned for our reaction. No one said a word. After everything we’ve been through, I doubt anyone of us had the strength even to cheer.

“This airship will take you to the final trial. But before you get on board. I would like to say something first.” Bella grabbed the red dog tags dangling on her neck and held them high over her head.

“My name is Bella V. Hellsing. If you heard of my family names, you would know that we were the first hunters and held a special seat in the adventurer guild.

“We get it. You use your family influence to get position your current position.” Bella glares at the crowd.

“I was getting to that.” Bella huffs. Almost immediately, her frustration turned to pity. “I won’t lie to you this next trial will be significantly harder than what you face today. Half of you will die, and the rest of you might go insane, which is why I’m offering an alternative. I can use my family influence to give you access to rich clients in the adventure guild. But don’t misunderstand! “Bella raises her voice.

“I’m not underestimating any of you. The reason I’m willing to do this is because you prove to me that every single one is a capable warrior. So, ask yourself, what do you desire? If all you want is fame and money, I can offer you this, but if you desire more than continue with this endeavor, and perhaps if you survive maybe, you’ll be able to attain it.”

I placed a hand on my heart and anxiously and glanced at the people around me. Everyone is either discussing Bella’s deal or was deep thought.

“You don’t have to decide now.” Bella claps her hands loudly to get everyone's attention. “It’ll take two days to get our designation.”

“Um,” I reached out to Bella, who was heading towards the airship. “Where exactly are we heading?”

“Black Dawn.”

“Sorry, I think I might’ve misheard you.” I took a step towards Bella, unable to believe what I heard? These trials have been insane, but they can’t be crazy enough to send us to the destroyed capital.

“No, you didn’t mishear me.” Bella stopped and looked me dead and the eyes. “We’re heading straight for The Demon King territory.”