---

...

...

...

*beeeeeeeeep*

"Recording log..."

"Week 3"
"Tuesday"
"2347 hrs."
"In a certain comedy bar"
"Yormford City, Babilon"

...

...

...

An unknown group of four men clad in red cloaks suddenly appears behind Earl Hubert on the comedy stage. With their cold and intimidating presence surrounding them, the Earl quickly recognized them as powerful and not to be messed around with. Because of this, he knows that they are sent by none other than his father, or at least his subordinates.

"Why is my father sending me back home? I thought that we are now prohibited from entering any of his properties?" the Earl said with disgust.

"We didn't come to talk with you. Our order is to just send you back home. " one of the red men said in an ominous tone.

"Tsk! What if I don't want to?" the Earl started gripping his sheathed sword on his hip.

"Come on now, Earl. You surely don't want this to do in a hard way."

The two groups begin to stare at each other in a tense standoff for what must have felt like an eternity when one of the red men takes the initiative and begins approaching the Earl and his butler. The butler starts chanting a shield barrier when it is quickly stopped by another chant of one of the red men.

"Shit! We need to go, sire!" the butler ordered the Earl.

Earl Hubert finally unsheathes his sword and aims it at the approaching red men. Standing stoically even if he can't chant any magic spells, he is determined to fight. That is when a clapping noise appears on the stage.

"Alright, alright! People, let it have known that you are still here inside my working place. So, if you may, leave this place off?" the comedian on the stage joined in.

Earl Hubert and his butler look at the comedian behind while the red men stop in their tracks and also look at the comedian. For a moment, the red men gasped, seeing through their hidden sight that the comedian is strangely smiling towards them.

"Wh-Who are you?" one of the red men spoke to the comedian.

"What? Haha! That is my question. Who. The hell. Are you, people?" the comedian replied with crossed arms.

The red men stare at each other for a while.

"It's none of your busine-"

"They are the "Watchers", comedian." Earl Hubert quickly interfered, still facing the red men ready to attack.

"Hoh? The "Watchers" you say?"

"Yes. My father has a large contingency of these Watchers under his command to do his dirty work."

"Hahaha! I see. I didn't know that the color of the shitter is red! Haha!" the comedian laughed, hinting about the Watchers which pissed them off.

"Heh. I don't know if you're really a comedian or not because your jokes aren't funny." one of the red men spoke.

"Well, they didn't hire me if I'm not funny?" the comedian replied.

"Tsk! That's it! Any last words?" one of the red men started approaching the comedian with killing intent and a magical dagger in his hand.

"Ah! I advise you to not walk onto me like that, douche. Or else..." the comedian smugly replied.

"Huh?! Else what? I will just finish you here, RIGHT NO-"

That is when in an instant, an unknown force quickly attacks the Watchers.

"What...was...that?" the man's point of view started to shift from top to bottom, not even realizing that his head was now cut off.

His body falls to the ground and blood starts to flow on the floor.

"Else, that will happen to you..." the comedian's eye began to glow with red and looks towards the remaining three Watchers.

The three Watchers were shocked by the sudden death of one of their companions, that they started chanting powerful magic spells. However, they are also quickly met with the same fate as the first Watchers. They fall to the ground with their head cut off by the same unknown forces.

Earl Hubert and his butler, as you can imagine, were deeply confused and surprised by this event. 

"Wh-Wh-What had just happened?" the Earl sheathed his sword back, looking at the dead Watchers in shock.

"Did you do all of these?" his butler asked the comedian.

The comedian's eyes change back to normal and he laughs.

"Hahaha! Technically. But, let me first introduce to all of you my "special respected guests"."

It is when four black-cloaked people emerge out of the shadows. One by one they uncloak, revealing their faces. They are none other than the demi-wolf Maxwell, demi-bear Rohan, demi-snow leopard Carson, and a demi-moose named Gibson. All Members from the Seventh Cavalry of the Followers. Apparently, the comedian, whose name is Joker, can set a pre-planned event called "ReFate",  which enabled the Followers to become invincible to anyone besides themselves and their allies. Hence, the Watchers didn't detect the Followers hiding in the shadows, and the Followers were now able to eliminate them easily.

"Still, I can't believe that you can predict and change the future, Joker." said Maxwell with a smile.

"Haha. Thanks for the compliment. Although it is really a handy function, it isn't perfect." said Joker.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You see, we can't really change "entirely" someone's fate or future. We just "make plans" of it, if you can call it that way."

"Make plans?" asked Gibson.

"Indeed. Because of that, there is a chance that those "plans" wouldn't work. In order for them to work, we have to "kickstart" them to start our ReFate. Like kindling small twigs to start a huge flame or setting up the first domino piece." said Joker as he picks up a lighter and lights it up.

"The Jogger as a doctor needs to give prescriptions in order to make his Refate or "plans" to work. While the Jigsaw as a teacher needs to teach to make his. The same goes for me."

"You make shows and concert acts?" asked Rohan.

"Exactly."

"Wh-Who are you people?" the Earl joined and stumped by their sudden appearance.

"We are from the Followers Of Razhiel." Maxwell responded.

"Followers of Razhiel? Isn't that name of the angel that died in the Cathedral City many years ago?" the old butler gasped.

"Indeed. You've come in perfect timing, Earl Hubert." said Carson.

"Me? Are you all here for me?" 

"Not exactly. We are looking for a certain "book"." replied Rohan.

"Book? What book?" replied the Earl.

However, the Followers suddenly stare at the Earl with cold gazes.

"W-What's the matter?"

"Carson, Rohan. Guard the entrance. Gibson, bring those pictures over here." Maxwell commanded his group. 

Carson and Rohan disappeared into the shadows once again to conduct security, leaving the others in the room. Joker grabs for a short drink on a nearby counter while the Earl, along with his butler, have a conversation with Maxwell and Gibson.

"Let's take a seat." said Maxwell.

They are all seated, facing opposite each other.

"Do you - know this woman?" asked Maxwell as Gibson grabbed a far candid shot of a red-haired woman having a conversation with an old and fat man in front of a building.

"T-THIS IS!?" the butler gasped.

"IT'S ANNABELLE! I KNOW THIS PLACE! IT IS WHERE THE MONTHLY ORPHANAGE ALOT EVENT TOOK PLACE! WHERE IS SHE?!" Earl Hubert shouted.

"Calm down, Earl. We will explain as we show you the other pictures."

Gibson then takes another picture out of his coat, revealing Annabelle smiling and laughing at the same man in the same place as the previous shot.

"Annabellelooks like she's having fun here." said the butler.

"S-Shut up! Wha-What is happening?" asked the Earl.

"Apparently, it seems that we've misjudged her intentions at first, considering how helpful she was in the event." said Maxwell.

Gibson presents a series of indoor candid shots of the event with Annabelle looking happy and in a playful mood with the orphans.

"T-This is indeed her!" Earl Hubert gasped.

"Now, the next pictures might surprise you, Earl Hubert. So, let me ask you a question first. Are you ready to find out what really happened to her?" Maxwell asked with a menacing stare and tone.

Earl Hubert stares at Maxwell's cold eyes for a while and takes a gulp with cold sweat over his back and shoulders.

"I-I'm ready. Show me!" 

"Very well." said Maxwell.

A bottle clang resonates at the wine counter. Joker finally finishes grabbing three wine bottles to choose from.

"Hm. Ah! My favorite. Uvae Rubrae." which means just Red Grapes.

He takes off the lid of the wine and pours it into his wine cup. Just as he stops pouring it, he hears Earl Hubert gasps.

"No. NO NO NO NO NO! NO! THI-THIS CANNOT BE!" the Earl stood up in horror as he looks at the next set of pictures on the table.

"My...I-Is this really Lady Annabelle?" his butler also gasped in shock.

"I'm afraid so." said Maxwell.

Joker, with his wine in his hand, approaches the table where they at and also looks at the pictures.

- They are another series of hidden photos of Annabelle, on top of the same old man in the first pictures, half-naked on the bed in a dimmed room. The back of Annabelle shows a large black tattoo of what seems to be a two-toned horned skull with three large eyes - the Watchers Insignia.

"Oh? So, that's how it is, huh?" said Joker as he takes a sip from his wine cup.

"No. NO NO NO! HOW THIS CAN BE?! YOU GUYS ARE LYING! THESE ARE ALL FAKE PICTURES!" the Earl continued to shout.

"S-Sire! Calm down!" his butler tried to ease him but the Earl continues shouting.

"I-I WILL NOT BELIEVE IN THESE - IN THESE TREACHERIES!"

"I see. That is alright. I understood you. Gibson..." said Maxwell.

Gibson proceeds to take all the pictures away and back into his coat.

"Then come with us. We will show you something." Maxwell stood up along with Gibson.

"W-Where are we going?" asked Earl Hubert.

Facing back, Maxwell leans his head to his side.

" - to her."

In an instant, Earl Hubert and his butler, Maxwell, and Gibson, disappear into the room, leaving Joker alone.

"Hehe. See ya when I see ya guys." he rose his wine cup in the air for a short toast.

...

...

Appearing in an enclosed alleyway, Earl Hubert and his butler as shocked to see that they are now in a different place.

"WHA-! WHERE ARE WE?!" gasped the Earl.

"Follow me." Maxwell leads the way into an invincible door passage.

As they follow him, the Earl is stunned when he enters the said invincible door.

"I-Invincibilty, huh?" he whispered.

They follow Maxwell into the dimmed hallway. downwards spiral staircase, and to the main hall. In the hall, they are greeted by the demi-snake Hannah.

"Welcome, Earl Hubert sssss."

"A D-Demi-snake?" the butler gasped.

"Why yessss. It isss a pleasssure to meet you all." bowed Hannah.

"How is the "package"?" asked Maxwell to her.

"Hehee. She'sss been really sstuborn recccently. You might asss well look it for yourssselvesss."

Hannah then leads the group toward their interrogation room. With the eerie silence and nothing but their footsteps, Earl Hubert is very anxious along the way, having cold sweats behind his back. 

...

"Inssside." Hannah stopped in front of a closed metallic door. 

"Gibson. Open it." Maxwell ordered.

Gibson opens up the door and they are greeted by a certain woman - Annabelle, whos wearing a simple white rag outfit with her back revealed. She was in a kneeling position, handcuffs tied to the wall, and her head bowing down. Her appearance is also looking very haggard and tired.

"A-ANNABELLE!" Earl Hubert tried to approach her but was stopped instantly by Gibson.

"Argh! GET AWAY FROM ME! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ANNABELLE?!"

"S-Sire! Calm down!" said his butler.

Maxwell enters the room and immediately, a dark purple shadow appears out of nowhere that shoots at him but was stopped by his anti-curse barrier. Without flinching and still maintaining cold eye contact with her, Maxwell didn't budge and continued to walk at her. Numerous dark purple shadows continue to strike at him but to no avail, as his anti-curse barrier stops all of them easily.

...

Now in front of the kneeling Annabelle, the shadows stop and Maxwell crouches to her with a smile.

"Psst. Hey. Your boyfriend is here."

Slowly looking up, in her vision, Annabelle can see Maxwell in front and the rest behind him. As she slowly glances at each of them, she finally recognizes Earl Hubert in the grasp of Gibson to avoid letting him go near her.

"Oh...It is...Huby..." she smiled.

Although her tone is gentle and casual, in the view of the rest, Annabelle's face is making a creepy and eerie smile, leaving both of her eyes pure black with small red pupils. This greatly shocked Earl Hubert and his butler.

"A-Annabelle....." Earl Hubert felt that his stomach shrank together with his pupil as well.

"Fufu...what are you doing here?" said Annabelle, maintaining her creepy face.

"W-WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOU?! ARGH! LET GO OFF ME!" the Earl tried to escape Gibson's grasp.

"It's no use, Earl. This is the "real" her." said Gibson.

The Earl then cries. He lets go of his hand to the arms of Gibson. Gibson, realizing that the Earl is not resisting anymore, finally lets go of him, with Maxwell standing in between him and Annabelle. Feeling weakened by this realization, Earl Hubert kneels on the ground with tears coming out of his eyes.

"Why....She's......She's my only lover..... How this could be....."

"Si-sire...." his butler, deeply worried about him.

...

"....your fault..." the Earl suddenly whispered.

"Hm? What did you say?" asked Maxwell.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! LET HER GO!" Earl Hubert screamed as he begins unsheathing his sword.

"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS! LET HER GO FOR ONCE!"

Although filled with mixed emotions such as confusion, anger, and desperation, he prepares for an attack on Maxwell. He steadied the grip on his sword and stares angrily towards him.

"SIRE!" the butler screamed.

"You don't want to do this, Earl Hubert. Put. The sword. Down." Maxwell menacingly ordered the Earl. The power of his menacing cold aura almost puts the Earl down to his knees, but despite that, the Earl struggles and managed to approach Maxwell with his sword.

"I...ARGH! CANT! UNTIL! I - "

However, he is put down by none other than his old butler through a magic spell. who is now making a worried face.

"E- even...you?....." Earl Hubert said his last words, looking at his butler as he falls down to the ground unconsciously.

"Forgive me, your sire..."

...

...

...

As Earl Hubert opens his eyes, he is shocked to see him lying in an endless white void. 

"Argh...Where am I?" he asked himself as he stands up, brushing his hair.

Dumbfounded about his current location, he stands up and shouts.

"HELLO?! IS ANYBODY HERE?! HELLO?!"

But, silence.

"What the fuck is this place? Did they imprison me here after what happened earlier?"

Then, a sudden reverbed female voice echoes into his mind.

"Earl Hubert..."

Surprised, he quickly looks behind to see nothing but a white void.

"Who is there?"

"Earl Hubert. Up here..."

He looks up and sees a large black-haired female angel the size of a five-story building, wearing blue robes.

"A-AN ANGEL?! Y-YOU ARE-" the Earl gasped.

"Fufu. What is the matter? It looks like thee are looking sad?" said the large angel through telepathy and without moving her mouth.

"I-" Earl Hubert cut his words quickly as soon as he recognized his lingering emotions towards Annabelle.

"I just, don't know what to do anymore..." he frowned, lowering his head down.

"Is that so? Then tell me, O' young Earl. What is it thee really want?"

Reminiscing his memories of him and Annabelle together from the past, along with his ill mother that is still held captive inside his father's property, his emotions are suddenly replaced by revenge and vengeance. He clenches his fists and teeth as he pictures his father eerily smiling at him because he is now fallen victim as well.

With renewed determination, he looks up at the angel.

"First, I do not want to lose anyone who has been caring and loving me anymore. I need to get my mother in a safe place before I kill my father." 

The angel smiled, almost grinning past her ears.

"Fufu! What about your Annabelle?"

With a shocked face, he takes a moment to regain back his composure. He sighs calmly and thinks about Annabelle with a sad expression.

"To be honest, I don't know. I just..don't even know. She's been together with me even in my darkest times. I find it hard to believe that she's secretly one of my father's underlings."

"Hmm. I see. Take my advice then, young Earl."

The angel slowly approaches Earl Hubert and suddenly whispers near his ears through her mouth.

"Follow the Followers..."

As soon as the angel whispered, Earl Hubert woke up inside a stone room, gasping for air.

"WHA-! What was...that?...."

"You're awake. How are ya feeling?" a strange low male voice emanates in the room. The Earl looks around and sees a demi-reindeer, with crossed arms, standing by the door.

"Who are you?" asked the Earl.

"Name's Ronny. Anything I can help ya with?" he smiled.

Earl Hubert looks to his right side and sees his sheathed sword leaning by the wall. He looks back at Ronny with a question.

"May I?" he said, doing a quick head gesture to his sword by the wall.

"Yeah, sure thing. Don't worry. She already took notice of you. Hehe. You're quite a man, aren't ya heh?"

Earl Hubert gets out of his bed and grabs his sword. After he wears its straps to his waist, another voice emanates behind him.

"Hubert. Annabelle wants to have a talk with you."

He looks behind and sees Maxwell outside the room.

"A-Annabelle?!" he hurriedly exits the room and goes to where Annabelle is after remembering what the angel said in his dreams earlier.

...

Upon entering the interrogation room, he is surprised to see that Annabelle is now sitting calmly by a table and drinking from a mug. Her expression is also changed to lax while Hannah and Rohan stand guard near her. However, there are still magical bindings on her legs to keep her from doing any suspicious.

"Oh! Mister Huby!" gasped Annabelle with a smile as she puts down the mug on the table.

After what happened, Earl Hubert fights off his emotions to cry and anger. He sighs once again and walks to the table where she is sitting.

"It's been a while, huh?" he sadly smiled towards her.

"Oh, don't make that face, Huby. We both know that it is not your fault." she also sadly smiled.

With that, tears began to pour out of the Earl's eyes.

"But...I-I..I'm too weak. I can't even help my poor mother to get out of there. And then, there's you..."

"Who? Me?! What makes you think of that?" surprised Annabelle.

...

"I know there's a reason, Annabelle. After all our memories have been together. Even I know that they aren't fake."

...

Annabelle looks down at the table while holding the mug with a saddened expression.

"Fufu. I think this is my punishment for being too intimate with you. You really saw right through me, Huby."

"Then, tell me..."

Annabelle then starts telling a story of her past. Her past when as a little child, had been abducted to become a slave to the Pharaonia Empire. However, on the way through, she and other abductees are rescued by the Watchers. It turns out that the Watchers are sent to eliminate the criminals for illegal abduction and kidnapping. More so, to help their cause by repopulating Babilon.

That is when Earl Hubert's father saw Annabelle and discovered that she has the potential on joining the Watchers. Until then, Annabelle trained to become one and successfully joined them.

...

"I see. But, that is just the beginning, isn't it?" asked Earl Hubert.

"Yes...."

Annabelle continued on with her story. After joining the Watchers, she and Earl Hubert met with each other and it started their relationship. Unfortunately, his father discovers their relationship and consults Annabelle secretly about this.

...

...

...

[ Flashback ]

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THIS?! THIS ISN'T WHAT I SIGNED IN FOR!" Annabelle screamed towards a silhouette of King Millionaire sitting inside a dimmed room.

"Oh? And here I thought that you will become more useful. Are you sure? You know what will happen to "Huby" and his mother if you disobeyed me. Hehe..." 

"Why you....."

Clenching her both fists so hard that blood began to appear on her hands, she reluctantly agreed to him to save Earl Hubert and his mother.

"......I will do it..."

"Hehehehe. Good choice, Annabelle..."

[ End of Flashback ]

...

...

...

After hearing her story, Earl Hubert didn't feel sympathy or empathy towards Annabelle. Instead, his mind is full of thoughts of her betrayal. That she didn't tell him sooner in secret, and she continued doing dirty acts behind his back. With a lowered head, he starts to feel some disgust towards Annabelle.

"Why...Why is this happening to me?...." he thought.

"..I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...." Annabelle cried.

However, as he hears Annabelle sobbing, he looks up, and his feeling of disgust towards her, is immediately replaced by realization and anger.

Annabelle is crying and her face is almost covered by her tears.

With his memories of him and her together rushing again through his mind, he smacked the table full of anger.

*badump*

"Yeah. I'M SURE THAT SHE ALSO HATES IT!" he shouted in his mind.

He stands up and exits the room.

"Her joyful expression is just a facade to hide her torment so that I wouldn't worry more." he thought to himself as he again smacked a wall.

"...I'M SUCH A PIECE OF SHIT!...."

...

Back inside the interrogation room, Hannah, with her special snake eyes, has been observing them since the start. After Earl Hubert exits, she and Rohan also exit out of there, leaving Annabelle crying alone inside the room.

As Hannah and Rohan watch Earl Hubert walk away, Rohan asked Hannah silently.

"So, what do you think?"

Hannah then looks to the closed door where Annabelle is.

"At leassssst they are both honessssst. I can tell that from the sssstart" she smiled.

"Really? I thought that she is manipulative or something. Now I see why Maxwell ordered us to go with him and watch Annabelle. Glad that your eyes saw some nice things, huh?"

"Indeeeed...."

...

...

...

As Earl Hubert is walking along a hallway, he meets up with Maxwell. He stops and looks at him. 

"How did it go? Hannah and Rohan reported to me that you suddenly left Annabelle. What's the matter?" he smiled eerily.

"I..." he hesitated for a while.

...

"I WANT TO JOIN THE FOLLOWERS!"

Maxwell smiles as if he already predicted this outcome. Nevertheless, with great satisfaction, he accepts Earl Hubert into their group.

"Wise choice. But before that, let me introduce you to our "backers"." 

Slowly emerging behind him, six unknown men clad in three types of camos in groups of two, present themselves to Earl Hubert with glowing eyes.

"They recently arrived here last night. Because you have no magic capabilities, they are going to be your instructors from now on."

"Wh-Who are they?"

The six men then pose behind Maxwell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Let's welcome them, Earl Hubert. They are the "operators".

The six operators consist of units from three SFODs. Two from the HOTELS, two FOXTROTS, and two DELTAS.

...

...

...

---

Soul Energy :

[ Level 4 ]

+ Lesser Key Of Sollom
+ Lesser Cache Of Hollom

 

Soul Count :

[ 3,440 ]

 

Spawn Count:

[ 2,476 ]

= 1 Major General
-Chief of Main Operations

= 2 Brigadier Generals
-Chief of General Intelligence Department
-Chief of Special Operations

= 1 Colonel
-Chief of Air Operations

= 2,253 Infantry Units

= 219 Special Forces

---

---

UPCOMING NEXT CHAPTER:

Chapter 28 - Illegal Ordeal