“Scarlett!” Albert exclaimed, rattled by the sight of his daughter. “How… How is this possible? How can it be you?!”

Max smirked at the glowering young lady while the Minister strained himself in an effort to reach his little girl. Looking apathetically at Albert, Max willed the air to push the man back against the wall. He softly sighed. “Don’t struggle. It’ll just reopen your wounds.”

Preoccupied with thoughts about his daughter, Albert continued to vacantly stare at her. He failed to register Max’s words; instead two simple questions haunted his mind - How? Why?

Fifteen years ago, tales of the Minister’s life had been a part of the nobility’s gossip. A commoner who had risen to become a hero, highly trusted by the king, and yet also a man without ambition. But things changed after his wife’s death.

The untimely demise of his mortal companion had taken a toll on the Minister, transforming him into a cold and detached man. His daughter, Scarlett, had undergone a similar change and had slowly distanced herself from her friends. Much like her father, she seemed unable to deal with her mother’s passing. Unfortunately, this had only been the beginning of their tragic period of suffering.

Asterisk had come a long way in the field of medicine, but the planet still wasn’t free of all its diseases. Among the handful unique to this world, one in particular had always been an enigma. Deemed to be incurable, it was a rare affliction that struck immense fear in those capable of wielding magic.

Anti-mana, a strange condition which inflicted indescribable torment upon the scarcely affected, dispelled the ability to freely wield magic, gradually rendering the mage or knight powerless. Successive stages of the disease would cause the little mana inside the body to crystallize. Months of distress would eventually lead to paralysis, and ultimately a gruesome death.

Five years after losing her mother, Scarlett had been diagnosed with this dreadful malady, dooming the Cross household to another fatality. Her situation had once again left the Minister shaken and distraught. Albert had desperately called upon all of his resources in the hopes of obtaining a miracle. As his seemingly futile search for a cure had continued, those acquainted with him had lamented and offered their condolences. Not long after, news of her passing was made public.

It had been around this time that the rumors began to spread. Hearsay of the Minister’s proclivities reached many ears, but the blue-blooded families seemed to turn a blind eye to this alleged disregard for the Empire’s laws.

The night’s unexpected revelation left the Minister at a loss, his mind a mess and his heart filled with sorrow. As he looked at his daughter, Albert slowly asked the one question hounding him the most. “Were you ever sick?”

A year after her infection, Scarlett entered a coma. During this moment of utter despair, the Minister’s frantic search brought him to the mysterious figure enveloped in smoke. Distrust and suspicions were relegated to the sidelines to give his daughter a path to survival, especially after the Envoy had proved his ability to stop Scarlett’s failing health. But the abominable proposition and the necessary ingredients for a complete cure caused the Minister to vacillate. The father inside eventually won and the demarcated line of morality began to blur. His heart steeled, Albert had resolved to sin, knowing that his friendship with the King wasn’t enough to pardon him of the offenses he was about to commit.

Girls with an affinity to mana were kidnapped and reduced to ordinary mortals, their mental energy extracted through a method unique only to the Envoy to counteract the effects of anti-mana and substitute for Scarlett’s depleting source or so Albert had been told. To hide his goal and the Envoy’s involvement, he had engaged in subterfuge, secretly encouraging the rumors regarding his sudden promiscuous inclinations.

“Let… GO!” Scarlett’s scream summoned waves of smoke. The black gas radiated a strange aura, intermixed with a peculiar energy which seemed to resemble mana, but simultaneously far more powerful.

“You’re not very bright, are you?” Max snorted, dispelling the gathered smoke with a snap of his fingers. “That power you’re so fond of using, I created it.” He said, “Demonic energy has always been mine to command. That’s why they call me the Devil.”

The corners of Amy’s lips twitched at the proclamation. She stared at Max with a frown, unable to understand why this red eyed persona would willingly announce the moniker given to the world’s vilest sinners as his own.

Reluctant as she was, Scarlett had been forced to accept it. Her failed endeavour to regain her freedom, powerlessness at level no different than that felt by Karl and her father… she understood. She really was at his mercy. Staring into his red eyes realization struck. An entity capable of piercing through her illusions couldn’t be simple. This magic was a gift from her lord. It came from a plane of existence unknown to man and was capable of even fooling an experienced Paladin like her father. Yet, it hadn’t held up under a casual glance from this bizarre version of Max.

Locked down by the overwhelming pressure, she suddenly flinched, feeling a hint of familiarity in the power locking her down. Eyes opened wide in shock, she suddenly realized why. They were the same! The primordial being inside Max was without a doubt an existence in the same dimension as her master. Frightened by her own deduction, she instinctively looked down. “This is why master was interested in him. They know each other.”

Looking on with heartache, the Minister finally managed to croak out his question. “Wh - Why?” The simply query enough to instantly incite rage and disgust from his daughter. Scarlett struggled to turn towards her father before yelling, “You’re asking me why? After what you did, how dare you feign ignorance?!”

Julius and Amy frowned at her words, having already come to terms with their initial shock. Max, on the other hand, looked like he had found himself a muse. Taking a step back, he eased his grip on the parent-child duo, holding his chin and pensively waiting for the Minister’s reply.

“I… What… What do you mean? Those girls… Because that... Because you told me you needed them for a cure, I resorted to kidnapping them… I – I did it for your sake… To save you -”

“My sake…” Scarlett’s body trembled as she broke down into a hysterical laugh. “My sake?” Gnashing her teeth, she momentarily forgot about Max, instead staring hatefully at the man who she once called her father. “Killing my mother in cold blood, was that also done for my sake?”

Albert paled. Soul stirring pain and grief were visible in his eyes. Hesitantly, he met his daughter’s eyes and asked, “You were there?”   

Hearing the accusation and the indirect acknowledgement of guilt, Max’s brows creased. His expression soon flickered with understanding and fury as he furtively glanced at Scarlett and sighed. “So that’s how you did it.”

“I saw everything!” Scarlett spat, “You stabbed her through her heart and just sat there watching as she bled out.”

“That’s not -”

“Back then I was powerless to anything!” Scarlett’s furious roar was quickly followed by her laugh, a laugh filled with ridicule. “But now… After all these years, I have my revenge. The ‘great’ Minister reduced to a crippled rag doll… A tarnished reputation! That’s all you’ll leave behind!”

Shaking his head, Max spoke up. “You really are nothing more than a pitiful pawn.”

“Shut up!” In her moment of anger, Scarlett tried to stand once more, but was quickly forced down and again suppressed by the invisible shackles.

“Don’t hurt her.” Albert’s lifeless voice drifted out.

“After everything she has said and done…” Amused, Max questioned, “You can still say that?”

“Vanessa’s blood is on my hands. I can’t deny it. I –”

“Silence!” Scarlett screamed. “Don’t you dare say her name! Don’t talk like you actually feel guilty!” She wanted to see humiliation and rage in her father’s eyes, not an admission of guilt. His meek reaction was by no means satisfactory. Instead, she felt increasingly agitated. ‘Why are you acting like that? Why aren’t you upset? Why are you making that face?’ were her thoughts.

Amid Scarlett’s bellowing, Max’s head jerked upwards and he clicked his tongue in displeasure. He could feel its movements. There wasn’t much time left. Looking at Scarlett, he harrumphed, “Mark my words ‘Envoy’. There will come a time when you’ll understand what you’ve meddled in. And when you do, no amount of regret will compensate for the weight of your sins.”

“That day will never come! I will never regret!” Scarlett rebelliously answered.

“Well…” Max slightly smiled. “We’ll see.”

A thunderous boom echoed out from the skies above as a dense layer of black clouds descended towards Scarlett. They quickly wrapped around her, absorbing her body before sinking into the ground. Knowing exactly what had occurred, Max couldn’t be bothered to spare another glance. On the other hand, the strange scene left the remaining three greatly alarmed.

“Sc – Scarlett!”

“Don’t worry about her. She’s gone back to her ‘lord’.”  Facing the broken Minister, Max explained. “Now then…” With a smirk, he formed a claw and tugged at the air. Wisps of smoke began to leak out of Albert’s nose and mouth. The quality and quantity of mana inside him reduced with each passing second, turning him back into a Grand Crusader.

The smoke seemed to have a life of its own as it squirmed and struggled in a bid to escape. Under Max’s careful guidance, however, it quietly disappeared into his hand. “How is it?” He lightly asked, sauntering over to Albert as he spoke. “Feels like a weight off your shoulders, doesn’t it?”

Albert rested his head against the wall, a rueful sigh escaping his mouth before he answered, “Yes. I hadn’t realized just how much this power had been eating at me.”

“Demonic energy can do that. Unfortunately, even with ‘mana’ only a few can truly make something as twisted as this their own.”

“I understand.” With a face as pale as paper, Albert’s lips arched into a gentle smile. “I’ve finally figured out who you are.”

“Oh?” Max smirked, “I doubt that.”

“I don’t know how you achieved possession, but I’m certain of who you were to the boy before you did.”

Max’s eyes gained a dangerous gleam. For the first time since he had awoken, anger showed on his face. “Tread very carefully Minister.” His entire being crackled with power as he icily warned, “This child’s hands may not be soaked in blood, but there are still things far worse than death!”

Albert madly laughed, his eyes tearing up. “I was rejected by the daughter I was desperately trying to save. I was reduced to a cripple in what turned out to be a meaningless fight. I lost my wife and I pushed away the few friends I had. What more can I lose? What can be worse? Right now, death would be a release.”

“Albert…” Julius sighed with nothing but sympathy for his old friend.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take your secret to my grave.” Albert placated Max’s red eyed persona and turned to Amy to apologize. “Young Duchess… When that girl wakes up, please do this old man a favor and pass on my sincerest apologies.”

Feeling at a loss, Amy blankly nodded. Though she stood before the villain who had tried to kidnap her friend and almost killed another, the recent turn of events made it difficult for her to truly hate this man. Instead of anger, she found a sense of pity emerging from within.

“Julius, my oldest friend, it seems I have caused you a lot of trouble. You were right, I should have listened.”

“It’s fine.” Julius replied with profound sadness. He knew. These were going to be his friend’s last words. It was time to accept what was to come. He had no words to dissuade Albert.

“Miss Walker, Julius… I confess to everything. The kidnappings, the experiments, everything was done by me and me alone.” Only after seeing the duo nod did the Minister continue, “You will be able to find the girls in a hidden basement. The warding should be severely damaged, so it should be easy for you.”

Albert closed his eyes, showing an expression of great concentration, his mana rapidly gathering around and stimulating his wounds. Surrounded by a blue hue, his skin wriggled and began to rupture. His injuries reopened, allowing the blood to gush out like water from floodgates. The colour rapidly draining from his body, he weakly looked at Max. “I know that what I’m about to say might be presumptuous… But I still wish to make a request.”

Max responded with silence, but Albert still smiled. With his consciousness rapidly fading, he pleaded, “Please look out for my daughter. Save her from the one she calls her master.”

Retaining an air of indifference, the entity within Max neither affirmed nor refused the dying man’s solicitation. Albert chose not to press for an answer. Using the last of his strength, he turned his attention to the spot from where Scarlett had disappeared. As he breathed his last, he closed his eyes and saw his wife smiling in the distance, welcoming him with open arms.

Julius silently clenched his fists in pain. His heart felt heavy. Despite the Minister’s recent deeds, he still felt that this great man was undeserving of such a tragic fate.

Turning his back to the Minister’s lifeless body, Max issued a heavy sigh and headed for Amy and Julius. He looked as calm as ever as he said, “How you spin the story is up to you, but I trust my involvement in tonight’s matter will remain a secret… Yes?”

“Yes.” The duo hurriedly nodded.

His hands behind his back, Max silently stared at the starry night sky as Julius warily observed him. In spite of the lack of hostility, the being that was possessing Max was an unknown variable that had continued to keep Julius on edge. Everything he had witnessed tonight seemed far too surreal.

Noticing their expressions, Max rolled his eyes and yawned. He stretched his limbs, seemingly exhausted from his recent efforts. “You can save your questions. I won’t be answering them.” He said, “I’m tired, so rejoice a little more. You’ll get to meet ‘Max’ real soon.”

Amy expressed her disappointment at his words with a small pout. She was unsatisfied, but still happy to hear that the red eyed persona was about to disappear. She wondered if she could get her answers from the real Max.

His eyes back to their usual shade of dark brown, Max chuckled. Under her bewildered gaze, he sat by Amy’s side and lazily added, “Don’t even think about asking ‘Max’. The kid doesn’t know about me yet, and I… would like to keep it that way. This will be our little secret, yes?”

Amy shuddered and gulped down her fears, barely managing to find her voice to assure him. “I… I won’t say a word.”

“Good.” Max smiled, gently patting her head. “You’re a smart kid. As for the one thing you really want to know…” Deliberately stretching out his words, he added just as his eyes began to droop. “I suppose there is no harm in telling you.”

“Please!” Amy nearly jumped to her feet and begged. “Please tell me! Is he… Is he really…”

 “But it’s not my secret to tell.” Swaying, he fell into Amy’s embrace. “Your father… Ask your father.” He muttered before he fell asleep, appearing completely at peace as he lay next to Liliana. 

Amy looked at Max, her expression a complicated mix of emotions. Thinking back to what this other version of him had said, she couldn’t help but smile wryly. “Seriously, why couldn’t you just give me a straight answer?”