They set out for the grave robbers.It was a bit of a distance, but it didn't take too long.
Mona: "Those must be them."
Diego: "Are you sure it's really them?"
Mona: "Yeah. In this region there are a lot of people like that…They rob graves. They probably heard about the witch and stole her grave while her daughter wasn't awake."
Nacht: "That proves she isn't the real witch."
Mona: "There's something I want to warn you about first."
Kisa: "Hmm?"
Mona: "The Witch of the Moon is very strong… and she wears a ring.No matter what happens, do not touch that ring.It's one of the 33 Forbidden Objects."
Diego: "What's a Forbidden Object?"
Nacht: "Don't tell me… the cursed items of Kolybel'naya, 'Lullaby'?"
Mona: "Oh, I am telling you exactly that."
Diego: "And what's with those?"
Kisa: "What happens if you get one?"
Mona turned around and raised her top just enough that they could see her stomach.
Kisa: "Oh!"
Nacht: "Hey!"
Diego: "Ugh… what…"
Nacht: "Wait… what the…"
Inside her, at the level of her belly, something was floating—it looked like a ghost, violet with pinkish eyes.
Nacht: "Ugh…"
Mona: "You get cursed.Forever and ever.
My curse is that thing there… inside me.It does give me powers… but it's brutal…and it causes chaos when I get angry.
That's the curse of Kolybel'naya.The Singing Spirit.
It gives me strength, and you've seen my ability already:the Dead Woman."
Mona looked at them.
Mona: "Do you understand now?"
Diego: "Wait, wait, but at the beginning you used chains when we first saw you."
Mona: "That was something else.That wasn't my innate power, and not from the Dead Woman.That was an item that gave me strength.
I don't have it anymore.It was there to keep me from using my true abilities…"
Diego: "Yeah, yeah… would be nice if you, uh, pulled your shirt back down now."
The two boys—Nacht and Diego—were clearly staring and blushing.
Nacht: "…Right, you should probably cover up again."
Diego: "Y-yeah, seriously…"
Mona: "Hello! Were you even listening to me?"
Diego: "Nope. That was way too long."
Nacht: "Just put it down already."
Mona: "Ugh, you two are hopeless."
She let her top fall back into place.
Mona: "Anyway, just be careful."
She walked on ahead.
Diego: "Question. Why did you help us, anyway?"
Mona: "…I actually didn't."
Nacht: "Does that mean you're still our enemy?"
Mona: "For now, no…For now."
She went further down the path, until they arrived.
She kicked the door open.
Mona: "Hmm…"
Diego: "What is it?"
Kisa: "Ugh…"
Nacht: "Looks like we're too late."
Mona: "Hmph… yeah, seems that way…"
They were all lying there.Dead.
Mona: "…Hmm…"
From a certain room, something approached.
Mona: "Ugh! Down!"
She pushed them to the ground.
(Kaboom!)
Mona: "Ghhhhh…"
Nacht: "What…"
Diego: "Ouch…"
Kisa: "…Hahh…"
Mona: "(Bleargh!)"
She collapsed forward, catching herself on her hands, clutching her stomach.
Kisa: "Oh no… no, no… hey!"
Mona forced herself up.
Mona: "Ghhh…"
They looked ahead.
A voice was laughing wildly.
"Hahahahahaha… more… more… give me more!"
A huge figure loomed in front of the four of them.
Mona: "…That's the curse… inside the ring… Asm…eod–…Asmodeus."
Kisa: "…And how can we defeat it?"
Mona: "Ghhh… only… if we take the ring… and… seal it away."
"Wooooooooow… wooooooo…Hello, my dears…Be good and let me take your magiya… woooo…"
Forbidden Objects don't always have to be tied to fairy tales like Mona's.They can also be other items.This was one of those cases.
Nacht: "So we have to destroy the ring?"
Diego: "Is that okay?"
Mona: "It's… the only way…if we want to get out of here alive…"
Asmodeus: "Woooo… woooo…So… so… so… give me your magiya… hurry…"
Mona: "…Ghhh…"
Kisa: "How can we beat it?"
It was slowly taking shape:a dark figure with two arms and two legs, like a human,but with a face like a smiling maskand glowing white eyes.
Asmodeus: "Oh… for Master Gargamel…For the mage of darkness…Give me your lives!For the king of darkness and the underworld!В тёмном мире… the Dark World…"
Mona: "The Forbidden Objects were created by the evil mage Gargamel,born from emotions… from the deadly sins.Asmodeus represents gluttony.
They can speak.But they only have one goal… chaos.
Gargamel's Necromancer Book…that's what they're after!"
Asmodeus: "…Hehehehe… hehehehe…"
Nacht: "Guess we have to fight it.Idiot, you ready?"
Diego: "Don't call me idiot.Whatever… yeah, I'm ready."
Kisa: "Me too."
She pulled on her gloves.
Kisa: "Transformation: Hansel… Gretel!"
Gretel: "At your command!"
Nacht: "Ichabod!"
Ichabod: "At your command!"
Diego: "…Bella!"
Bella: "Hehehehe… as you wish!"
They transformed.
Diego: "Grrrrrrrrrr…"
Nacht: "…Alright, you gluttonous ghost…we'll show you!"
(Meanwhile)
"Hahhh… hooohhh… hohhh…So Asmodeus… is finally free…(Smiling) Hehehehehehehe…"
(Woooo… wooooooooooooo…)
The Necromancer Book.
"Hehehehe…"
(Back to Kisa, Diego and Nacht)
(Crash!)
Diego: "Ugh… gahhhh…"
(Splop!)
Diego: "Damn…"
Both boys lay unconscious on the floor.Kisa was on the ground as well,and Diego's eyes had gone blank.Mona was also down.
Diego: "Damn… how strong… is it…"
He collapsed completely.
Asmodeus: "Hehehehe… wooooooo…So… want some more?"
Mona: "…Ghhhh… wait…Don't… eat them…"
She pointed to something—a mark on her neck.
Asmodeus: "Huuuuuh…Very well…You can have the witch's body.I don't care about her…
I'm finally free.Since you entertained me…I won't completely devour you and your magiya…
Hehehe…But you…I'm taking you with me."
He moved over to Mona and swallowed her into his body.
Mona: "Mmmmmm… mmmmmmmm…"
Asmodeus: "Hehehehehe…You're the one, aren't you?Hehehehe…"
He vanished together with Mona.
Diego: "Ugh… gghhh…"
(A few hours later)
Nacht: "Ghhh…"
Diego: "Ghhhh…"
Kisa: "…Ouch…Why are we even still alive?"
Diego: "Ugh! …Mona!"
He got up and went to the window.
Diego: "Damn it!"
Nacht: "Did he take her with him?"
Diego: "Ghhh…"
Kisa: "But why?"
Diego: "I… don't know.She did something… so he'd spare us."
Nacht: "…But why would she go that far?We were enemies… weren't we?"
Diego: "I don't know."
Nacht thought about it.It seemed strange to him that Mona would sacrifice herself,and that Asmodeus actually listened to her.
Nacht: "Hmm…Does it have something to do with who she is…?Anyway, let's do what we promised and bring the grave back to the daughter."
Kisa: "Mhm."
They returned and gave her the grave of her mother.
Fiona: "Thank you…For this kindness you've shown us…We will never forget it."
Kisa: "Mhm."
Diego: "…Well…We should probably get going."
Nacht: "Wait…We don't even know what that thing plans to do with Mona,and we don't know where it is.Besides, she's still technically our enemy."
Diego: "Even so!"
Kisa: "But Nacht is right about one thing…We don't know where she is.
Still…She sacrificed herself for us.We can't just walk away like nothing happened."
Nacht: "Hmm…"
(Pssst… pssst…)
Nacht: "Huh?Doctor Einstein?… Hello?"
Doctor Einstein: "So…Did you get the witch?"
Nacht: "Hmm… (What should we tell him?)…"
Fiona: "Here."
Nacht: "Hmm?"
She held out a bone—one of the witch's remains.
Nacht: "What?"
Fiona: "That should be enough… right?"
Nacht: "Ugh…Hello, Doctor Einstein.We… only found one part of the body…a bone from the witch."
Doctor Einstein: "What about the rest of her?…Well, whatever.It's time to come back. That's enough.
To be honest, I didn't expect you to find anything at all.Good work. Return now."
The connection cut off.
Nacht: "Hmm…"
Kisa: "So… it's… finished?"
Nacht: "Seems like it."
Diego: "Mhm."
Nacht: "Are you sure about this?That belonged to your mother."
Fiona smiled, then turned toward her mother's grave.Her mother had long black hair and large eyes.
Fiona: "…I never thought I'd see her again…Thanks to you… I can see her like this.
It's the least I could ask for.She's dead… she doesn't need that bone anymore anyway. Hehe…"
Diego: "(Sweating)… uh…"
Nacht: "(…That sounds a bit… cold.)"
Kisa: "(…Are we allowed to laugh at this?)"
Nacht: "Well, if you say so… thank you."
(Asmodeus)
Asmodeus: "Hehehe…You're the one, aren't you…The daughter of Lunnaya Sonata… Moonlight Sonata…"
Mona: "Ghhh… stay away from me, you freak!"
Asmodeus: "Hehehehe…You… are mine… hehehe…"
He slipped into her mouth.
Mona: "Mmmm… ghhhh…"
(Ghhhh)(Gulp!)
Mona: "Ugh……Ghhh…Hehe…Hehehe…(Grin)I am…Asmodeus."