Chapter 60: Aftermath
The Cup Inquisitors were the first to move.
Jessie pushed herself up, her face streaked with dirt and sweat, while her hands trembled. "He’s insane," she gasped, her eyes wide as she stared at the burning of the town. "Phineas... He actually set the entire town on fire. He turned the whole place into one giant stage!"
Kyle slammed his fist into the ground. "What kind of lunatic does that? There were people inside! He didn’t even let them go! He didn’t care about any of it, nothing mattered but his sick ’performance.’"
Lloyd gritted his teeth. "First, he turned people into those Phantasm Beasts and then he blew everything up... Damn it!"
Suzy’s usually calm face was pale as she blankly stared at the destruction. "It was too perfect," She said softly as her voice trembled. "The timing of each blast and their explosion... It’s as if he planned to have us escape through the town as it explodes... He orchestrated it like some... some art piece."
Bruno released a breath as he clenched his fist. "I don’t even know what to say... This is just... How can someone burn down an entire town so easily?"
Reinhard frowned at Bruno’s words before closing his eyes as his mind flashed to him standing before a burning building. All around him were teenagers and adults running around while he stood there and stared at the flames consuming it.
No... Not now. Reinhard thought as he shook his head before noticing Joseph beginning to sit upright.
Joseph rubbed dirt from his forehead before turning to the raging fire and sighing. "This must have been his ’final act’. The last flourish before leaving the stage. In his mind... This was his goodbye to this stage as he goes on to his next."
Marie stayed lying on the grass with one arm flung over her eyes and the other flat against the grass. "What a bad taste..."
Marie’s words made Jessie shiver. "Bad taste? That’s one way to put it. He’s erased an entire town! Look at it!" She gestured wildly at the horizon, where the buildings they had walked through earlier were now nothing more than silhouettes wrapped in flame.
"Do you think..." Suzy’s voice faltered, then she forced the words out. "Do you think the townspeople were still inside? When it blew up? I know we assumed, but maybe he forced them out or turned them into beasts to use?"
Kyle turned with a frown and slowly nodded. "Yeah. That’s the part I can’t stop thinking about. Did Phineas just massacre every last one of them?"
"The question should be, why would he spare them? If he can turn them into a beast, then he can easily do it to another town." Jessie says as she stares at the fire.
Suze furrowed her brows before turning to Marie and asking. "Did you guys see any townspeople still walking around?"
"Or at the very least, the patrolling guards?" Bruno asked with a sigh.
But then there was no response, leading Jessie and Kyle to turn around in confusion. In the next three seconds, all the Cup Inquisitors were staring at Reinhard, Joseph, and Marie. All five of them were waiting for an answer for the trio, but they were silent.
Reinhard sat hunched forward with his elbows braced on his knees, and Zenuken lay across the grass before him like a dead weight. Marie was still lying down, and Joseph was holding his head while his fingers rubbed his temple.
The five Cup Inquisitors exchanged confused looks.
Jessie frowned and tilted her head. "...What is it? Why aren’t you saying anything?"
Kyle’s brows knit together. "Did you... Did you three see something else? Something worse?"
Suzy stepped forward with a worried look. "Reinhard? Marie? Joseph? You’re acting like... like the fire isn’t even the worst part. What aren’t you telling us?"
Marie sighs as she says. "I will call up the Information Institute and Dad. It’s better if I explain it all at once."
The five cup Inquisitors blinked before nodding their head as Marie moved close to Reinhard and held on to the necklace. Then she tapped the necklace, leading it to glow a few times before it brightened, and light poured out of it.
Instantly, the light formed a projection with a familiar silver-haired woman with glasses and silver eyes appearing.
The Vanna glanced around before saying. "I see you all found the Cup Inquisitors."
Jessie chuckled. "Hey Vanna! It’s been a while."
Suzy smiles as she waves her hand at the projection. "Sorry for worrying you, Vanna."
Vanna’s expression didn’t change as she said. "You five didn’t worry me, I knew you all were too stubborn to have died."
All five of them smiled while Marie giggled, Joseph smiled, and Reinhard expression slightly softened at the trust displayed.
"But you five still need to explain how you foolishly went on a mission and worst, got captured." Vanna says bluntly, leading the five of them to flinch.
Jessie nervously says. "Come on now, Vanna... You know, things like that can happen on a mission-"
"No, I don’t. It’s the Information Institution’s job to make sure the expedition is something the squad can do... But it’s also your job to know when to escape or continue." Vanna interjected, leading Jessie’s lips to twitch.
Jessie glanced at the other four for help, but they simply looked away, leading her to glare at them.
Joseph laughs and says. "So the seniors were right, you do care about us, Vanna."
Vanna shifted her gaze to Joseph, but before she could say anything, Marie interjected.
Marie then says, "Can you add Principal Klaus onto the call?"
Vanna paused, and then her gaze shifted to Marie and said. "Did something big happen?"
Marie lightly laughed before sighing and nodding as she said. "A lot happened, so to save time, it’s best to have him on here as well."
Vanna stared at Marie for a few more seconds before nodding. Then the project began to shine before it split into two, with one Vanna being on the left and then a blank image on the right.
The image on the right continued being blank for five seconds before it trembled, and then a person began to appear.
It was Principal Klaus with a cigar in his hand.
"Hey, Marie! How are you? Did your expedition go well? Did you have fun?" Klaus asked with a grin.
Marie giggled as she nodded and said. "I did! I saw a lot of new sights and met new people, although I didn’t get to explore all of the cafes in Mensis town."
"Hahaha, that’s fine. You can always try the other towns or cities. Now then, what’s the important reason for having me on this call? Did something happen?" Klaus asked softly as his expression displayed a hint of concern.