>>5724794"Heh...Hehe...Hahahahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Guts suddenly starts laughing uncontrollably, uncharacteristically smiling from ear to ear as he donned back the mask he used at the peak of his traumas, the terror of Midland's monsters, inadvertedly doing exactly what the Beast Of Darkness was waiting for, a chance for him to be brought forth so Guts' flesh could be yielded through hatred.
"Of course, why should I expect anyone to shoulder the burdens I was meant to carry alone? Fine then, I will do this myself."
"Guts? What's wrong? I was hearing you shouting all the way across the room? Are you alri--" Puck shone through the place as the flied over, cautiously happy to see Guts out of his trance, but as soon as he saw his old friend's face, he realized there was something very wrong with him.
"Hey there, Puck. Been a while since you've seen me acting this way, hasn't it? Well don't you worry, I'll be off on my own as soon as I set my foot on land"
"But where are you going?"
"I'll be bringing fear back into the apostle's eyes. Walking with these kids for so long has only worsened my reputation, and I don't want them thinking I've gotten soft. I want to prove a point to them. The Black Swordsman is back."
"What are you on about?"
"Surely there must be new blood on Falconia now that all hell broke loose. Since I'll be giving them a welcoming visit, it should help me getting back into shape to fight my real target..." Guts angrily grits his teeth, hoping that killing everyone in his path might desensitize him into killing Griffith and Lucio by proxy, accepting that there was no other way to stop The God Hand other than waiting for the full moon.
"Wait a minute! At least let me come with you!"
"Falconia, 3 months, night time. I'll be there, Vlad. Don't disappoint me." Guts left the abode, leaving Vlad once again alone with this thoughts.
His thoughts were darker than whatever Guts could hear in reality, as when Puck left the room, his reality bending powers started acting on his impulses, the vines growing from his body coiled him and restricted his breathing, as he slowly suffocated without concern for his own well being.
"Vlad! Calm down! Don't do that!" Farnese's warm voice finally broke his catatonic state, as his lover's hands briefly touched his shoulders and made him lift up his chin to face her.
"You're hyperventilating, breathe with me. In...Out...In...Out..." As his young apprentice kneeled over him, the vines in his heart slowly disappeared by themselves, reminding him of the one he truly loved, still safe and sound in front of him.
"How did... Why...?" Vlad was incredibly confused, not knowing how Farnese managed to contact him all the way from Falconia.
"God's aren't strong enough to keep us away, silly. I learned how to do that back with Casca and Cindy thanks to the mandragoran curse."