Chapter 24: The Hunt Begins

~Tatsumi POV ~

Waking up in the morning I already ate breakfast with Emilia's group as Ram readies my bag filled with some materials with Beatrice on my side, I see that Rem and Emilia are sad for me leaving.

Smiling at them I reassured them as I told them, "For the last two days with you guys have been the best I have had for your hospitality, but I need to start heading back again I hope you guys can understand."

Emilia responds to me with a frown on her face as she says to me, "Are you sure that you must leave back to your world Tatsumi are you not happy in our world…"

I reply instantly to Emilia shaking my head no but I cheerfully say to her, "It's not that I like it Emilia but I will surely miss it that is for sure but hey I can always find my way back again so no worries I just need to finish what I need to do but I will visit."

Rem looks at me as she smiles at me as she says in a sad voice, "Rem is sad that you have to leave but Rem thinks she will miss you, sir Tatsumi…"

Going towards her I patted her head as I say to Rem with a reassuring smirk on my face, "See I told you smiling is better for you as well as finding your happiness but rest assured that I will return to visit that is a promise."

Rem blushed as I hear Puck talk to Beatrice assured that she must follow me, "Betty you sure you want to leave from this place?"

Beatrice looks at Puck and smiles at him reassuring everyone where we will meet, "Rest assured big brother we will meet again in the door connecting to the library so you three can meet us again once we reach our destination ok."

Everyone hearing Beatrice's answer smiled knowing we can meet again.

With that I carried the bag that Rosswaal provided me as we parted ways for now when we were far away I open up my [Dark Space] as I say to Beatrice, "Beatrice enter my [Dark Space] were going to meet some allies of mine to get specific info we need against the Sin Archbishop of Lust."

Beatrice nods her head and enters inside my [Dark Space] with that I quickly fast-traveled using my [Dark Speed] going over to the forest in Irlam village where I left off Elsa I managed to return to the exact location.

And to my surprise I see Elsa waiting for me with another person with her the one who causes the 2 Arc Meili Portroute.

Meili Portroute had refined yellow-green eyes that gave off an air of mysticism and an equaled well-formed nose.

Her long dark-blue hair was kept out of her face and tied into a triple-braid that flowed down to her hips a pink flower ornament with white outlining similar to Elsa's framed the left side of her head.

The outfit Meili commonly wore was befitting of a girl of her moral character.

Her ensemble consisted of a long-sleeved black one-piece dress with a frilly white hem and white cone-shaped cuffs, brown tights with vertical-facing lighter brown stripes, a white cravat, and a pair of black boots that had cuffs with purple feathery-trimming along their edge.

Her dress had a black collar and reached past her hips like Elsa, she wore a long purple-brown cloak that reached down to her ankles and had purple trimmings, although, unlike Elsa's cloak, Meili's had a golden pendant serving as a strap and no hood.

When she was undercover as a villager, Meili wore a short blue long-sleeved one-piece dress with a flap collar similar to a sailor on her feet she wore a pair of brown sandals, and apart from these and the dress.

As I appeared Meili saw me and turns to Elsa behind her as she says to me, "Onee-chan! A mysterious person has come! Who is he!"

Seeing this I smiled at her as I reply to both of them as I introduce myself as well as bring out Beatrice from my [Dark Space], "Hello again Elsa it's a pleasure to meet you again and you little girl I'm the 'Witch Hunter' that your big sister has said to deal with the Sin Archbishop of Lust and my spirit ally is Beatrice the Great Library Keeper."

Meili looking at me surprised soon comes towards me with a friendly attitude wow talk about a quick change, "Really! You're the one to take out Mother! But you don't look very strong mister?"

Ha ha ha ha!

Laughing at this I patted her head as I say to Meili in a confident tone, "No Meili I'm very strong enough to handle your big sister evenly with my strength and armor alone and that wasn't my strongest I was holding back a lot."

Meili hearing this was surprised as she responded in disbelief, "No way! Are you really stronger than my onee-chan!"

Next, I hear Elsa respond to her in a happy voice as Beatrice observed everything happening kept silent seeing everything happening before her, "It is true Meili if he was going all out I would be the one endanger is that correct my lord?"

Nodding my head to her I see Meili was digesting everything from what she heard then Beatrice finally says her piece, "This is certainly a unique dynamic we have here Tatsumi the 'Bowel Hunter' and a mad beast 'Tamer' working together I suppose."

Agreeing with Beatrice these two are certainly a unique duo of sisters I wanted to test something out.

Holding onto Meili's hand I used my darkness to see if I can absorb her [Divine Protection of Magic Manipulation].

Seeing this Meili was shocked at what was happening seeing that my hand turned complete darkness as I was draining her mana, "Wha! Mister Witch Hunter what are you doing!"

Looking at her I respond to her in an innocent voice since I'm not trying to harm her, "Don't worry Meili I wanted to test something out is all it won't harm you in the slightest ok?"

Meili looking at me with a worried expression could only nod I wanted to test out if I can really drain away a person [Divine Protection] by absorbing all of the person Mana that flows from Od Laguna to every individual's "Od", which is connected to it via their gate.

If I absorb their mana that the [Gate] holds then theoretically I have the ability to absorb that person's affinity or rather the [Divine Protection] they have and enter my body.

After what seems like a while, I managed to feel a change and Meili seems to have noticed it as well as I finally let go, I felt that I gained something while she looks a bit tired.

Seeing a mad beast nearby I used my new magic aiming the horn on its head, "Let's see if this works, [Minya]!"

Soon enough one spike crystal came out from the sky using the air and mana to crystalize and struck the horn slicing it off and I tried out if I really have [Divine Protection of Magic Manipulation].

Seeing this in front of me I responded to the mad beast with a command, "Mad Beast do me a favor and roll over and play around."

The mad beast does as I instructed and follows the steps alright then how about a different test.

Next, I asked Meili a question as I say to her curiously, "Meili can you order the hornless around using your [Divine Protection]?"

Meili looked confused but tried to order it around…

However, it seems to me that the beast is not following Meili commands much to her shock and the same with Beatrice looks like I can take the [Divine Protections] of others and use them for myself.

Like that time with Reinhard but which one did I take by accident?

Sigh…

No use knowing it, for now, there is no way I can tell at this moment anyway unless I test it out and that guy has a lot of them more than I can know.

Seeing that Meili was having trouble I wonder?

Can I return these [Divine Protections] I stole to others?

While Meili had trouble I went towards her as I transfer her power back again.

This time I felt that I lost something while I felt Meili returns something from me so that is how it feels to transfer back the lost power.

Next seeing Meili tries to command the mad beasts she was successful but confused seeing how she regains it.

Next, I heard Echidna hearing from my head again sounding a surprised voice, 'Wow! I see your power to absorb others' powers with this Devil Fruit power is certainly surprising and to be able to return it there are only a few spells I know of that have a process to do it but you can do it with a few seconds to do it.'

Responding to my own head to Echidna I reply to her in a surprised and confident tone as well knowing I can use these against the Sin Archbishops, 'Yeah I can absorb a person [Divine Protection] then that means I can also absorb the [Witch Factor] of other Sin Archbishops if I manage to hold them long enough that is but a useful ability to have against them.'

Hearing Beatrice thoughts on the matter with Echidna and me she says to us impressed, 'Yes so this the power of a Devil Fruit Tatsumi it's truly a terrifying power you can absorb the power of others gifts but with this power, you can take away the Sin Archbishops [Witch Factor] I suppose.'

Yeah, it sounds nice and all but if the Sin Archbishops ever figured out, I can absorb mana they would try to control to release Satella out of her seal imprisonment.

Yeah, I have to agree if someone were to take their power away from them, they would only become normal people again.

But I was soon interrupted of my thoughts when I heard Elsa as she bows give me the news of Capella and another piece I wasn't aware of that caught me off guard, "Lord Tatsumi, I have gotten confirmation that Mother is coming to our location at the Elior Forest a perfect place to meet in silence away from prying eyes in the next 5 days, and news of the Sin Archbishops of Sloth is in the area traveling through Lifaus Highway."

Hearing this I and Beatrice were surprised to hear that Sloth was coming here and this soon as well!

Elsa seeing my confused and surprised expression she says to me in a confident tone, "Yes you see I managed to overhear that someone from Irlam Village was speaking with a Meita through each other talking about preparing a cave for the Sin Archbishop of Sloth Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti."

Hearing this I see that Beatrice wavers at this.

Of course, how could I forget that Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti or known as Geuse to Emilia and friends of the Witch of Greed as well as Beatrice's teacher in manners was important to him?

After all, he was once a Sin Archbishop that I can personally respect to him in the past since he was in the moderate Witch Cult faction till Pandora and Regulus broke him into killing Emilia aunt Fortuna by accident causing him to break.

…

…

What should I do with Geuse anyway should I try to reform him using my Semblance if that is possible since I did change Echidna with her emotions?

Next, I hear Echidna respond with an angry voice, 'Hey!'

Ignoring her I continue my train of thought it would actually be beneficial for me to have him as an ally like him around if I can use my [Final Command] on him and return him before he was broken maybe he will be more willing to help me out.

But first I have to defeat Geuse before I could try to change him back to normal with my [Final Command] but it's my best shot in learning where the others are at since he's the most active from his group.

He should know most of where the other Sin Archbishops are or at the very least know where to find one of the Three Demon beasts.

With that, I ask Beatrice a question with a serious voice to her that she understood, "Ok Betty do you know where this Lifaus Highway is at because I might bring an old friend of yours back to his normal self as an ally."

Beatrice hearing this nods her head in joy knowing I'm not going to kill Geuse after all he was a friend to Beatrice in the past plus any info he has is invaluable to me at this moment as well as getting a Sin Archbishop as an ally would certainly help me out a lot.

After all the original Guese might want to have a score to settle with Pandora and Regulus for harming the elf village that he was protecting and forced to kill his loved one Fortuna he would make for an excellent ally to have.