Chapter 13: The Rising Devil

Neither side was giving the first move as we assessed one another. Freed and Nick were both gasping, seeing the face of the infamous thief throughout Fiore.

Phantom.

Despite his trick being blown, he kept his serene smile. Like we were a small pebble on the road to be walked over. Well... at least that's just my view, but if he does think that, then he'll have a hard time walking over me.

"Roy Jurenelle, I heard you were smart, but this is certainly surprising. For you to see through me so easily." I wasn't expecting him to know my name, yet kept my face calm. I felt like we're being drawn in a game of poker, where one's face could tell the outcome of the game.

"I'm a bit honored that you know about me, I guess my reputation has reached your ears."

"You can't be Phantom!" Cried the voice of Freed.

The two of us turned toward the source who was pointing at the supposed butler with disbelief look, "You can't be...we saw you outside...running away from the knights, you can't be here."

"He probably has a doll or an accomplice Freed, no one ever said that Phantom Thief works alone."

Phantom chuckled and clapped slowly at my words, "Bravo, I see nothing goes past your eyes."

"So...what are you going to do then?"

"What indeed. There are multiple possibilities I could take and the same could be said for you, but only limited amount of it has us clashed."

"My choice will depend upon yours."

"So you will defend this painting?"

I shrugged, "I've got nothing better to do these days, defeating the famous Phantom should be exciting, don't you agree?"

I had hoped that little probe would be enough to show I don't have any hostility in me, but it would seem he's taking it differently if the scowl etched on his brows was any indication. However, he quickly put on his masked face.

"So in the end, you're just a bored kid here to play games. How could I refuse?" He said with a playful grin. Then, a blinked of an eye later, a hand outstretched toward his face, but before it could grab hold of him, a few crystal spikes went past him the next, forcing Phantom to backflip away.

I turned to spot Nick glaring at his target, "Don't forget he's not alone, and I'm not called a bodyguard in name only." Oh, he tried to sound and act cold, sure. But unfortunately, I had to cut his moment short by slapping his head off, "Ow, what was that for Aniki?"

"For almost putting a hole on that painting, though if you did, I would have blamed the Phantom but still..."

"Don't worry, I've been practicing my aim, I won't miss...most of the time."

That did not reassure me much, causing me to groan. Phantom took that chance to throw a kind of shurikens, and it latched on the painting. Before I could scream in panic and yell out 'What have you done?!' for damaging such painting, a magic circle appeared and warping the canvas into what I'm guessing an interdimensional pocket. When it fell, Phantom jumped, caught it mid-air, then crashed the window, boldly exiting the premise.

Witnessing his escape, I was dumbfounded about his tool more than his daring escape as my train of thought went like this;

Wha...

How...

That fucker is using MY invention for his heist!

Oh, this just got personal.

"Nick, Freed, let's go after him!"

""EH?!""

I ignored them and using my rune enhanced shoes, dashed through the air, chasing him as he glided away toward the town. How he was doing that I have no idea, and my shoes weren't patented, so clearly he is a mage with magic tricks under his sleeve. Reluctantly, the other two followed. Well... Freed was reluctant, Nick felt just fine following me.

I briefly looked back if they need help catching up, only to find Freed writing out a rune in the air and got himself a pair of purple wings. Nick used his own agility and skill to maneuvered his way beside me.

Looks like they could handle themselves just fine.

The chase went on for a while, with Phantom never seem to be out of sight, and became more suspicious for me by the seconds. I'm pretty sure he's been chased before so why hasn't he used any tricks by now. Even if I could pick up my pace, considering I don't know all his arsenal or how he works, I should play it safe and confront him in an open field. His tricks shouldn't matter much there, and I have back-up if it does.

As if reading my mind, Phantom stopped at the edge of town with wide clearing. The three of us stopped pursuing him, observing his action in wariness. He didn't do or say anything until Phantom turned around with that aggravating sickly smile of his.

What is he planning now?

"Congratulation, you managed to chase me all the way through here."

"Oh cut the crap Phantom, you're not even trying to get away. What's your game?"

He didn't answer me, nor was he doing anything. It would have made more sense if he at least tried to tied us up out of our way, there's no reason for him to just draw out…

"...time." I softly realized.

Freed spotted my anxious look and mimicked me, "What? What's wrong?"

"He's drawing out time, I don't know why he can't just try handling a bunch of kids himself. But if he's drawing out time, then he's waiting for something…"

There was a sound of the wind blowing cloak and a shimmer of light from a magic circle from behind us. Our feet got sunk below the ground right up to our knee. We struggled for a bit before our attention was taken away by the appearance of a familiar costume we saw from the dining room's window.

"...or someone." I let out listlessly in the end.

The Mask Phantom looked down at us before turning to her partner, "You've been having trouble with kids?" the voice was muffled by her or his mask that I couldn't quite tell his gender.

"Three mage kids to be correct," Phantom defended himself, "and one of them managed to see through my trick."

The Mask looked back at me, his eyes hidden bit there was a gesture of curiosity and impressed that I noticed, making me smirk.

"Yes, I'm quite a genius, my reputation seemed to reach your ear if you could get one of my devices and those aren't exactly cheap."

Phantom scoffed, "and a cocky one at that. Let's go, we have all we nee-" he didn't get to finished his words before the earth bursts, making them shield themselves from the force. Freed managed to summon his rapier sword and aimed it at Phantom's neck while I had a dagger on the small of her back. The cloud ceased some more to reveal the crystal ridden earth that had pushed us off the ground.

"Like he said, we're mages. Kids, but mages nonetheless so it would be great if you stopped underestimating us."

"Yo… You two are under arrest for the crime of stealing." Freed said, almost squeaking out trying to mimic the words of what a rune knight would say. His voice was a bit shaky, but it drew a proud grin out of me.

The two thieves looked at one another before they decide to lift their hands in surrender. "Nick, checked for the Containment Lachrima in his pocket!" I ordered.

Nick nodded and went to check for a thin metal plate with a small lachrima attached to it around Phantom's pocket. The calmed resign face he had was a little disturbing for someone being caught, and why the hell wasn't Mask over here using his magic?

'No surprise they have a plan for this. But not knowing what it is really making me anxious.'

"Nick checked if the painting is in it, would you? Can't have him switched with a decoy lachrima."

He nodded and did as I told. With a flash of magic circle, the breathtaking painting was revealed... upside-down?

"Ups, sorry Aniki." Nick apologized sheepishly.

"It's fine. It's not like you...broke...it…" my words faltered when taking a good look at the painting, with the moon as the only source of light illuminating under the night sky, the shade and the color of the painting looked slightly different. Giving an eerie vibe to it, way out of contrast to the calming and blessed vibe it gave during dinne,r and the angel looked awfully... crooked? I'm not entirely sure, it's not like I'm an Art Major.

"Hey Freed, Nick, does that painting remind you of something?"

My words seemed to a nerve to the pair of thieves because at the corner of my eye, I saw them stiffening. My fist tightened around my dagger, and my heartbeat fastened from the nerved air weighing on me. Why I was suddenly feeling nervous, I wasn't sure. I just had this gut feeling that something really bad was about to happen.

And boy, did I wish I was proven wrong.

Nick, being the closest, examined the painting. Squinting his eyes, his lips frown in concentration, and he even went as far as sniffing, "No, I don't think there's anything waaaiiit...this is weird."

"What is it?" Freed growled, annoyed at the suspense mystery I unnecessary gave.

"This painting, is painted with words...like...you think it was painted but it was actually written. That's so cool!"

Now whatever I was expecting, that never cross my mind, "Really? Someone actually wrote a painting? That's certainly is unique, do you think you can read it."

"I doubt it." Mask Phantom said after being quiet for so long, I found myself edging the dagger closer to his back just so he'd be reminded who's up on the corner. "That painting was written with ancient language more than four-century ago, I doubt a kid like you could read it."

"Actually... I can."

"""WHAT?!"""

Now note that it wasn't just the thieves that were surprised, even me and Freed were too. Especially me because I know for a fact he had barely any basic writings and reading down when I had hired him as my bodyguard before letting Rebecca cram him with all the necessary information he needed. So you could see why I was surprised and sceptical how he could read ancient language from four hundred year-OOH! Riiiiiiight...I forgot, he came from four hundred years in the past, of course the language would be a bit different. So that's why he had difficulty with regular writing... that makes sense a lot of sense now.

"Yeah... I can... if I remember correctly, this passage says 'An angel banished from where once it came...'

As if a switched had been flipped, Mask turned and kicked my dagger away. His hand shone with a magic circle, but I did not let myself get stunned and use ROOM to put him in place before he could use his magic.

'...with cursed wings, falls alone. Heart ablaze with vengeance and hate...'

I had him dangle upside down in the air but, I wasn't expecting Freed being thrown at me. Making us tumble across the ground. Phantom pulled his friend down and proceed to pull Nick away.

'...He shall rise to raze what was once was his. Say my name, I am A…

They yanked his collar and pulled him away from the painting but that did not stop him from finishing the critical passage we soon regret for him to read.

"...lec...to…"

Then it was silent.

Oh, I'm not talking about how we all stopped talking.

No, when I said it was silent. I meant dead silence. The soft blowing wind was gone, the rustle of leaves was nowhere, the crickets were no longer heard, nor the faint bustling of the night town was gone.

For a second, just for a second, it felt like the world had died.

Then all hell broke loose.

How I wished I wasn't literal here.

When I was thrown further from the painting, I was able to take a glimpse of what the painting was truly like. The painter must have painted... No, written some parts with luminous paint as it highlighted the gruesome skeleton wings the night had outline and serene smile of the angel looked a lot more sinister now. Like its long life plan of revenge was coming true.

Then...it moved.

The painting bulged. One part rip apart, like it had just been clawed out. A hand burst out but it wasn't a hand of a man or any creature I know for that matter. Its claws were long and had the same shade color of red as its putrid skin. It showed veins with black blood flowed within, its hand could have covered my door room with the palm of its hand.

The hand reached out to the ground and began pulling itself out from the painting. That seemed to broke any shocked left within all of us as Mask pushed Nick toward us and ordered us to get out of here.

Before he could conjure any magic though, It roared out an earthshaking roar, almost making me deaf and throw Mask out of balance. The hole it rip then showed bright yellow eyes with cat like iris that just showed whatever It was, wasn't anything human-like.

Mask didn't let that hold him off long before he took his balance once more and with fast drawing magic circle, he made half top face of a gremlin (I think) made of earth with an open jaw before it engulfed the painting in it. Then another bigger one popped up and eat the smaller gremlin. Then another, and another, until it was five-layered gremlin seal.

"Earth Devil's Ymir Matryoshka Seal."

"Wha...what the hell is that?!" Freed finally found his voice to curse.

"Alecto…" The three of us turned to Phantom, who had found his way beside us. He had a wand staff in his hand and looked ready to defend us when needed, "One of Zeref's Demon, the Demon Painting; Alecto."

And suddenly. The puzzle pieces aligned and the picture became clear to me.

Mask didn't move from his spot as he kept focused on his work, and while I can't see his face, I do know he's concentrating. It was then that the seal shook, giving ominous sound of a loose creature inside.

"Tha...that seal is going to keep It inside right?" Nick found himself asking. He didn't hide how terrified he was.

Another shaking boom resided inside, and I think Mask Phantom is beginning to feel strained.

"I... honestly don't know."

As if to answer all our question. The demon took that moment to shatter the seal and blew us away from the force of it. I shielded my eye from the dust and wished I hadn't opened them because some things aren't meant to be seen, and that ugly ass beak-mouthed demon was one of them.

Yeah, I know...I wasn't expecting a beak either.

That demon, as I said before, has red skin that almost showed its skeletal and black veins that seemed to bulge out of it. Its legs were mismatched with one humanoid looking and the other made of wood. Silver hair went straight from its head down to his back like a horse mane, the size could rival that of Deliora.

Rising Devil

How could I have missed that?

If Lullaby had been a Demon Flute.

A Demon Painting shouldn't have been a stretched.

"R.L. Stine's Shit."