Chapter 12
The Lord of Nightmares, the creator of the world had an expression of deep concentration on her face as she gazed upon the three-dimensional world map she had made with tiny figures moving across it.
Slowly, her face crinkled into a wide grin as she stretched her hand gracefully across the map, hovering above two very familiar figurines of a certain fiery-haired girl and her dark-haired husband.
* * *
"Is it just me, or did you feel a chill running up your spine just now?"
Setting down her hairbrush, Luna turned away from her mirror to raise an eyebrow at Xelloss. "No, but I did hear a bout of hysterical laughter."
"That's worse."
"I don't even want to know, Xel. I'm going to take a bath."
* * *
Placing the plate of burnt sausages on the dinner table, Lina watched Zelgadiss's face carefully.
"Well?"
The dark-haired man winced. "It looks um…tasty."
"Your face has the 'I'm-going-to-die-if-I-eat-that' look."
"Oh no no…" Sapphire eyes flickered from the plate to the door. "…What makes you think that?"
To Zelgadiss's dismay, his wife sat down next to him, arms folded across her chest. Just as he raised his fork to pierce the smoking sausages (or what's left of them), Lina disappeared with a screech. Zelgadiss blinked at the empty chair.
"For the first time in my life, Xel has done something nice," the ex-chimera muttered as he scraped the sausages off the plate and into the dustbin. "All I need is to get Lina back now…"
Of course, your wish…is my command!
"Holy-"
With a pop, Zelgadiss disappeared, leaving the plate clattering on the floor.
* * *
Dynast's female bodyguard stood beside the door leading to the bathroom, a towel in her arms. She listened to the splashes of water, a slight crimson rising up her face as an image began to form in her mind.
Slapping herself, Sherra gasped. "I shouldn't be thinking of such things! …but Dynast sama does have a very well-built-"
A loud splash and a yell from her idol snapped her out of her daydream.
"WHAT THE F-?! HOW THE HELL DID YOU-?!"
"EEEEEEK! HENTAI!"
Her dark eyes narrowing, Sherra slammed through the door. "Dynast sama!"
"Oh shit!"
The sight that met her eyes caused Sherra to halt in her steps. Lina Inverse was sitting in the bathtub, soaking wet, her face redder than beetroot, while her master stood near the sink, a towel wrapped round his waist, revealing his slender, chiselled chest…
Clutching her bleeding nose, Sherra collapsed to the floor.
Dynast slapped his forehead. "Good lord…"
Twenty minutes later found our favourite bandit killer and the Supreme King having a heated discussion in the bathroom, a bath towel still comfortably wrapped round the latter's waist. Oh, and don't forget pigtailed girl in the corner, still unconscious.
"Look, I don't know how I got here okay?!"
"Of course, you don't! You can't help it can you, with a brain like yours!"
"Oh, so it's insults now, is it?"
"What else have I been doing for the past few minutes, idiot?"
"Ooooh…if I had my powers…"
"'If I had my powers', my ass! If I had mine, I wouldn't be working!"
Lina paused the discussion for a moment to hop out of the bathtub, dripping wet. She flicked her wet bangs out of her eyes and took a step forward towards the silver-haired man.
"Watch out for the-"
"Eek!"
"Soap," Dynast groaned as Lina stepped upon a cake of soap, causing her to slide across the bathroom heading…
"Turn, turn, you moron! Aargh!"
The pair toppled towards the wet floor, Lina clutching on to Dynast for dear life. The latter had a tight grip on his rapidly sliding towel, a grimace on his face.
"Wonderful. Got any more tricks up your sleeves?"
Lina attempted to get off, however, the floor was far too slippery. "Shut up, Dynast. I'll have you know that I'm a married woman."
"I'll have you know I'm not interested. Who's the unlucky man?"
"You bastard!"
Staring at the furious Zelgadiss standing at the entrance of the bathroom, Lina swallowed. "Oops."
Dynast raised an eyebrow at the dark-haired man. "This really isn't my day, is it? So how do you explain your sudden appearance?"
As Zelgadiss stomped over, storm clouds of rage floating above his head, Lina sighed. "You mazokus are weird, weird, weird."
* * *
Wrapping his arms round his violet-haired wife, the Trickster bent down and nuzzled the former's neck. "Hmm…you smell good enough."
"Well…we could have some fun before my bath…" Luna sensuously ran a hand down her husband cum colleague's back, winking.
Xelloss smirked, removing his shirt and tossing it into the corner. "Why not?"
Just as the Trickster resumed his former position, he disappeared with a pop. Luna stared at the empty air for a moment, before she casually grabbed a towel from the closet and headed to the bathroom, as though disappearing husbands was the most ordinary thing in the world.
* * *
Brushing her chestnut bangs out of her eyes, Rui scribbled on the sheet of paper before her, preparing for her next big case. Being a lawyer earned one big bucks, but contrary to most beliefs, one did have to work hard for them.
As the beautiful sex-bomb grabbed a file and flipped it open for reference, she felt a pair of arms encircle round her waist, warm breath tickling her neck. Jade eyes flicked to the side, as a smirk grew on her radiant face.
"Why…hello Xelloss dear. Love the shirt, by the way."
Xelloss, for the first time in his life, had an expression of utter shock on his face as he leapt several feet back, away from Rui. The Trickster had been tricked.