Spell of Torment:
Nearly ten minutes went by and Aqua began to worry about Maximus' safety along with hers. She stood glancing down at the street, wondering, fearing if there might have been some of the invisible arachnids he could have missed. The thought of being caught by one continued to torment her fragile mind as she began to shake with fear.
Sweat began to run down the side of her head and atop her forehead, palms began moist from the sweat from balling them up. She soon found herself falling to her knees and her mind began to play the worst scenarios possible.
Within them she thought of how Maximus could encounter various beasts that could overtake him in sheer numbers. Or one where he could fight an actual dragon and be burnt to a crisp. She also thought of him falling into a trap where he could never escape or age rapidly to being a withered old man.
"No!" She shouted and leaned forward placing her forehead on the ground. "I cannot take it anymore, not knowing how he is doing out there. Is he alright, did he get assassinated by an invisible foe or get swallowed up by some giant creature? I need to know!" She began to cry.
"Are you an idiot, do you want something to come and find us without Maximus anywhere near us!" Kazuma snapped at her, unable to tolerate her whining any longer.
"But I cannot help it, he always said to stay by his side and nothing would happen to me. Now, he has been gone for too long and I cannot help but to think the worst has happened to him." She continued to cry holding her hands around her lower abdomen.
"Seriously, you are going to break down now of all times when I haven't been gone but barely ten minutes?" Maximus voice echoed before them.
The next moment when they all turned to look up, Maximus appeared before them as though materializing. Aqua instantly jumped up at him and he quickly caught her in his arms. She took hold of his coat and with eyes watering up, she looked upon him with a sense of hope he had found a way out of the reality they were trapped within.
"So, did you find a way out of here?" Aqua inquired.
Maximus sighed from the combined frustration of not finding what he was hoping for and Aqua's lack of confidence for being away from him. At the same time, he chuckled to himself knowing she was worried about him by the tone in her voice and not just panicking.
"Unfortunately, no, I was not able to find out which house or building we should search within. This will make it most difficult to escape from here, although I have a few ideas to try out. The first of the three is the Guild Hall itself,"
"Why there of all places?" Aqua interrupted him before he could finish.
"Because, it is the one place the four of us have in common, we all met and became a party there. It is the most ideal location to inspect first. The next is our castle home, which lies deep in the forest. The reason for that is because Aqua and I live there. The final place would be the stables that lies just outside the walls. The reason for that place is because the four of us shared that place, even if for one night. Those are the most suspect in finding a way out of here." He paused to let Aqua down and she protested the idea. "Well, which place shall we start first?" He inquired of the group.
"Hold on, when did Chris ever sleep in the stables and if that is the truth, what happened?" Kazuma asked with a hint of anger. "How could she have been in there without my knowing?" He said to himself.
"Nothing happened!" Aqua and Maximus snapped at him together.
"Oh my, it seems Kazuma is a little jealous," Chris said with a smile and walked up to Maximus, wrapping her arms around his right arm and Aqua was becoming annoyed and furious with her being too close to him. "What if I were to say there was something magical that took place during that one night. The three of us were wrapped together in one big,"
"That is enough of your lies, especially one who is a," Maximus stopped himself as he almost let Chris' identity slip out of his mouth. "One who should conduct themselves appropriately." He quickly finished and Chris was on the verge of freaking out on him.
"You can let go of him now or I can help you release him from your grasp." Aqua said cracking her knuckles and had a harmful intent gleaming in her eyes.
"Oh, uh sorry Aqua, I did not know the two of you were so close." Chris giggled and released his arm as she sensed Aqua's intense nature emanating from her.
Aqua quickly took hold of Maximus and turned him away from Chris. "Maximus is mine and no one else's, you got that." She finished sticking her togue out at her.
"Well, anyway, how about we press for the Guild Hall and see about getting out of here. Once there we can turn these two into the local authorities and get a reward for their capture." Maximus said and began to walk towards the Guild Hall.
"What do you mean by that, are you seriously going to turn us in just like that, even though we are teammates? You cannot do that to us." Kazuma protested.
Maximus stopped in his tracks and turned his head to face them. "Relax, I was only going to do that and break you two out the very same night after getting my reward. The two of you have a substantial bounty on your heads and will greatly help with my debt. Also, call it compensation for me saving you two earlier. Also, also, you two have not been with us since we first split weeks ago. So, it is not a full betrayal, I just need the money and as I said earlier, I was going to bust you two out the very night you are there. Deal?"
"I want a split of the bounty,"
"You will get no such thing as I just saved your lives, the least you two can do is payoff this debt you two owe me." Maximus interrupted Chris from continuing.
"Alright, you win, it's a deal then." She said feeling a little annoyed and decided not to argue it further seeing no point as the look in his eyes gave off the impression, he was not going to change his mind.
"But you cannot just say we owe you,"
"Kazuma, it is best not to stress about this further, besides, think about how much cooler and more serious this will make us out to be. If we get caught by him, how do you think this will turn out for not only us, but for him as well!" Chris interrupted him.
"What do you mean by that?" Aqua inquired, feeling confused.
Maximus sighed, remembering she does not think too far ahead.
"How many thieves would be willing to continue their work after being captured by me, knowing I am out there keeping an eye out for them. Also, how many people will come knocking at our door to aid them in capturing and protecting their precious goods from said thieves who are spread all over the country?" He asked and waited for her to think it through.
"It is another way to making a lot of money by capturing the other thieves and leaves me and Kazuma to steal whenever we want by using your knowledge of what the traps could be!" Chris shouted with excitement.
"I was thinking more on the lines after capturing you two, more people would be inquiring my services to capture as many rogues and forcing them to tell me where there precious treasures are and find them to pay off our debt faster and,"
"Becoming the richest people in the country!" Aqua interrupted Maximus after connecting the dots with joy.
"Now you are getting it." Maximus said to her feeling a little proud she figured it out but knew it would not be too hard where money was involved. "Also, I would be willing to split those treasures with you evenly. What do you say to that after we get out of here?" He inquired of Chris and Kazuma.
"Wow, you really do think more than a couple of steps ahead, sure, I am in." Kazuma said.
"Alright, I will hold you to that promise." Chris added.
"Okay, then let us continue on out of here, be on your guard, there is no telling what could await us ahead from here on out." Maximus said and turned around as they headed for the Guild Hall.
The four of them arrived before the doors of the Guild Hall and Aqua began to remember briefly how it was when she first arrived with Maximus. She took his right hand and leaned a little closer to him.
"Hey Maximus," She said to get his attention and he turned to look down at her. "It almost feels as though we have come full circle doesn't it? This is where we technically began our journey together." She paused to look at the doors. "So many memories since that day and even though it only has been since the summer when we started, it feels a lot more time has passed than that." She finished her thought.
Maximus put his arm around her shoulder and leaned down with his head next to hers. He extended his left arm forth with his palm open.
"And we will have many more memories to create with each other, I promise you that." He said and turned to wink at her and she nodded.
Chris was watching their interactions and wished she could be with someone like him and have the same type of relationship. Kazuma was silent and only had escaping on his mind.
"Well, how about we get out of here as soon as possible." Kazuma said stepping forward towards the door.
"Just be on your guard, there is no telling what we could run into or expect once inside. It may not even be laid out the same way as we all remember it." Chris added.
"I agree, we should stay close and not split up as much as we can." Maximus also added.
Once they were before the doors, Maximus stretched his hand forth and to see if he could sense any magic by checking for mana residue. After he was finished, he nodded his head and opened the doors.
On the other side everything was exactly the same as the Guild Hall would normally look. Aqua was about to step forward when Maximus took hold of her. She looked back up at him and he shook his head to the side. The next moment he snapped his fingers and several of his familiars flew in as a way to inspect everything. The moment they were done sending him information about its safety, they disappeared and the four of them began to walk inside.
"Do you think it is nothing but a dud?" Chris inquired of Maximus.
"I doubt it, since my familiars did not detect anything, I would wager something will activate once we,"
Before he could finish Aqua's foot stepped on a cobblestone that sank into the floor. The loud echoing sound of something sliding against another object vibrated through the room and the doors closed behind them.
"I didn't do that." She proclaimed with a little innocent look on her face.
The sound continued to echo as though it would never end. The next moment Maximus noticed the light from the sun was fading and turned to notice what was happening to the windows. He saw the ground itself rise from the bottom and snapped his fingers, employing a teleportation spell around the four of them. The next moment he noticed they were not moving and sensed a little amount of Anti-Magic being deployed.
"So, it would seem like the possibility of me deploying magic inside would activate that little annoying employ of yours Maxwell. You must have sensed that when we first met, I would wager." He said to himself.
"What's going on?" Aqua asked out loud, terrified of what may come of this encounter and latched onto Maximus.
"Either the building is closing all avenues out of here or it is sinking into the ground itself." Maximus answered.
On the outside, the Guild Hall was lowering down into the ground as though heading to a predetermined destination. As it continued down the darkness quickly spread inside. Aqua and Chris quickly took hold of Maximus. Kazuma remained frozen where he stood and Maximus felt a little annoyed with their situation, knowing there was Anti-Magic around to ensure their capture.
After descending what felt like forever, the building stopped and the whole group were hesitant to make a move. Maximus kept his eyes at the door, focused and prepared for anything. He knew should something come through he would have to move a lot faster with both Aqua and Chris at his side. Kazuma remained where he stood, facing opposite from the door, too scared to muster any courage to turn around.
After a few moments nothing happened and Aqua, Chris, and Kazuma all sighed in relief. Maximus kept his guard up, expecting something to happen the moment he was to drop his stance.
Aqua noticed he was still tense. "Maximus, what is it, do you suspect something is still going to happen?" She briefly inquired and turned to Chris, noticing she had wrapped her arms around his arm. "By the way Chris, you can let go of him now, and why aren't you wrapping yourself up on Kazuma?" She asked with a menacing tone and an intense sinister glare.
"Uh, about that," She paused and the two looked over to see Kazuma was still not moving. "He tends to be very cowardly. I thought it would be fun to help him out when you guys first split up because of Lord Alderp. So, I took him under my wing and we began to do… a… little thieving." Chris said feeling embarrassed.
"Wait a minute, how did you know it was Lord Alderp who was responsible for the little fiasco all those weeks ago?" Aqua inquired, knowing Kazuma could not have possible deduced Lord Alderp's involvement.
"Well, that is simple, it is because I am the Goddess Eris, how else would I be able to know…" Chris stopped herself but was too late to cover her mouth.
Aqua snorted and began to laugh. "You claim to be the Goddess Eris, the one who thinks she is so special and always breaks the rules of sneaking down to the Mortal Realm to play dress up, that Eris?" Aqua continued to laugh at her.
"But it is the truth!" Chris snapped back at her.
"Hey look, that chick over there claims to be the Goddess Eris." An image of a man appeared pointing at her.
"No way, everyone knows the Goddess has a more vibrant figure than hers." Another person said.
"Wait, now that you mention it, she does have the same face, minus the scar. Not to mention the same colored hair and eyes." A female adventurer spoke out.
"No way, I think it might be true, but why is her chest so small." A man said as though he were turned off at the idea of wanting to sleep with a Goddess.
"Seriously, does that mean she pads her chest or something, how can she even call herself a Goddess with a body like that." Another man chimed in.
"I cannot stand the idea of being in a religion that worships such a Goddess with a small figure." Another person said and dropped their pendant that signifies her following. "Maybe I will go to the Axis Sect and worship a Goddess with a vibrant bust than yours."
Chris began to cover her ears as each person was making fun of her. She soon found herself squatting down in the fetal position and began to cry. Each of her followers were throwing their pendants down on the ground before her until Darkness remained.
Chris noticed she was standing there and the next moment Darkness threw her pendant down and walked away. She fell to the side, tears falling down her face as she realized her loneliness.
After standing there for several moments, Kazuma finally made a move and soon noticed he was standing in the room alone.
"Uh, guys, where did you all go, and why did you leave me behind!" He raised his voice to echo across the room in the hopes they would hear him. "What is going on here!" He shouted.
"Well, well, well, look who we have here girls." A young adventurer said appearing behind him with several other women who all had a sinister look in their eyes.
"Why if it isn't Kazutrash himself standing here all alone. It's a shame you have no one to protect you know." One of the other young ladies spoke.
"You were the one who stole our panties all those weeks ago." Another added.
Kazuma was frozen in fear seeing the random young women he had stole panties from at random times. His face was filled with terror and his body couldn't move an inch.
"Not to mention he made Aqua and Megumin be covered in the disgusting toad slime and took advantage of those young girls in the most unsavory manner." One of the young ladies, who saw him with Aqua, Maximus, and Megumin on the day they finished the Giant Toad Quest.
"I heard he is nothing special at all, just your typical perverted immature young man who forces young women to do anything he wants. Not to mention they say he has the highest amount of luck, ha, more like the highest amount of bad luck." One of the other girls added.
"Krapzuma, Krapzuma, Krapzuma." All the young ladies chanted over and over again sinisterly as they walked towards him.
"Oh man, I am so dead right now! Each of these girls look like they want to castrate me right here and now!" He said and balled up into the fetal position as they began to close the distance, surrounding him.
"Somebody help!" He shouted.
Aqua was standing in a void looking around attempting to calm herself from her nerves. She had been wandering in it for what felt like an eternity.
"Maximus!" She shouted as loud as she could, but her voice did not travel far. "Where is he, I know he would not leave me behind unless he knew I was in a safe place." She said to herself.
The next moment she began to fell cold from the wind, blowing at her from all sides. Her skin feeling the icy bite of its sting across her whole body. She hugged herself in an attempt to keep herself warm.
"It almost feels as though I am in the snow fields around the town. I wish you were here to warm me up and keep me safe in your soft embrace." She whispered.
"Mama, mama, there you are!" A young boy shouted out with joy.
Aqua turned around, unsure of what to do but wait. She saw the young boy being picked up by an image of herself.
"Oh, there you are my dear boy, you know better than to run off from mommy." She said picking him up and spinning in the air.
Aqua watched intently and noticed the boy's hair was blue like hers along with Maximus' purple eyes.
"The boy is a spitting image of me when I was that young, only he has your hair. I am glad he got something else from you outside of being a total clumsy and lazy. You should be more willing to learn more about your abilities and various studies instead of playing around or doing nothing." Maximus' voice echoed and he appeared before the two of them.
"There is nothing wrong with letting him have a break now and then." She said as she began to spin around with him in her hands.
"More like ten times a day he has skipped his studies, clearly he gets that carefree attitude from you." Maximus said feeling a little annoyed.
Aqua was still standing there watching the little scene play before her, feeling her emotions run wild and a happy tear fell down the side of her face.
The next everything went dark and was followed by an orangish-red tint as though something were on fire. The blistering heat beat against her back and she heard the screaming of many people. She turned around to see a monstrous fire, spreading throughout all of Axel. Many people were being cut down by men who were built like Maximus. There were even a number of women within their ranks whose stature was far more than the average woman.
Aqua's face was horrified when she looked closer at them. Everyone of them had the same blue hair as hers and purple eyes that matched Maximus'. The next moment she was taken all across the entire world and saw the same thing spread upon its face.
"For my father, Maximus, and my beloved mother, Aqua, who died at the hands of the New Demon Lord's." A man shouted and the crowd before him cheered. "Many centuries since that day has passed but remember it well! I also remember the teachings my father left behind. Our ancestors once set out on a journey several millennia ago to purge the Cosmos of those who are impure and so, it shall be once more!" He shouted once more and the cheering continued. "We are the rightful ones who should inhabit this Cosmos and no one else! We will go forth through our world and purify it of all evil that has festered here for too long. After that is done, we shall take that knowledge he had left for us and go forth into the void of Space to purify all Demons who live in the mortal plain! Who's with me?!"
The crowd before him cheered in agreement. The next moment she watched as time sped up a little more and soon saw they had built ships which could travel into and throughout the Cosmos. Orbiting around the planet, she saw a few dozen of space ports with dozens of ships docked beside them. Soon after she saw a fleet of them preparing to leave. Each ship went a different direction and she was shown another world being invaded by them.
Upon the face of this planet she was shown hers and Maximus' descendants slaughtering all who would resist. Many were cut or gunned down and many more were enslaved, forced to work in mines all across the planet to harvest their resources.
"Why did you do it?" A little girl appeared and asked, holding her teddy bear close to her chest. "Why did you revive the Nephilim Race and allowed them to conquer the Cosmos again?"
"I didn't mean for this to happen, I just wanted to give him my greatest treasure to him." Aqua said and fell to her knees, hugging herself.
"Oh look, it's the Mother of the New Nephilim." A woman's voice echoed.
"What a shameful thing for a Goddess like her to allow to happen. You can never again enter the Heavenly Realm." A man's voice followed.
"You are hereby exiled and are to never again look this way." Another man's voice chimed in.
"Aqua, Aqua!" Maximus' voice echoed and she soon felt his hand grab hold of her shoulder. "Aqua, wake up!" She heard him call out to her again.
The next moment she awoke, screaming and wrapped her arms around him. Maximus sighed in relief fearing she would never wake up. She remained quiet, not wanting to say anything as tears began to flow down her face.
"I know what it was you saw; however, you should know, that is only a trick not anything which is set in stone. It is only something Maxwell…"
"It is still a possibility that could happen." She snapped at him and continued to cry.
"I did not think it would affect her in this way, but I guess it has been on her mind here and there. Trying to pry her out of that hallucination was more difficult than the other two. I know full well a Nephilim's rage can consume one to the point they no longer think rationally. Especially that day at Oceanus' palace." He said to himself.
"Is she going to be okay?" Chris asked.
"She will be alright, just give her some time." He replied.
"How come you weren't affected by the mind game we found ourselves in?" Kazuma inquired.
Maximus remained silent for several moments. His mind racing through many scenarios of watching Aqua die and each time after he would save her from a particular certain doom, she would die another way.
"Believe me when I say, I was affected by that game and even someone like me was having a tough time breaking out of it. Come on, let us move on, there is nothing else here for us." He said as sweat ran down the side of his face.
He took Aqua in his arms and walked out the door of the Guild Hall, which had not sunk into the ground. The others followed closely after him and they headed through town.
"So, which of the last two places shall we search next?" Chris asked.
Both Aqua and Maximus flinched, hesitating on the thought to press on.
"I guess that mind game really got to me. I have no will at all to continue this, not after what we all have been through thus far." He said to himself and looked back at Chris. "I guess we can go to the stables." He said unenthusiastically and with no confidence.
Aqua held on to him tighter and he mirrored her, both afraid to let the other go as the four of them pressed on.
"Please tell me it will be alright, tell me a future such as that will not happen to this wonderful world." Aqua whispered to him.
"It," He paused and noticed his confidence was more absent than before. "It will not happen; I will see to it myself if I have to." He forced himself to say.
Aqua remained silent after noticing his hesitant reply and just kept holding onto him.
