Project UNKNOWN - Lost in the Dark

by levieux

Follow the story of Clarent, a young huntress hit by a strange amnesia phenomenon as she was traveling to Mezeporta in search of clues about a mysterious black flying wyvern. Story based on Monster Hunter Frontier, less focused on hunts and more on characters and the secret behind the birth of the most peculiar monster in the series: the UNKNOWN. Rated M for explicit content.

3. Chapter 2 - The UNKNOWN Variable

Clarent

Clarent, accompanied by the blue-haired wyverian Juno, arrived at the Mezeporta docks district just as the sun started setting below the horizon beyond the ocean, painting the sky in various shades of orange, gold, pink, and purple. A gentle breeze blew through the docks and warehouses, carrying faint sounds of waves crashing into the shore nearby. The harbor district in Mezeporta hosted two distinct sectors, divided by a large bay with the lighthouse located at its center, where merchant ships from various places docked regularly to trade their cargo.

The northern sector mainly consisted of warehouses and storage facilities used to store goods transported via sea, while the southern part contained shipyards, ship construction yards, boat repair shops, drydocks, and other related establishments. When arriving from the city, one would first pass through the commercial district, consisting of various shops catering to sailors, merchants, and tourists visiting Mezeporta. Once past that area, travelers would arrive at the bay dividing both districts, which housed several restaurants lining either side of its shoreline facing each other.

Upon arriving, Clarent noticed that the area was mostly empty, except for a handful of Lynians chilling on deck chairs with their fishing rods. It was calm and silent, perhaps even too peaceful compared to how chaotic things were getting toward the southern gate of the city. There were a few ships docked here and there, but one that caught the redhead's eye was an unusual sight, waiting in the shipyard.

"W-Whoa... Is that a ship?" Clarent gasped in awe, staring up at the unusual vessel with wide eyes.

It looked like a massive steel fortress floating on water, armed to the teeth with cannons and other weaponry mounted on its exterior. On the bow of this strange warship stood a larger piece of artillery resembling a huge gun barrel made entirely of metal, pointed upwards towards the heavens. It appeared that it was already loaded with a big, stake-shaped projectile, ready to launch. Aside from that, there was a larger structure attached to the main hull that resembled some sort of castle tower, which probably served as the vessel's bridge, surrounded by several smaller structures dotted across its surface. The absence of any sails on board made Clarent wonder how such a colossal monster could even move in the first place.

Judging by the damage it had sustained, it looked like this particular vessel had been through plenty of battles already, with the steel plating of its hull riddled with scorch marks, scratches, and holes caused by various impacts. There were even pieces missing from some sections, revealing parts of the inner frameworks of this behemoth underneath. Still, despite whatever hardships this majestic vessel had endured throughout its journey across the seas, it remained intact enough to stay afloat.

"Hm? Are you interested in that thing?" Juno suddenly inquired from behind Clarent, startling her a bit as she glanced over her shoulder. "I'm not too familiar with such machinery myself, but I heard Ma Lionne calling it a 'battlecruiser'... apparently, it's a prototype designed for fighting aquatic monsters found in high seas, such as Lagiacrus, Plesioths, or Anorupatisu." She paused briefly before putting her hand on her cheek and continuing. "Although I must say, I have no idea how such a contraption can even float on water, let alone be used as an effective weapon against monsters certainly much faster and more agile than itself."

Clarent nodded in agreement with the blue-haired woman's statement; indeed, such a bulky vehicle seemed unlikely to outmaneuver a monster swimming around freely in open waters. She couldn't help but wonder how such a ridiculous-looking contraption would fare in battle against anything capable of moving quicker than it did.

"Come on, jeune fille, stop getting distracted," Juno scolded gently, snapping Clarent back to reality as she motioned for the girl to follow after her. "We're supposed to be searching for La Diva, remember? If you want to go sightseeing later, we can always come back."

The redhead blushed in embarrassment upon being reprimanded, quickly catching up with Juno and matching her pace as they explored further into the docks, wandering along the coastline together. It was a pleasant stroll through calm scenery, enjoying the marine breeze blowing from the ocean, though the thing Clarent liked most was spending time alongside someone who cared for her wellbeing. Juno was like a mother figure to her, even if it had only been a day since their fateful meeting, and Clarent cherished every second spent with this kindhearted woman.

Before she even knew it, Clarent found herself staring intensely at Juno from behind as they strolled past different buildings while searching for signs of the Diva, studying her every movement closely. Everything about the blue-haired wyverian captivated Clarent: her graceful posture, slender limbs, curvaceous figure... How her elegant dress fluttered gently in the wind, exposing patches of smooth skin here and there... Or how her vibrant hair flowed effortlessly around her shoulders, accentuating her beauty perfectly... All those details mesmerized the redhead, making it impossible for her to look away even for a moment.

Then, something rather off caught Clarent's attention: there was a strange bulge on Juno's rear, right between her hips, hidden under layers of clothing. At first, Clarent assumed it was simply an odd fashion choice on the wyverian woman's part, just like her peculiar protrusions on top of her head, which resembled small horns peeking out of her azure locks. It wouldn't be the first time Clarent witnessed unusual accessories worn by people in this city; not long ago, she even saw a female hunter sporting a headband decorated with cat ears. However, upon closer inspection, it became apparent that this bulge was moving on its own accord, appearing more akin to some kind of living creature hidden beneath Juno's clothes than a mere accessory attached to her backside. Could she be hiding something underneath her dress?

As the redhead continued staring intensely at Juno's swaying bottom, wondering what exactly could possibly reside inside the wyverian woman's skirt besides her undies, she got startled when Juno suddenly spoke up: "Enjoying yourself, jeune fille?" She teased playfully, glancing briefly over her shoulder at Clarent with a mischievous grin plastered on her face. "I never took you for someone into that kind of thing... Ah là là~ What am I going to do with you~?"

Clarent promptly averted her gaze, blushing bright crimson at having been caught ogling Juno's rear end, stuttering nervously while trying desperately to explain herself without sounding perverted. "W-W-Wha!? N-No! T-That wasn't...! I-I wasn't!" she blurted out in panic, waving both hands frantically in front of her face as she denied everything. "I-It's not like t-that at all! Honest! Y-You just... I just... You...!"

Juno burst out laughing at Clarent's reaction, doubling over a bit while clutching her sides with one hand, unable to contain herself anymore. After taking a moment to collect herself once again, the blue-haired wyverian stood upright once more and turned around to face Clarent directly, flashing her another playful smile. "Relax, jeune fille... I'm only teasing you," she reassured the redhead, giggling softly afterwards before continuing: "But seriously though... You should avoid doing such inappropriate things so openly. Someone might misunderstand."

Clarent lowered her gaze shyly as Juno finished speaking, mumbling quietly in response to her warning: "I-I'm sorry... b-but... um." She hesitated, struggling internally whether she should voice her curiosity or not, but at last decided to speak up regardless. "I-I just... noticed something weird moving underneath your dress... Is that... normal...?" she asked timidly, looking up at Juno again. "I mean... i-it's kinda disturbing."

The azure-headed wyverian blinked in surprise upon hearing Clarent's question, taken aback by the sudden inquiry. However, she quickly regained her composure and answered, "Hmm, I don't know if I should tell you, since you're such a mauvaise fille..." she remarked with a sheepish smirk across her face. "Maybe... if you behave like a good girl from now on, I will reveal another one of my secrets to you later tonight."

The wyverian woman's suggestion made Clarent blush deeply again; the implications behind those words were far too suggestive for the poor shy girl to handle, especially considering she had already been imagining what could be hiding under Juno's clothing earlier. Before she even realized it, her imagination ran wild once again, picturing in vivid detail every possible scenario involving the two of them being alone together in a bedroom and possibly naked. These lewd fantasies lasted only for a few seconds before Clarent snapped out of her trance abruptly, realizing just how perverted she was, causing her face to burn brighter than ever before. She quickly averted her gaze and covered her mouth with one hand, trying desperately to hide her embarrassment by pretending nothing happened at all.

However, Juno obviously noticed how flustered the redhead was getting from her comment, giggling quietly at the cute reaction displayed by the young girl. "So you really are a naughty little minx at heart... Just as I suspected~" she remarked, sounding amused. "Look how embarrassed you got... But I didn't say anything suggesting something indecent, tu sais? I was merely talking about satisfying your curiosity from before. What were you thinking about, hm~?"

In response, Clarent shook her head furiously as she replied, "N-No! I-It wasn't... I-I mean... It wasn't anything bad! O-Or perverted...! Nothing at all! I-I swear!" She babbled frantically, waving her free hand while stammering incomprehensible excuses in a futile attempt to deny any improper behavior.

That reaction made Juno burst out laughing once more; she seemed highly entertained by Clarent's attitude right now, finding it absolutely adorable. After calming herself down again after several minutes of uncontrollable giggling, the wyverian woman finally managed to compose herself once again and addressed Clarent properly again. "Très bien... If you say so~" she conceded, smiling warmly at the redhead. "Anyway... enough distractions. Viens, didn't you say you wanted to help? While I don't really mind, it's not very productive to stand here staring at my derrière all day~"

The wyverian woman's remark caused Clarent's cheeks to flush crimson once again. "Y-You're right... I'm sorry..." The redhead muttered under her breath, hanging her head low as she apologized. "Uhh... I feel really dumb now..."

Juno chuckled softly at Clarent's reaction before speaking again: "Don't worry about it. As I said, I don't mind," she reassured the redhead, a mischievous smile appearing on her face. "At last, with moderation~"

Clarent pouted childishly as she listened to Juno's teasing comments, glaring at the wyverian woman's back as she walked away ahead of her. Although she felt relieved knowing that Juno didn't hate her for acting so shamelessly just now, she also couldn't help feeling guilty for letting herself get carried away like that. Her lack of self-control these days has really been embarrassing...

Eventually, Clarent regained her composure and hurried after Juno, catching up to her as they resumed searching for signs of the Diva's presence along the coastline of the dockyards.

Due to wasting so much time getting distracted earlier, the sky began turning dark sooner than expected, and rain began falling over the port. The weather conditions worsened while the pair scoured the area for clues; the winds picked up and thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.

"Do you sense the diva?" Clarent asked as she clung to Juno's arm tightly, shivering slightly as cold raindrops pelted her skin.

The wyverian woman shook her head in response to the question: "Unfortunately, no... something seems to be blocking my perception. Or rather, I feel someone is messing with my senses," she admitted, sighing heavily afterwards. "It's quite annoying, honestly..."

The redhead furrowed her brows a little as she pondered what that could possibly imply. "What do you mean...?" she inquired, tilting her head as she looked at Juno curiously. "Someone is deliberately stopping you from tracking the Diva down? How can they even do that?"

The blue-haired woman shrugged her shoulders as she explained: "Well... it's like trying to find a certain person in a crowd, but everyone else is blocking your way or wearing similar clothes, preventing you from recognizing who you're looking for... Does that make sense?"

Clarent nodded ponderously, understanding the analogy somewhat. "I see..." she mumbled in response to Juno's statement, looking thoughtful as she considered this new information carefully. After a brief silence, she spoke again: "So... does this mean you are sensing someone else nearby, and they're preventing you from detecting anyone else?"

Juno hummed in confirmation. "Yes... I can tell that there is definitely another person here aside from us," she affirmed, glancing over her shoulder at Clarent. "But I cannot tell if they're friend or foe yet."

"But... didn't you say earlier that you could only sense people you're familiar with?" The redhead asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"That's correct," Juno confirmed with a smile, nodding briefly. "I see that you pay attention. However... it's a bit more complicated than that." She paused briefly before continuing, explaining further: "Sometimes, certain individuals possess such a strong aura that they become incredibly easy to pick up on, even if I've never met them personally before. Such cases are rather rare, though."

Clarent stared puzzled at the wyverian woman for several seconds, trying to wrap her head around Juno's explanations. "Is there someone like that in Mezeporta? That sounds... troublesome," the redhead mumbled, biting her lower lip anxiously as she spoke. "Maybe that explains why I felt uneasy since this whole mess started."

The blue-haired woman chuckled in amusement at Clarent's reaction. "No need to fret too much, jeune fille," she reassured cheerfully. "Whoever is causing this disturbance is probably not even aware of it themselves." She smiled at Clarent before continuing: "In any case, let us seek shelter somewhere before it rains heavier. This weather isn't suitable for our search anyway."

The redhead nodded in agreement with Juno's proposal, smiling as she followed after the wyverian woman towards a lane between the warehouses, leading deeper into the dockyards. The alley was narrow and dark, illuminated only by flickering lanterns hanging from posts situated along either side of the roadway, giving the entire place an eerie atmosphere. The storm wasn't helping either, increasing the creepiness of their surroundings tenfold as they walked further along the passageway. Eventually, the pair emerged into a wider street lined with numerous storage facilities on both sides. However, they were met by an unpleasant surprise waiting for them there...

Bodies. Inanimate bodies littered the ground around the warehouse in front of which they arrived, scattered randomly across the cobblestone pavement with blood splattered around them. All of them appeared to be guards assigned to patrol this section of the harbor district, judging by their uniforms and equipment.

"Uh...Ugh... No way...?!" Clarent exclaimed in shock upon seeing this gruesome scene, covering her mouth instinctively as she stared wide-eyed at the lifeless corpses laying motionless in front of them. "W-What happened here?!" she cried out, trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. "A-Are these people dead?!"

Juno remained silent as she surveyed the carnage surrounding them carefully; she seemed strangely unaffected by the grisly sight, not showing any emotion whatsoever at witnessing such brutal violence unfold before them. "Stay there," she commanded, leaving Clarent standing in place while approaching the closest corpse cautiously. Kneeling beside the body, she examined it before confirming aloud, "Dead..."

"W-Was that... a monster attack?" the redhead shuddered, clutching her chest as she shivered from the cold rain pouring down overhead. "H-How can this be happening?"

The wyverian woman shook her head and replied, "I don't think so..." She paused a bit before continuing: "Those wounds weren't inflicted by claws or fangs; these were caused by swords and spears..."

Clarent stared at Juno in confusion upon hearing these explanations. "Wait... so they were killed by other people?" she questioned, staring dumbstruck at the blue-haired woman kneeling next to her.

Juno sighed deeply as she stood up straight again, turning around to face Clarent again. "It's worse than that," she declared. "These guards killed themselves."

"W-What?!" Clarent exclaimed incredulously, unable to believe her ears. "They committed suicide?! How... no, why?!"

"That's what I intend to find out," Juno said, looking around. "In any case, this changes things considerably."

The redhead looked perplexed by Juno's words, unsure how to respond. "Eh...?" was all she managed to utter before her companion spoke again.

"I can't allow you to stay here any longer, jeune fille," Juno stated firmly, gesturing towards an empty alleyway across from where they currently stood. "Please go back to your lodging—"

A male scoff suddenly echoed from somewhere behind Juno, interrupting the wyverian woman before she could finish her sentence.

Both women froze upon hearing this unexpected interruption, staring anxiously at each other while neither of them dared move even an inch.

Clarent watched in astonishment as the azure-haired wyverian woman slowly turned around to face the mysterious figure, who appeared almost out of nowhere.

Standing on top of a nearby warehouse, cloaked in the darkness of the night sky above them, was a strange man with dark skin, golden blonde hair tied in a loose ponytail, long pointy ears typical of wyverian people, and crimson red eyes. He was dressed in attire long since outdated yet oddly regal at the same time. He was topless, revealing his moderately muscular physique; the only piece of clothing he wore consisted of a dark red cape held behind his back by a pair of green shoulder pads. His lower half was covered by a rather short, deep red loincloth secured around his waist with some kind of green coil and golden belts.

No shoes or socks could be seen on his feet; despite the low visibility, his bare legs and feet were discernible, with prominent claws instead of regular toes, and there was what looked like a big tail resting on the ground behind him. The tail was partially covered in deep, dark green scales, ending in a sharp tip. Lastly, three ornaments that looked very much like copper horns stood out of his messy tresses, one on each side and the last one on the top of his head, mostly hidden by his spiky hair.

The man stood still, looking down with disdain at Juno and Clarent as rain poured down heavily from above, washing away whatever blood remained on the ground from previous fights. He made no effort to approach them, remaining comfortably perched atop the building, like some sort of king overlooking the common folk below him.

The blue-haired woman glared at the newcomer, visibly frustrated by his interference, while Clarent remained frozen in place, petrified in terror, unable to move an inch or even speak. "So you're the one messing with my senses..." Juno accused him, narrowing her eyes defiantly at the unusual man towering above them.

The stranger snorted haughtily as he responded, "Hmph... thou art not the one we expected to meet, but it matters naught..."

As he spoke, another man stepped out of the shadows below him, appearing right in front of the two ladies without warning. The second stranger was a massive, intimidating individual clad entirely in golden armor, standing at least twice as tall as any normal human being. His head was completely covered by an impressive helmet shaped like a dragon skull, with crystal horns protruding from its top. The only parts of him visible were his blue eyes glowing ominously behind the eye-slits and two large, thick things akin to wings entirely plated in gold, extending from his back, giving his already huge frame an even more imposing stature. From this angle, he looked terrifying beyond compare, especially due to his sheer size and unnatural head.

The armored giant was holding someone in his arms—someone so tiny compared to him that she looked like a mere infant cradled in a father's embrace. It was a human woman with long blonde hair, fair skin, and delicate features, wearing a green and white gown, some gold jewelry, and a crown-like tiara on top of her head, as well as gold high-heeled sandals on her feet. The giant seemed to carry her with ease, keeping her safe and sheltered within his strong embrace.

The girl was unconscious and quite limp as she lay passed out in the other guy's hold, unaware of her surroundings or of the situation she was currently in. As for the mysterious warrior himself, he did nothing but remain motionless where he stood, staring at Clarent and Juno without uttering a single word.

Clarent trembled upon seeing the massive knight looming over them, paralyzed in terror as her mind raced while trying to comprehend what exactly was going on here... She felt like she had seen this huge man before, somewhere in the back of her memory, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on why. However, deep inside, she knew that he posed a serious threat, which was why she feared him immensely despite having no reason to.

"La Diva..." Juno hissed through clenched teeth as she gazed at the sleeping girl carried by the giant warrior, frowning at the sight of the apparent hostage being handled. "What have you done to Lyra?" she growled, balling both hands into fists tightly.

The man on top of the warehouse merely scoffed in response to the blue-haired woman's angry outburst. However, he didn't respond; his companion suddenly spoke up first instead: "His Imperial Majesty has no obligation to answer to you, treacherous witch," he boomed, shaking a bit as he emphasized his final word, addressing Juno with nothing but contempt laced throughout every syllable of the insult thrown her way. "Be grateful that he even allowed you to witness his glory in person..."

The wyverian woman twitched visibly upon hearing such offensive terms directed towards her, glaring at the golden knight still holding onto the slumbering Diva protectively. "Traîtresse, you say?" she repeated, taking a step closer to the giant while staring daggers at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Aether, Dragonlord of the Heavens... Look how low the mighty has fallen," the blonde man announced in an exasperated tone, gazing down at Juno with disdain before continuing with harsh criticism: "Once a powerful being, capable of commanding the very clouds and skies themselves with ease... now reduced to nothing more than a weak mortal, deprived of all power." He shook his head with sorrow as he spoke, making his disapproval obvious for all present to hear. "Such is our curse..."

Juno frowned at the curious man's words, though she remained silent this time, waiting for him to elaborate further.

After a brief pause, the foreigner then resumed his speech: "Yet... even now, there may be hope left for thee, our brethren..." he declared solemnly, peering at the wyverian woman's face with narrowed eyes as he spoke. "Thee, who abandoned thy kind and embraced humanity... Thee not seek to regain thy former glory...? Thee not desire vengeance against the ones who stripped us of our majesty? Thee not yearn to reclaim thine honor? To return to paradise lost?"

While the man talked, Clarent wondered who exactly this odd individual was referring to with such vague terms and who that 'Aether' character was supposed to be. At first glance, the strange man sounded like some kind of prophet preaching about redemption and salvation, but why did he specifically target Juno? Furthermore, judging from the wyverian woman's expression, it seemed like whatever he said hit close to home somehow...

After a momentary silence, the blonde man continued talking again: "Heed our words, Aether... Join thy kind once more... Join us, the Lost Empire of the Forlorn, and together we shall reclaim what once belonged to us..." the self-proclaimed emperor proclaimed dramatically, raising one arm high above his head and pointing at Juno.

"First, we shall crush those foolish mongrels who dare stand in our path and reduced thee to a mere servant of theirs!" the blonde, pompous man continued proudly as he glared with disdain at the redhead standing beside Juno, as if she offended him merely by existing. "Then, we shall track down the treacherous fiend responsible for this tragedy... the vile scoundrel known as Oneiros, along with his cohorts of traitors to our kind." As he finished speaking, the strange man suddenly spat on the ground with disgust written all over his face, like the mere mention of this name disgusted him so much that he couldn't help but physically expel the filth off his tongue.

Although this bizarre meeting escalated fast to a rather tense situation, Clarent couldn't help but feel quite amused by the ridiculous display occurring in front of her; the foreign man's antics were almost comical when considered objectively, in particular given how extravagant he behaved overall. In a way, he was much like Juno, showing his emotions openly, which contrasted greatly with the stoic giant standing idly below him.

"I didn't understand a single thing of your nonsense," the blue-haired wyverian woman deadpanned, shrugging dismissively before crossing her arms over her ample bosom as she gazed at the rambling weirdo with a skeptical stare. "Are you a comedian or something? With those lame-ass poses and corny lines, I mean... You could probably catch some good laughs on stage."

The blonde man bristled upon hearing Juno's mocking words directed towards him, gritting his teeth together in anger while glaring at the azure-haired woman.

"I get that you're upset about something, mon garçon," Juno added casually afterwards, ignoring the aggravated expression displayed across the blonde man's face upon hearing her disrespectful response to his declaration. "But seriously... speak and behave like a normal person if you want people to help you solve your problems..."

This unexpected response caught Clarent off guard completely, causing her to burst out laughing, despite the potentially dire circumstances surrounding this confrontation. She couldn't help herself; Juno's attitude towards this peculiar man was just so ridiculous and hilarious that she couldn't contain her amusement any longer. The redhead quickly covered her mouth with both hands in an attempt to stifle her laughter, but it was already too late; the damage had been done.

The blonde man's expression darkened upon hearing Clarent's amused reaction, scowling deep at the redhead. "Do not test our patience, you accursed heathen!" He roared in fury as he leapt off the rooftop, landing gracefully in front of Juno and Clarent as if he were floating rather than falling.

The man in question was actually shorter than expected once standing on level ground, barely taller than Clarent herself, and seemed rather young-looking too, despite his old-fashioned way of speaking. Still, there was an air of superiority surrounding him that made up for his lack of physical presence, giving off an intimidating aura similar to that of an alpha predator confronting its prey. Even now, he carried himself with pride, standing erect with shoulders squared confidently, exhibiting his dominance through body language alone. If he weren't such an obnoxious character, perhaps Clarent would even consider him handsome, the weird choice of fashion aside.

The massive dragonic knight was about to follow suit and approach the two ladies as well, but before he could take a single step, the short man raised one hand towards the armored giant, causing him to freeze in place, like someone pressing a button on a remote control to halt an automaton.

"Thou art unworthy of looking upon our imperial countenance with thine filthy eyes..." the blondie remarked as he stood majestically a few paces away from Juno and Clarent, assuming a strange, excentric pose with his back arched backwards at a 45-degree angle and one arm folded behind his head while pointing at the redhead. "Heed our command, wench! End thyself, now!"

His words carried a powerful, dominating force with them, which seemed to resonate within Clarent's soul itself, compelling her to obey without question, despite the irrational nature of this order. "Yes, your Majesty..." she found herself murmuring while staring emotionless at the floor, unable to resist such a command even though she didn't want to follow through. Her body moved on its own accord as she reached for a sword laying nearby one of the fallen guards, picking it up slowly yet with determination.

Before she even knew what she was doing, Clarent found herself bringing the blade up to her neck, ready to slit her own throat.

But then, Juno quickly grabbed Clarent's arm and prevented her from going through with this absurd action, stopping the redhead just in time. "Stop this!" she hissed, tightening her grip around Clarent's wrist firmly enough to hurt, causing the girl to gasp in silence. But the redhead didn't pull away; rather, she continued struggling against Juno's hold, desperately trying to carry out the order against her own will.

The azure-haired wyverian scowled in response to Clarent's behavior, looking somewhat irritated by this sudden resistance shown towards her. Without warning, she lifted one hand and slapped the redhead hard across the face, causing the girl to wince a bit and stumble backwards from the force of the impact, breaking her focus momentarily. "Cease this foolishness, jeune fille," Juno demanded afterwards, glaring at Clarent.

Clarent whimpered faintly as she clutched her burning cheek, which throbbed from being struck so violently by her companion. Despite being reprimanded just now, she refused to give up and obediently resumed trying to stab herself in the throat once more, ignoring the wyverian woman.

"Please, forgive me for what I am about to do," Juno whispered regretfully before punching the redhead square in the jaw with enough strength to send her sprawling backwards several meters across the muddy street. Clarent grunted as she fell onto her backside, landing hard against the cold, wet pavement beneath her, wincing as her head bounced against the ground afterwards. Her vision blurred a bit, and her ears rang loudly. The sound of rushing water filled her mind, drowning out all other noises around her completely, even though she could feel someone pulling her upright again.

When she regained her senses, Clarent realized she was lying in Juno's lap while being held tight in her arms, looking at the blue-haired woman's concerned visage hovering above her, drenched in rainwater that kept pouring heavily from above.

"Can you hear me?" Juno asked with empathy as she cupped the redhead's cheek with care, stroking the injured flesh tenderly with her thumb. Her expression was full of genuine concern and care, and seeing her so worried caused Clarent to blush slightly. Although it was hard to tell because of the rain pouring down upon them constantly, it seemed like the azure-haired woman shed some tears as well...

Clarent stared silently, unable to form any coherent response after such a rough treatment. However, a voice in the back of her mind kept urging her to continue obeying the blondie's command, screaming at her to commit suicide right away, no matter what. Therefore, the redhead mustered all her remaining strength to reach for the nearby sword again.

To her surprise, Juno quickly grabbed her hand and stopped her once more. "This can't be..." she breathed, trembling a little as she tightened her hold around Clarent's arm, refusing to let go despite the redhead's struggles. "Why...?"

Clarent blinked in confusion while processing Juno's question. Why was she resisting? It should be obvious why... She was ordered to kill herself. That was the only logical explanation.

The redhead opened her mouth to answer the azure-haired woman's inquiry, yet no sound came out. Instead, she remained completely silent, staring in the void for several seconds without saying anything else. Eventually, however, she managed to whisper something: "Let me finish... my duty..."

Juno frowned in response to Clarent's remark before later shaking her head. "Non... Absolutely not," she declared, pinning the redhead down with both arms while riding on top of her, straddling her hips with her thighs wrapped tightly around the smaller girl's waist. The wyverian woman then leaned forward and pressed her lips against Clarent's own, kissing her passionately without any restraint while locking eyes with her. The kiss lasted for several seconds as both women became entangled in a heated embrace, intertwining tongues with delight as they savored each other's taste. Eventually, Juno broke away and pulled back, leaving a thin trail of saliva connecting their mouths.

"Will you please come back to your senses, now?" she begged, smiling warmly. "Clarent... Please listen to my voice."

Slowly, very slowly, the fog clouding Clarent's mind cleared away, allowing her brain to function properly again after having been forced to act against her own will. She blinked again and again, trying to figure out what exactly just happened.

"Ugh... my head..." she groaned painfully, grimacing as her skull ached and her ears rang loudly. It felt like someone hit her very hard, knocking all sense of rationality out of her. She remained motionless, lying flat on the cold, hard stone surface underneath her, panting heavily while Juno held her tightly in place, preventing her from moving in case she tried to commit suicide again.

"M-Miss Juno..." she whispered, struggling weakly against Juno's iron grip, trying to free herself from this embarrassing position. "W-Why are you... holding me so tightly? And why are you... so close?"

The wyverian woman sighed as she loosened her grasp around Clarent, letting go of the redhead reluctantly afterwards. "It is unimportant right now," she replied, avoiding eye contact with the confused girl for some reason. "Any desire to take that sword again?"

"H-Huh? Why would I...?" the redhead began asking before cutting off abruptly as realization dawned upon her. All of a sudden, she blushed bright red as memories flooded into her mind, reminding her of what she had done just now. She recalled especially well how Juno kissed her just now, making her heart flutter in response to the thought of this intimacy between them. However, those feelings disappeared almost as quickly as they came when she remembered how she ended up in such an embarrassing situation...

"Did... Did I really try to kill myself? Just like that?" she murmured, puzzled, unable to believe her own actions. "That doesn't make any sense..."

Juno nodded, confirming the redhead's suspicions, before standing up gracefully and straightening out her soaked dress, which clung tightly against her skin, exposing certain parts of her voluptuous body to Clarent's gaze. "Oh non... I'm completely soaked... My dress is ruined..." she muttered as she inspected the state of her garments, frowning a bit as she noted their sorry state.

Meanwhile, the little self-proclaimed emperor clicked his tongue in irritation after hearing their conversation. "How bothersome..." he grumbled under his breath, scowling at the redhead still sitting weak on the ground. "Why art thou protecting this mongrel, Aether?" he inquired, staring at the blue-haired woman. "Surely thee can see that there is naught worth saving here? Thou waste thy precious time with a mere mortal..."

Juno glared with anger at the man for insulting Clarent, clenching her fists as she listened to him speak. "You... I don't know what you did to her, but I won't let you get away with it," she growled, taking several steps closer to the foreigner and putting herself between him and the redhead to protect her. "I swear on my honor, you will regret messing with us!"

The blonde man simply snorted contemptuously as he stared at the azure-haired woman, who challenged him. "It pains our hearts to see a brethren losing sight of her true identity like thee... We once had high hopes for thee, but now we see naught but disappointment instead," he declared, shaking his head with grief before continuing: "Very well then, let us test thy resolve. Aether, Daughter of Storms, Ruler of Heavens, Indomitable Queen of Sky Fire... Heed our name and accept our challenge. For we are known as... Guan Romulus, Emperor Conqueror of Dragons, Supreme Ruler of the Lost Empire of the Forlorn... Now, prepare thyself, O Forsaken One... We shall put thee back into thy rightful place!"

Having finally introduced himself, the blonde man smiled proudly at Juno while striking another dramatic pose. "Come, Dragonlord, and fight! Show us thine strength!" He roared, extending one hand towards the wyverian woman.

At this point, Clarent began feeling lightheaded due to exhaustion; her headache worsened gradually until it felt like her skull might split open any second now, making thinking or even functioning normally difficult for her. However, despite her current physical condition, she still managed to register what the stranger said, though she wasn't entirely sure what exactly was happening anymore. Was there really a dragon around here somewhere? Were those two planning to battle it out or something? What on earth is going on?! She couldn't help but wonder anxiously as she watched their confrontation unfold from afar...

As soon as Guan finished speaking, the massive golden knight unexpectedly stepped forth and spoke up for the second time since the encounter with the strange man began. "Your Imperial Majesty," he called out, attracting both Juno and Guan's attention at once as they glanced towards him. "Allow me to handle this matter... There is no need for you to dirty your noble hands with these vermin," he offered, bowing respectfully towards the emperor with one arm crossed over his chest and his other arm still holding the sleeping Diva like a baby. "I'll deal with these two accordingly..."

Guan pondered his subordinate's suggestion for a few seconds before nodding once. "Ah, of course..." Guan murmured quietly in response, glancing briefly towards his companion before focusing back on Juno once more. "Very well, Lord Zephyrus," he approved, waving his hand in agreement. "We shall leave this opponent in thy capable hands, O Divine Wind of the West."

Zephyrus bowed again towards Guan as a sign of appreciation for granting permission. Afterwards, he carefully laid the sleeping Diva on the ground beside him, placing her near his master's feet, before turning towards Juno. "Please retreat to safety, your Majesty. You know how dangerous it can be when I unleash my power," he warned solemnly, raising one arm in front of Guan and shielding him with his body, as if guarding against danger.

However, Guan simply dismissed his servant's worries with a simple wave of his hand, clearly not worried about potential collateral damage. "There is no need to worry about us," he stated dismissively. "However..." He paused briefly, glancing down at the Diva resting at his feet. "Perhaps the oracle may suffer some injury from this clash... We shall stand back in anticipation for such an eventuality," he concluded, looking out unperturbed by this possibility.

With a snap of his fingers, Guan summoned a pack of small flying wyverns, resembling reptiles with wings instead of arms and green-blue scales covering their bodies. While small for flying wyverns, the creatures were nonetheless quite impressive specimens in size, standing taller than adult humans. The winged lizards proceeded to immediately pick up the Diva by each limb before carrying her away from the scene of conflict, flying towards the sea, and disappearing into the darkness. Guan himself retreated, transported by some of his minions clutching onto his shoulders, towards a safer distance before standing proudly above the whole battlefield, watching the events unfold below him like a king observing his subjects perform for his amusement.

Now alone on the battlefield, Zephyrus turned towards Clarent and Juno, facing the two ladies head-on. He spread his wings wide open, which looked like a pair of golden metallic plates attached to his back. Both ends were curved upward, and some sort of crystal spike grew out of their tips. The entire structure also consisted of several segmented pieces that allowed him to flex it easily. Along with the massive wings, Zephyrus' swung his impressive golden tail behind him, sending sparks flying everywhere due to friction caused by his metallic scales scraping against the paved ground. That thing was huge, even bigger than his main body; it resembled a tree trunk covered entirely in golden scales. There again, crystals jutted out of the tip, which resembled a trident-shaped spearhead. This was perhaps the reason why he didn't seem to carry any weapons; he surely doesn't appear to need one.

As he prepared himself, the air around him began shifting ever so slightly, creating a small vortex that picked up speed gradually. Soon, a whirlwind surrounded the massive man as he began walking towards Juno, blending into the stormy weather already occurring in the city at the moment. However, Clarent noticed something odd about the tornado swirling around Zephyrus... Some sort of dust particle seemed to be mixed in with the wind coming out of him, which sparkled faintly with energy and gave off a gilded coloration that could be seen despite the low visibility.

Upon realizing the same fact, Juno's eyes widened in alarm, and she quickly retreated backwards, maintaining distance from the approaching knight while shielding her face with one arm protectively. "T-This is..." she mumbled nervously to herself, shivering as she backed away further still.

"No way... You... I remember you." Juno uttered in disbelief, staring at Zephyrus as recognition suddenly hit her. "We fought each other before..." she muttered under her breath, recalling previous memories involving this particular individual. "You are... that golden dragon!"

"Took you long enough to notice," the golden knight rumbled ominously as he continued advancing towards his targets with slow, steady footsteps, emanating confidence and strength. "It has been a while... self-proclaimed queen of the skies," he chuckled, cracking his knuckles to intimidate Juno further. "To think we would meet again in such circumstances... fate truly works in mysterious ways."

Juno frowned upon hearing Zephyrus' mocking tone, glaring at him for being so bold and disrespectful. However, instead of retorting like Clarent expected, Juno simply scoffed dismissively instead. "Hmph... If I remember correctly, you were defeated quite easily back then," she remarked, crossing her arms over her ample bosom proudly. "What makes you think this time will be any different?"

Zephyrus laughed upon hearing Juno's taunt, shaking his head, his blue eyes shining ominously through the eye-slits of his helmet as he gazed at the azure-haired woman before him. "You may have bested me once... But now, look at you," he sneered, pointing accusingly at the wyverian woman standing before him. "Humiliated and disgraced... Stripped of all power... Reduced to a mere mortal... How could I possibly lose to such a pathetic creature? You are no longer fit to call yourself queen of anything!"

Meanwhile, Clarent watched in silence, struggling to figure out what exactly was going on here between these two. However, judging from their exchange so far, it seemed like they knew each other quite well already, judging from the way they spoke to each other. But why did this giant man keep referring to Juno as 'self-proclaimed queen'? Was she some kind of royalty or something? And who is this 'Aether' person everyone kept talking about? There were so many questions running through her mind right now, yet she couldn't find any answers for them...

Juno narrowed her eyes upon hearing Zephyrus' taunt. "Don't get cocky, espèce d'avorton," she growled, balling both hands into fists while glaring daggers at the golden knight standing before her. "Whoever said I'm powerless?"

As soon as those words left Juno's mouth, thunder boomed loudly overhead as clouds darkened further still and lightning flashed across the sky above them. The rain pouring down from above intensified drastically, turning into a torrential downpour that made it difficult to see anything beyond several meters away. However, despite this sudden change in weather, neither Juno nor Zephyrus flinched in the slightest; instead, they remained completely motionless, staring at each other while waiting for their opponent to make the first move...

Zephyrus merely scoffed in response to Juno's threat. "We shall see about that..." he rumbled ominously, flexing his massive wings slightly as he spoke. Then, the gust of wind swirling around him picked up speed, causing the golden dust particles mixed within it to swirl faster and faster until they formed a vortex similar to what was happening above them right now. The tornado surrounding Zephyrus grew larger and thicker as more particles joined in with it, creating a whirlwind powerful enough to lift objects off the ground with ease.

The blue-haired woman seemed quite distressed by what was occurring in front of her, judging from her expression; however, she remained calm despite the situation, keeping her composure while facing off against her opponent. "Merde..." she cursed under breath before looking back at the redhead behind her. "Clarent, run! Get away quickly before that man gets too close!" she shouted towards Clarent, gesturing towards the redhead still sitting defenseless on her rear.

Confused and scared, Clarent struggled to her feet, using whatever strength was left in her body to stand up again. "W-What's happening?! Why should I...?!" She yelled frantically back at Juno, shouting as loud as possible due to the wind howling around them drowning out her voice. She had no idea what was going on, but if Juno told her to run, then surely it meant trouble, right?

However, as Clarent took another step back, something suddenly hit her on the back of her head, throwing her off balance and causing her to fall face-first onto the ground with a sharp yelp of pain. Her head pounded terribly, blinding her momentarily with pain as blood dripped onto the stone beneath her. What struck her was a stray piece of debris, most likely blown around by the fierce winds that are raging within the vicinity.

Groaning painfully, Clarent struggled hard to stay conscious after receiving such a violent blow to the head. Unfortunately, she lacked the stamina to hold on much longer. Soon enough, she slipped away into darkness...

---

Juno

The azure-haired wyverian stood amidst the stormy night, watching idly as the massive knight approached her gradually. She knew that if she didn't do something soon, then things would turn out ugly, especially for Clarent.

Suddenly, Juno heard a short gasp behind her; she turned her head just in time to catch sight of Clarent collapsing to the floor in a heap. Her heart sank right away as she realized that she had failed to keep Clarent safe and out of harm's way. Not only had she been unable to prevent the girl from being caught up in this conflict between them, but she also failed to stop her from getting hurt.

"Merde..." Juno cursed under her breath as she hurried over to Clarent's side, kneeling down beside the unconscious girl. After checking that she was still breathing, Juno carefully lifted her off the ground, cradling her within her arms before standing back up again.

"Shouldn't you worry more about yourself, Aether?" Zephyrus taunted as he drew near, his booming voice echoing throughout the deserted docks. "After all, you are no longer immune to my golden dust," he added, flexing his wings as he spoke. "I'm afraid you won't be able to escape me this time... Not when I have you cornered like this."

As he spoke those words, Zephyrus raised one hand and pointed directly at Juno. Immediately afterwards, several crystal shards shot out of the whirlwind surrounding him, aimed directly towards the wyverian woman holding Clarent.

Juno reacted quickly upon seeing these projectiles flying towards her; she turned around and shielded Clarent's body with her own, taking the brunt of the attack instead. The crystals struck her hard across her back, but surprisingly enough, they didn't pierce through her flesh like normal blades would have done; instead, they crashed harmlessly off her skin without leaving any visible damage whatsoever.

Zephyrus grunted aloud in frustration as he saw how his attack failed miserably against Juno's tough hide, which was crepitating faintly with electricity. "Hmph... I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he grumbled, lowering his arm. "Very well then... Let us see how long you can shield that deadweight from my attacks."

With those words spoken, Zephyrus began walking towards Juno again, his massive form looming over the smaller woman. However, Juno refused to budge an inch, remaining motionless even as he drew nearer and nearer to her position. She was trembling slightly now, but not because of fear; rather, she was shaking due to anger boiling inside her.

"Look at you, pathetic creature. Sniveling and shaking in fear... Unable to do anything useful except cling desperately to that pathetic human wench of yours," Zephyrus sneered. "How low the mighty have fallen indeed." His tone carried a mixture of contempt and scornfulness towards Juno; he spoke with obvious disgust at the wyverian woman's display of compassion towards her companion.

Juno gritted her teeth angrily upon hearing Zephyrus' insults directed towards both herself and Clarent, struggling hard to contain her emotions from exploding outwards. "Ferme-la..." she hissed through clenched teeth, glaring with rage at the golden knight towering over her. "What makes you think I'm afraid of you?"

The golden knight chuckled humorlessly in response, causing a chill to run down Juno's spine. "You cannot hide from me, Aether... I can smell the stench of fear radiating off your miserable little body..." he declared as he circled around the wyverian woman slowly. "Even now, you cower before me, trembling in terror like a lamb before a hungry wolf..."

Juno scoffed indignantly at the knight's comment, rolling her eyes dismissively at his words. "Ah, oui... Of course... You're right about one thing, though," she admitted reluctantly after a brief pause. "I do feel afraid right now... However..." She paused for a short moment before continuing: "It isn't because I'm scared of you... I'm afraid of what might happen to Clarent if I fail her again... and if ma Lionne finds out about it..."

The azure-haired wyverian gazed down at Clarent, resting in her arms as she spoke those words. A soft smile formed on her lips despite the dire circumstances surrounding them. "I promised her that I would keep her safe... And I intend to keep that promise no matter what," she stated, tightening her hold around Clarent slightly while staring resolutely up at Zephyrus, who stopped moving after hearing this declaration from the wyverian woman.

"You're a fool, Aether... A mighty dragon should never lower herself to such pathetic levels. You disgrace our kind by associating yourself with such weak creatures," he spat, his blue eyes glowing within their eye slits as he glared with disdain at Juno.

However, Juno merely laughed at Zephyrus' remark. "Oh, really? Is that what you think?" She retorted sarcastically before adding, "Then why did you follow Guan Romulus like a lost puppy? Aren't you ashamed of submitting yourself so easily to another being's will? Aren't you exactly what you claim I am?"

Zephyrus growled angrily upon hearing Juno's taunt, clenching his fists while glaring daggers at the azure-haired wyverian woman. "Don't you dare compare His Imperial Majesty with those pathetic humans!" he roared, shaking in rage as he spoke those words through gritted teeth. "His Imperial Majesty is nothing like those worthless creatures... He is a true leader worthy of respect! Unlike those filthy ants crawling all over this world, he actually cares about us dragons and treats us fairly!"

Juno raised an eyebrow curiously upon hearing Zephyrus' explanation. "Vraiment...? So tell me then... What's the difference between us? We both chose to put our trust in someone else instead of fighting for ourselves. We are both ready to sacrifice ourselves for another person. So why should I be ashamed of myself when you aren't?" She asked, peering with courage at the golden knight standing before her.

Zephyrus remained silent after listening to Juno's question; however, his body language spoke volumes about his current state of mind: his shoulders were tense, his fists clenched tightly, his tail swishing behind him, and his wings spread wide open. It seemed like he was struggling hard to control himself from attacking Juno right now...

"Enough with thee foolish prattling!" Guan Romulus interrupted suddenly, causing both Juno and Zephyrus to freeze upon hearing his voice booming aloud throughout their surroundings. "We grow tired of this pointless banter between thee two... Just get on with it already," he commanded impatiently, glaring at both Juno and Zephyrus at the same time. "We have no time for idle chatter when we should be focusing on retrieving our sister instead!"

Upon hearing Guan's command, Zephyrus straightened up a bit before bowing towards the emperor. "Yes, your Imperial Majesty..." he replied, sounding somewhat relieved by the fact that his superior had intervened just now.

Meanwhile, Juno scoffed derisively at Guan Romulus' interruption, shaking her head as she stared at the little man standing high above the ground, carried around by his flying minions. "Tch... You really are a coward, aren't you? Too afraid to face me yourself... Instead, you send your petit chienchien here to do your dirty work..." she sneered, earning an angry glare from the emperor.

However, Guan chose to ignore Juno's taunt and just waved dismissively at the azure-haired wyverian instead before turning away from her. "We care not for thy petty insults..." he muttered in irritation under his breath while crossing both arms over his chest. "Now then... Lord Zephyrus... show us thy power!" Guan ordered, pointing directly at Juno with one finger. "Take that pathetic creature out of our sight!"

"Of course, Your Imperial Majesty..." Zephyrus replied as he straightened back up again, facing Juno once more. Without uttering another word, the golden knight raised one hand once more towards the wyverian woman. Several crystal shards shot out again from around him, but this time, the projectiles were much larger in size, aimed directly at the unconscious redhead in Juno's embrace...

Fortunately, the blue-haired wyverian reacted swiftly upon seeing these projectiles coming; she moved to avoid the attack by leaping upwards into the air before landing gracefully a few meters away from Zephyrus' current location. At the same time, she tightened her hold around Clarent, refusing to release the girl even an inch from her body, despite the imminent danger looming over her.

As soon as Juno landed, a crystalline explosion erupted underneath her feet, causing her to stumble slightly backwards. Fortunately, the blast itself didn't actually damage her skin whatsoever; however, it left behind several tiny shrapnel fragments sticking against her soles, which pierced through her flesh and embedded themselves deep into her heels.

The wyverian woman didn't feel any pain at first, thanks to her adrenaline pumping through her veins, but after several seconds passed, she began experiencing discomfort gradually. Her legs became numb, forcing her to collapse onto her knees as her legs gave away under her weight. Still, she felt no pain whatsoever from this injury, only numbness spreading throughout her limbs as time went by, and crystals began sprouting from her wounds, covering her entire feet completely, slowly but surely.

Meanwhile, Zephyrus simply chuckled upon noticing the crystal growth on Juno's ankles, knowing full well the consequences of letting those shards affect her body like this. The gust of wind surrounding him decreased significantly afterwards, returning to a gentle breeze swirling around him slowly, although his golden dust was still there...

"It's already over, Aether... There's nothing more you can do to protect that human filth anymore..." he declared in an almost sympathetic tone of voice while watching Juno struggle desperately against the crystal spreading across her feet. "Surrender now before things become worse than necessary..."

Juno grimaced as she struggled hard against herself to not panic in the face of imminent doom. "I don't care about myself... All that matters is Clarent's safety..." she murmured, glancing with sadness at her companion lying limp on her lap. Then she stared back at Zephyrus, gritting her teeth in anger as her purple eyes flared in defiance. But before she could muster a retort, she heard someone coughing nearby, catching her attention...

Juno glanced downwards just in time to witness Clarent stirring awake unexpectedly, blinking her bleary eyes as she regained consciousness. "Ouch... What in the world...?!" the redhead muttered as she sat upright in Juno's arms, rubbing her aching forehead while glancing around in confusion. However, there was a noticeable change in her facial expression. Gone was the kind, gentle, and cheerful attitude, replaced by cold, detached indifference instead...

"Clarent! You're awake! Dieu merci!" Juno exclaimed upon realizing the redhead's status, smiling warmly at Clarent despite the circumstances. "Are you okay?"

Clarent glared at Juno, causing the wyverian woman's expression to falter before freezing when she realized there was something wrong with the redhead...

"Why... does my head ache so much?" Clarent muttered to herself quietly while massaging her temples. "Wait... is this... pain? Are you telling me... that I am feeling pain again?" Her tone sounded distant and unfamiliar; her eyes were wide open, staring at nothing in particular before chuckling softly under her breath.

Juno frowned upon hearing this strange change in Clarent's personality, wondering what might've happened to cause such a drastic shift in mood. However, she didn't get the chance to figure it out any further due to Zephyrus approaching them from behind. "Enough stalling... Time to die, wench," he declared confidently as he walked closer towards Juno, lifting his massive tail behind him.

Clarent continued laughing hysterically for several seconds longer until she stopped abruptly and muttered under her breath, "Hah... I see... So that's how it is... How interesting..." She turned her head slowly towards Zephyrus and smiled sweetly at him, an expression so fake and disturbing it sent chills down his spine.

With Clarent facing away from Juno, the wyverian woman couldn't see what expression she was making currently. But judging by Zephyrus' reaction, it must have been something terrifying indeed. His entire body stiffened visibly as he halted in place, staring towards the redhead as if seeing a ghost before him.

"Hey, Thunder Tits... What's going on here exactly?" Clarent suddenly inquired, breaking the embrace with Juno and standing up straight. "And... who's that clown?"

Juno blinked several times in utter bewilderment upon hearing such crude language coming from Clarent's mouth, especially directed towards herself. "Thunder... what?" Juno replied, staring at Clarent in disbelief. "What's gotten into you suddenly? Did you hit your head or something?"

Clarent raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. "I don't know... my head does hurt a lot, so... maybe? But I'm feeling great right now, though... Never felt better, in fact! I feel... alive!" she exclaimed, beaming with genuine happiness as she spoke those words. "You have no idea how refreshing it is to experience sensations other than fear and despair after so long... Seriously, I could kiss you right now!" She chuckled before winking suggestively towards Juno, causing the latter's cheeks to blush bright red.

"E-Excuse me?!" the wyverian woman stammered, flushing from embarrassment at such a bold statement made so casually by the supposedly timid girl.

"Don't play coy with me, darling... You didn't mind doing that earlier, in front of everyone else, no less~" Clarent purred as she approached Juno, patting her on the top of her head. "But seriously... Thanks for keeping this useless meat sack alive for me," she added in a casual tone afterwards, gesturing in her own direction. "I appreciate it greatly; I really owe ya one, babe~"

Juno was stunned, speechless, by Clarent's unexpected transformation. That girl used to be so meek and shy before, but she was so different right now, acting rude and cheeky like a complete stranger. Even her body language seemed unusual somehow; her posture was straighter and more confident, and she moved with more assurance than before. Plus, there was this strange aura emanating around her right now... Something sad, dark, yet familiar at the same time... But that didn't matter right now; they were still in danger, and her feet were paralyzed by crystals. She needed to focus on escaping somehow before things got out of hand even further.

"Let's see... What to do now?" Clarent mumbled to herself, stroking her chin thoughtfully while peering around her surroundings. Then, her gaze fell upon a sword lying abandoned nearby, half-submerged within a puddle of muddy water. A wicked grin appeared on her face as an idea popped inside her mind, causing her heart to race from excitement alone.

Without wasting any further time, Clarent walked swiftly towards the discarded weapon on the ground, grabbing hold of its hilt tightly before lifting it off the ground. She inspected the blade, examining it meticulously for any signs of damage, before nodding afterwards. "Aah, finally something useful..." she murmured under her breath, admiring her find while twirling it around with ease within one hand effortlessly.

"W-What are you doing with that!? Put it away, Clarent! Please!" Juno pleaded, watching in panic as her companion swung her new-found weapon around like a mere toy.

"Relax, babe... I'm just gonna borrow this for a while... No harm done, right? Albeit... not yet at least~" Clarent giggled mischievously before spinning around like a whirlgig, helped by her momentum and the slippery ground beneath her. Then, she suddenly threw something in Guan Romulus' direction, high above the ground, with impressive accuracy despite the distance and her current state. The emperor didn't move in the slightest when it was hurled towards him, simply glaring down at the redhead with disdain written across his handsome features. One of his flying minions intercepted it before it hit him; it was nothing more than a random pebble Clarent picked up from the floor.

Zephyrus growled as anger rose upon witnessing this scene unfold in front of him. However, before the golden knight could retaliate further, Clarent stopped spinning abruptly, causing herself to lose balance and stumble around awkwardly. She eventually managed to steady herself again without falling onto the floor, although not without stumbling a few steps forward first.

"Phew! That was close." Clarent gasped in exhalation after regaining composure once more before turning around to face Zephyrus again. "Hey there, big boy~" she called out playfully towards the golden giant, smirking wickedly at the latter while brandishing her stolen sword threateningly. "Wanna play with me a bit? I promise I'll behave~"

Zephyrus narrowed his glowing eyes towards Clarent, glaring vehemently at the redheaded girl standing before him. "You insolent wench... How dare you disrespect His Imperial Majesty in such a manner?! I'll make you pay dearly for this offense!" the knight bellowed, raising his massive fist in the air above him.

"Oh dear... The poor, poor baby received a pebble on his precious face... I guess he needs his nappy changed." Clarent mocked, bursting into mad laughter at Zephyrus' reaction towards her taunts. "You better hurry, though... Or else he might start crying soon, and nobody likes crying babies, right~?" she added afterwards, earning another enraged roar from Zephyrus in return.

Guan Romulus sighed out in exasperation upon hearing these childish insults. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head in disapproval at the redhead's behavior. However, despite this blatant display of disrespect, the emperor remained silent throughout, choosing not to interfere any further in their battle.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Zephyrus shouted as he charged towards Clarent head-on. "You'll pay with your life for your insults!" he declared angrily as he lunged forward, swinging his mighty hand towards Clarent's head. Unfortunately for him, Clarent managed to evade the strike by simply ducking underneath the incoming blow, allowing herself to slip through his reach completely unscathed.

However, Zephyrus refused to let go of her, chasing her relentlessly around his vicinity while attempting to crush her beneath his powerful blows, only to miss each time. This went on for a few more minutes before Clarent finally decided to counterattack instead of dodging forever.

Just as Zephyrus threw another strike, Clarent dove once more before sidestepping swiftly to avoid it, causing him to overshoot his attack and expose his side to the redhead. In that split second window, Clarent thrust forward her weapon, aiming for his unprotected flank... However, the knight saw her move coming from a mile away already, so he ambushed the redhead, using his massive tail as a makeshift hammer that smashed into her body brutally, sending her flying away from Zephyrus' reach.

Clarent grunted painfully after hitting the ground hard enough to knock her breath out of her lungs, rolling several times before stopping face down on the wet pavement. However, despite sustaining significant injuries already, she somehow managed to stand back up again regardless, albeit with noticeable difficulty. She coughed hard several times as she struggled to regain composure once more, with her sword as support. Her ribs ached terribly, making breathing difficult for her, and blood dripped from her mouth as a result.

Nevertheless, the redhead's face still bore a smug, mocking expression while staring at Zephyrus, as if she taunted him to keep attacking her despite the disadvantage she currently had. She started giggling maniacally as she wiped off the blood leaking from the corner of her lips, smearing her cheek scarlet red. "Oh man... I really missed this feeling..." she murmured under breath, licking her bloodied lips with evident lust. "Pain... It feels so good!" And she erupted into hysterical laughter once more afterwards, clutching her stomach as tears welled up inside her eyes, probably due to both the excuriate pain and sheer amusement she was feeling.

Zephyrus witnessed the scene unfold before him in stunned silence, completely shocked by what happened just now. He had never seen such a display of madness ever before during all these centuries... And now here stood this crazy human woman laughing at her own misfortune, seemingly enjoying herself despite suffering some serious damage... He honestly didn't know how to react to such a bizarre occurrence, leaving him dumbstruck and unsure whether he should continue fighting or not.

Clarent suddenly stopped giggling abruptly several moments later, straightening upright and flashing a wicked smirk towards Zephyrus. Her blue eyes gleamed ominously within her sockets; her pupils were contracted, narrowing to mere slits, giving them a predatory look similar to feline creatures. "More... Give me more of this delicious pain!" she moaned with a hoarse voice filled with bliss as she readied herself for another attack, brandishing her sword tightly within grasp, eager for action. "Come on, you overgrown lizard... Don't leave me hanging here!" she taunted him, a wide, vicious grin plastered across her face.

Meanwhile, Juno watched anxiously from the sidelines, worried sick over the redhead's safety. "Oh mon dieu... What's gotten into this girl?! She's definitely going crazy..." she muttered under her breath, shaking her head frantically as she observed Clarent's reckless behavior during this fight. "This is bad... Really bad. If this keeps up, she might endanger herself even more than before..."

"Hey, Thunder Tits... Shouldn't you worry about yourself first? Look at you; you can't even stand anymore." Clarent suddenly spoke up, catching Juno by surprise. The redhead glanced at the azure-haired wyverian before focusing back on her opponent. "If you aren't gonna help me here, then, by all means, get the fuck outta here already!" She snapped and shot a rapid glare at the wyverian woman.

Juno's eyes widened considerably upon hearing such harsh words from Clarent's mouth. "Wha... What are you saying? Clarent...? Why...? What happened to-" Before she could finish, Clarent cut her short by shouting at her.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch! Just move your fat ass already! I don't have all day!" the redhead yelled furiously, causing Juno to flinch from shock. However, Clarent immediately calmed down afterwards before adding quietly, "Please..." Her tone was pleading now; her expression looked desperate and sad, filled with guilt and regret. "Don't watch this... Don't watch me break... Please, Juno..."

Those words struck Juno like a lightning bolt; she froze in place after hearing Clarent plead to her in this manner, unable to respond appropriately. "Jeune fille... what did you do with Clarent?" Juno demanded, glaring daggers at the redhead. "What have you done to her!?"

"What are you talking about, darling? I'm Clarent, of course." Clarent answered innocently before bursting out laughing once more like a maniac. "I'm just... a teensy poquito más honest with my feelings, that's all~" She added afterwards, between fits of giggles and writhes of pain caused by her uncontrolled, crazy laugh.

It took Juno several seconds longer to process what exactly was happening, but once it finally sank in, the realization dawned on her: Clarent's personality... it has completely changed. This person standing before her right now... it wasn't her Clarent... This person wasn't the kind, innocent, and shy girl she met just a short time ago... Rather, this was an entirely different being altogether. A being who radiated malicious energy and evil intent...

"You... You're not her." Juno growled at Clarent with a mixture of panic, sadness, and anger in her voice. "You're an imposter! Where's the real Clarent!?" she yelled furiously at the redhead. "Is this another one of your tricks, Guan Romulus? What did you do to her?!"

Upon hearing these accusations, Guan Romulus simply scoffed at the azure-haired woman, offended by such baseless accusations directed at him. "We do not appreciate thy slanderous claims, Aether... Thy insolence shall not go unpunished," he threatened, looking down upon the blue-haired woman with disdain. "We have no interest whatsoever in such worthless vermin like that weakling of thine..." he added, crossing arms over his chest in indignation. "Lord Zephyrus! Let us put an end to this farce already!" he commanded impatiently, gesturing towards the golden knight beside him.

Zephyrus bowed deep for Guan Romulus. "Of course, Your Imperial Majesty..." Then he turned back towards Clarent, narrowing his glowing eyes towards the redhead. Without uttering another word, the golden knight raised both hands in front of him as he started concentrating energy; the ground began to shake a bit underneath everyone's feet, and a bubble formed around him, protecting himself from the upcoming assault, as he prepared to unleash a strong wide-area attack to get rid of both Clarent and Juno at the same time. Light began emitting from the crystal parts of Zephyrus' body as he gathered tremendous amounts of energy around himself. The atmosphere grew heavy and hot from this overwhelming power building up around him; even the rain ceased pouring momentarily, evaporating immediately upon contact with the burning air surrounding Zephyrus.

"Ahahahaha~ Oh my... so scary." Clarent giggled cheerfully; she seemed more amused than afraid of the situation, despite being confronted by Zephyrus' deadly attack. "Look, I'm literally shaking in my boots right now, haha~" she joked, as she was indeed trembling slightly, but mostly due to uncontrollable laughter and the tremor affecting their surroundings. "Oh man... this is gonna hurt like hell," she murmured to herself, still harboring an uncanny smile despite her obvious disadvantages in this situation.

"Clarent! Stop joking around! We must escape right now!" Juno yelled in fright towards the redhead, struggling to stand up despite the crystallization spreading on her legs. "This attack is dangerous! It could kill us both!"

However, Clarent merely waved dismissively at Juno while chuckling under her breath, ignoring the wyverian woman's warning altogether. "Relax, babe... I'm not losing to a clown who wears fucking golden armor. Golden! Can you believe this guy? What an absolute dumbass!" she snickered at Zephyrus' expense, mocking him mercilessly for his poor fashion sense. "Golden armor is for pussies, ya know~?"

While Zephyrus managed to maintain his calm demeanor despite being insulted several times like this, the last comment about his armor pushed the golden knight over the edge as he suddenly snapped, losing his concentration and interrupting his weird casting. The atmosphere began to cool down afterward, allowing the rainwater to pour once again and soaking everyone present on the battlefield.

Clarent stared at the golden knight in silence, her smile fading away once she realized that he had stopped channeling his powers... and nothing happened. "Huh? What's going on...? Nothing's happening," she mumbled to herself as she glanced around in confusion, scanning the area for anything amiss, only to find nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever. "Waaaaow dude... Talk about a letdown... That was lame," she grumbled in utter disappointment, visibly upset by such an anti-climatic turn of events. "How could you ruin the mood like that? Did you just lose your boner or something? Am I not exciting enough for ya, bro?"

"Are you... Are you crazy or just an imbecile, Clarent?" Juno blurted out, staring in disbelief at the redhead. "Did you actually think provoking your enemy like that would work in your favor? Do you even hear yourself right now?!"

Before Clarent could respond to Juno's outrage, Zephyrus suddenly exploded in rage, roaring furiously like a wild beast as he charged headlong towards Clarent without warning whatsoever. He literally threw himself towards the redhead at full speed with one of his arms raised, preparing to deliver a devastating blow straight towards her head. Clarent barely reacted on time as she quickly grabbed hold of her stolen sword and raised it above her head in order to parry Zephyrus' incoming attack. The blade shattered upon impact, splintering into dozens of tiny shards that scattered across the ground underneath her feet.

But that didn't stop the momentum of the golden knight's charge; he tackled the redhead with all his might, sending her flying backwards like a cannonball straight towards one of the warehouses nearby, smashing through the wall hard enough to cause it to collapse on top of her. An enormous cloud of dust erupted from the pile of rubble as a result, obscuring the entire area from view completely.

But his counterattack didn't end there either. A now-furious Zephyrus bellowed towards the collapsed building where Clarent crashed, unleashing his fury by summoning forth a barrage of crystal missiles towards her. "DIE, YOU INSUFFERABLE WENCH!"

Each projectile was roughly as large as a shortsword; they flew fast towards their target in a straight-line formation. But none of them hit their mark: they exploded in mid-air before reaching Clarent, intercepted by several lightning bolts coming from somewhere else, caused by a certain azure-haired wyverian.

Juno managed to somehow lift herself up, hovering above the ground as if she were being carried by the wind itself. Although the crystallization was still progressing slowly but surely, she was no longer helpless on the floor, but she still couldn't walk anymore since the crystals had nearly reached up to her thighs already.

"Clarent!" Juno cried out, moving in the air toward the fallen redhead as if swimming through the wind, hoping to reach her in time to save her. Unfortunately, she was stopped short of her goal when Zephyrus appeared out of nowhere, blocking her way with his large body.

"You're not going anywhere, witch! Bite the dust already!" Zephyrus roared in rage as he used his wings to generate a powerful gust of wind filled with crystalized shards that blew straight towards Juno and knocked her back, sending her flying through the air uncontrollably. She struggled hard against this unnatural gale battering against her frame, cutting her flesh and clothes mercilessly, but to no avail: she crashed heavily into the far end of the alleyway where she originated, colliding directly against another warehouse's wall with a loud thud.

Despite the brutal impact, Juno managed to remain conscious, although barely. She lay still where she landed after the crash, half-naked and covered in lacerations all over her body, her hair disheveled and her clothing in tatters. On top of that, the crystallization had spread even more on her body thanks to the repeated blows from crystal shards she just endured. She groaned in pain while trying to move her limbs; alas, she wasn't able to do anything except whimper pitifully.

"That's enough, Lord Zephyrus, excellent work," Guan Romulus congratulated from above, clapping his hands in satisfaction as he descended upon the ground where the wyverian woman was located, landing gracefully right beside her.

However, a sudden laughter echoed within the alleyway, catching Guan's and Zephyrus' attention immediately. "Not so fast..." Clarent said between ragged breaths as she stood up once more, leaning against the broken wall behind her. "We... We're not done here, asshole... Not until..." She stopped talking abruptly as she clutched her side and coughed violently before collapsing on one knee on the floor. "Urgh... No... Not now! Damnit!"

Zephyrus growled in defiance towards Clarent as he stomped forward in the direction of the redhead, intending to finish her off once and for all. But before he could do anything else, Guan Romulus motioned for him to stop. "We have grown tired of thy endless resistance, wench," the emperor said with a stern look on his face, glaring at Clarent and crossing his arms over his chest. "We shall not indulge in thy foolish antics anymore... Heed our command! End thy pitiful existence immediately!"

Once again, his words were filled with authority and confidence, as well as a strange power behind them. And like before, the redhead felt compelled to obey his words without any hesitation whatsoever...

However, despite the obvious pressure exerted over her very soul, she simply shrugged it off completely with another mad giggle, shaking her head as she gazed towards Guan Romulus in amusement. "Oh my... how cruel... The poor little girl was struggling so hard to take back her own body and awaken from this nightmare. Yet you just threw her back into darkness again, allowing ME to enjoy myself in her stead," she declared with a delighted sigh, closing her eyes briefly as if savoring the sensation running through her entire being. "Ahh... this is perfect... Everything is just perfect!"

As she was about to burst out laughing again, Clarent then clutched her side tighter, coughing blood involuntarily. She gritted her teeth while struggling against the agony coursing through her body. After a brief moment of intense suffering, she finally calmed down, wiping off the blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Sorry about that... I got too excited there for a second," she muttered sheepishly as she struggled back to a standing position, supporting her weight by leaning on the wall behind her.

"Your Majesty... allow me to dispose of this filth personally." Zephyrus pleaded with his superior, bowing respectfully. "I will make sure she never rises again."

Guan nodded at his subordinate as a sign for him to act, allowing the golden knight to proceed. "Madness has consumed this pathetic mortal already... Put an end to her misery," the emperor commanded, before turning his gaze to the azure-haired wyverian lying nearby on the ground. "Now then... Let us finish what we started, Aether..."

"Ugh... I-I won't..." Juno muttered between ragged breaths, wincing in pain every now and then whenever she moved too much due to her wounds. "Clarent... I promised... to protect her."

"Such determination... A commendable effort, indeed... Sadly, futile nonetheless," Guan declared with confidence as he sauntered forward, standing over Juno's prone body while peering at the wounded wyverian woman. "A shame thou wasted thy talents working alongside that vermin... Had thee chosen to serve our empire, thy fate would have been different, most assuredly..."

"What... can I say?" Juno retorted weakly, managing to smirk back despite being pinned to the ground beneath the emperor's shadowy figure looming ominously overhead. "I prefer... loyalty... above power... I'd rather... die protecting... my friends... than... live alone... ruling over... nothing but... a pile of corpses."

"Hmph... Then allow us to ask thee again, Aether: Why didst thou choose to side with those mortals? Surely thou realize that thy actions will only bring forth their ruin." Guan questioned as he kneeled down beside Juno's shivering body, cupping her chin carefully with one hand.

"Because... they treat me... as an equal. Even knowing... my true nature... even after... what I did... in the past... humans accepted me... they saved me... they never judged me... on my appearances... nor by past mistakes... they forgave me... regardless... giving me... a purpose in life again." Juno answered, smiling fondly at Guan Romulus, even though there were tears welling up inside her purple eyes.

A voice suddenly called out from the distance, interrupting whatever response Guan intended to give Juno. "Hey, Juno... Don't tell me... you've already given up?" the voice of a certain redheaded girl, raspy and strained, echoed within the alleyway as Zephyrus approached her, ready to deliver the finishing blow. "Juno... don't you dare... JUNO!" she shouted as panic started taking over, struggling desperately to stand back up on shaky legs despite having numerous fractured bones.

Then, Clarent pushed herself up forcefully from her position and rushed forward, charging straight towards the direction where Juno lay motionless. She didn't even bother paying attention to Zephyrus' presence, completely ignoring his existence as she ran past him. But the golden knight didn't let her escape so easily; he swung his massive tail to intercept the incoming redhead's reckless advance, striking her hard in the abdomen and sending her flying back to the spot where she previously stood just a few seconds prior.

Clarent crashed into the ground with a painful scream, coughing severely after receiving such a brutal hit straight in the gut. No matter how much she claimed she enjoyed pain, there was a limit to such tolerance. She stopped moving afterwards, lying still on the ground while gasping as she tried desperately to catch her lost breath.

Meanwhile, Juno was worried sick over Clarent, but there wasn't much she could do in her current state, paralyzed on the floor by crystallization, which spread even further up her body since the last time she looked at herself. Instead, she turned back towards Guan Romulus and continued her speech. "I learned so much... I learned how to love... what it meant to live... I have grown attached to them... cherishing the presence of those... I love and... caring for their... wellbeing... I would... never trade anything... in exchange for those bonds... not even my... former glory."

Although Juno couldn't see clearly because of blurry vision, she noticed something changing in Guan's expression: he seemed... troubled, frowning with an unreadable expression on his face as he listened to the wyverian woman speaking quietly. Perhaps even reminiscing about some old memories buried deep within his heart...

After several seconds, the emperor released her chin from his grasp and straightened back up again, sighing deeply under his breath. "How pathetic... Thou truly art a fool, Aether..." he uttered while shaking his head, appearing genuinely sad for some reason. "There is no good in those mortals... Only suffering awaits them at the end of their short, pitiful lives... Alas, there is no helping thee anymore... We shall grant thee a swift death, for old time's sake... Farewell, Aether," Guan concluded, closing his eyes for a moment as a tear trickled down his cheek.

Juno remained silent as Guan Romulus snapped fingers, calling forth another group of flying wyverns from nowhere who formed a line in front of him. Without uttering another word, he pointed towards the azure-haired wyverian lying helpless on the floor; in response, all creatures opened their mouths wide open, preparing themselves for an attack. A few seconds later, they unleashed a torrent of flames, converging into one toward Juno and engulfing her completely within seconds. She didn't even try to defend herself from this onslaught; she just laid there unmoving, letting the flames swallow her whole.

A few moments later, all fire ceased, leaving nothing left behind; in fact, there was not even a trace of the ashes or remains of Juno's corpse at all, as if she were never here to begin with. Guan lowered his head respectfully towards empty space for a brief moment before turning away and walking away, intending to leave this place now that the situation here is taken care of.

"Good grief..." someone spoke suddenly, startling the emperor. A person emerged from the warehouse where Juno was supposed to be resting, carrying the wounded wyverian woman gingerly within arms, safe and sound. "I told you not to overdo it, Juno..." the newcomer sighed while adjusting Juno's position in her arms, careful not to hurt her any further.

The stranger looked human: a middle-aged woman with dark skin and blond hair, wearing a casual outfit not fit for fighting, consisting of a black tank top paired with shorts, unpaired shoes, and a simple black leather jacket with a few insignia. She stood tall and proud, confidence oozing out from every pore of her body as she looked around the place carefully with her sharp, calculating single eye. Despite the dire circumstances, she seemed completely calm, unfazed by the destruction caused around here by these two powerful beings. She seemed almost bored by this whole scene unfolding before her.

"Ugh... M-Ma... L-Lionne..." Juno stammered weakly between heavy pants, stirring in the newcomer's arms before opening her eyelids. "You... came..."

"Shhhh... You need to rest now, sweetie. Don't strain yourself too much," the blonde whispered with tenderness towards the injured wyverian woman, cradling her safely against her chest.

Juno merely giggled in response, smiling warmly towards the newcomer. "I'm... sorry... for being... such a bother... Selena," she wispered before drifting off into slumber.

The blonde smiled affectionately towards the sleeping beauty resting within her arms, planting a soft kiss on Juno's forehead afterwards. Then she turned to glare at Guan Romulus, who stood motionless nearby, watching everything in silence.

"So... what do I owe this pleasure?" Selena asked with a poker face, although there was an underlying threat hidden within her tone, as if warning him not to play any games with her. "I don't remember asking for a clown performance today."

Guan stared, astonished, at the newcomer, unable to comprehend what happened in the first place. "Thee... Thou art not supposed to be here!" he exclaimed in disbelief as he took several steps backwards cautiously. "We wert careful to avoid thy interference... The wyverns wert supposed to keep thee occupied for longer..."

"Oh, so that little show was your doing? And it was meant for me? How flattering," Selena chuckled, shaking her head slowly while sighing afterwards. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore now... It has already been dealt with," she declared confidently while glancing downward at Juno resting within her arms. "Seems like you underestimated us, buddy pal~"

"Impossible!" Guan roared angrily towards Selena, clenching his fists at his sides. "We calculated everything perfectly! There wert enough wyverns to keep thee occupied for a long time! Thou shouldn't have been able to interfere with our plans!"

"Impossible? Bro, I'm literally right here in front of you. Are you blind or something?" Selena retorted, shrugging her shoulders casually as she spoke those words.

Guan Romulus narrowed his eyes at Selena, growling menacingly at the blonde woman. "Silence, filth... Know your place," he ordered, shooting an icy glare at the human woman. However, he wasn't looking at her like he did with the other humans; rather, it looked more like a mixture of surprise...and fear, perhaps?

Meanwhile, Zephyrus, upon noticing the newcomer, immediately left the redhead alone and rushed towards Guan's side, shielding his master from any potential harm. "Back off, wench... You are dealing with His Imperial Majesty Guan Romulus, Emperor of the Lost Empire," the knight warned Selena, pointing his index finger accusingly towards the human. "Do not dare disrespect him any-"

"Shut up," Selena interrupted him bluntly, not even bothering to glance at Zephyrus at all. However, the tone she used when speaking sounded cold and unforgiving, sending chills down everyone present in the area and even causing Guan Romulus himself to gulp under his breath. She had dropped the friendly act already, replacing it with an intimidating, threatening air that caused even the bravest warriors to quake in their boots.

Upon seeing Selena's aggressive stance, Zephyrus stepped backwards slowly, retreating a safe distance away from Selena without saying anything else.

"Y'all have a lot of nerves," Selena remarked with a slight tilt of her head, locking her single emerald eye on the pair standing opposite her. "First, you break into my city, capture the Diva, and somehow set up a litteral warzone just to distract me... Then you injure an innocent and try to kill my dear Juno... and to top it all, you even have the audacity to stand before me as if you have any right to be here." the air around Selena crackled with tension as she spoke, her voice dripping with a mix of anger and disbelief.

"There's no word to describe how furious I am right now, but..." Selena declared, pausing for a moment to glance downward at the wyverian woman in her arms, a faint, gentle smile appearing briefly on her face. "I'm willing to give you one last chance, in respect for Juno's wishes... Hand over Lyra and get your faces outta my sight before I lose my patience."

---

In Clarent's Dream

The redhead found herself back in a familiar place: a campfire burning quietly in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by trees on all sides. She was simply lying there in front of the flickering flames, her head resting against a log propped up against a boulder nearby. Everything around her was pitch black, except for this little blaze illuminating the area. The very same place she seemed to visit in her dreams a lot lately, at least as far as she could remember.

This time, though, she wasn't alone; someone else sat a bit further ahead, their back facing Clarent, apparently absorbed in watching the fire in front of them closely. The individual didn't appear to notice Clarent's presence either, remaining perfectly still where they were. Although she couldn't see their face clearly, she somehow knew exactly who that person was anyway. After all, her crimson hair was unmistakable, tied into a side ponytail hanging loosely over her right shoulder.

"Finally awake, huh?" The woman asked without bothering to turn around and look at Clarent directly, still gazing into the fire quietly. "Took your sweet time..."

"Um... Hello..." Clarent stammered, unsure what to say and feeling rather nervous at being addressed directly like this. "Who are you?" she blurted out next without thinking.

The woman laughed softly in response to that question. "Straight to the point, aren't we?" she commented, sounding amused by Clarent's bluntness. "Let's see... How should I introduce myself this time? Hmm..." After a moment of consideration, the woman decided, "You know what? I'm lazy, so let me show you instead."

Suddenly, she stood up and turned around so that her features could be seen properly. She was indeed an exact copy of Clarent, just as she suspected—identical in every way except for her attire and maybe her age. Her clothes consisted of a red shirt underneath a brown vest securely buttoned up to her neck, coupled with long dark pants tucked inside knee-high leather boots. Overall, her clothing choice looked like that of a wandering hunter, and she had a sword strapped onto her back as well, although it wasn't one the redhead recognized.

Her face, however, appeared older by at least a few years compared to Clarent's own, or maybe it was because she seemed so worn out and tired externally. Her gaze in particular appeared empty and distant, like someone who'd lost hope in the world. Something peculiar caught Clarent's attention, though. Her clothes were stained with dried blood, splattered all over her upper body and face. She wondered if this was because she killed something recently...

Clarent couldn't help but shudder involuntarily upon seeing such a grim sight; it was so unsettling to have an older version of herself standing before her right now. Especially with those lifeless eyes... "Wait... that's impossible!" she gasped in shock once realization dawned upon her regarding what this strange lady represented. "Am I... am I looking at myself?"

"It's a dream, you fool..." The woman chuckled bitterly, rolling her eyes at Clarent's ignorance. "Anything's possible here."

"A... dream?" Clarent repeated incredulously. "But... I was just... with Miss Juno and..." She trailed off abruptly as she tried hard to recall what happened just prior to waking up here. Sadly, nothing came to mind aside from vague flashes of images and sounds here and there.

"Please, shut up," the woman interrupted rudely before Clarent could continue rambling further. "I don't want to hear your stupid questions right now."

The redhead flinched a bit at this abrupt rebuke, taken aback by such a harsh tone used by none other than herself. However, she quickly recovered from her surprise and glared defiantly at the woman standing before her.

"Anyway..." the crimson-haired lady continued casually, ignoring Clarent's reaction. "My name is Clarent, just like you. But unlike you, I still have all my wits and memories intact." She explained without breaking eye contact with Clarent once, maintaining a steady gaze throughout. "And unlike you, I'm stuck in here... Trapped inside your pathetic mind forever."

Clarent gulped audibly as she processed this information, trying hard not to freak out over this revelation. "W-What do you mean?" she asked with hesitation after several seconds passed without any further explanation provided by her counterpart. "Is there something wrong with me...?"

The red-haired woman scoffed derisively at Clarent's question, shooting her a rather annoyed look. "Wrong? Oh yes... So much is wrong with you, it hurts to watch." She growled, glaring at Clarent with an expression she never thought she would see on her own face: hatred, and it terrified her. "I don't even know where to begin explaining how messed up things are currently, and I won't bother wasting time trying anyway."

"I..." Clarent began saying before stopping, unsure whether she wanted to argue about this issue or just shut up and accept this truth. After mulling over it some more, she decided that ignorance was perhaps for the best, so she said nothing in response to that statement.

"Then again..." the other redhead suddenly added while staring straight into Clarent's eyes without blinking, her expression growing colder and more serious as she spoke. "It doesn't matter, because you won't remember anything afterwards. Just like always..." she finished, a grim smile appearing on her face, before breaking eye contact and averting her gaze elsewhere.

Clarent felt utterly confused by what happened just now, and even more so by that final comment. But something else bothered her more: her other self showed such hostility towards her, treating her with disdain and contempt despite seeming friendly at first glance. There was clear animosity between them, as if they were enemies locked in a bitter rivalry. Clarent couldn't help but wonder what had caused this deep-seated resentment and why her other self seemed determined to keep her in the dark.

"Hey..." Clarent began, hesitantly speaking up after an extended pause. "Why... why do I get the impression that you dislike me?" Clarent's voice quivered with a mix of fear and curiosity as she mustered the courage to confront her other self.

The woman chuckled humorlessly in response to that question, glancing sidelong at Clarent without looking straight at her. "Oh, yes... You're absolutely right. I hate you so much... More than I've hated anything in my entire life," she said, her voice dripping with venom. The intensity of her words sent a shiver down Clarent's spine, leaving her speechless for a moment. "I despise everything about you... Your ignorance, your weakness, your cowardice—even the mere sight of you fills me with uncontrollable anger."

Clarent could feel the weight of each word, as if they were daggers piercing her heart. She had never seen such raw hatred in someone's eyes before, and it shook her to her core. The depth of her other self's animosity was overwhelming, leaving Clarent at a loss for words. Somehow, such hatred didn't surprise her much, since she herself resented her current self as well. But regardless, it still hurt to hear herself being attacked so viciously.

"But... at the end of the day, we're the same person," her counterpart added after another pause, smiling sadly at Clarent, showing a hint of sympathy amidst her fury. "So I guess I also hate myself as well."

Clarent's heart sank as she absorbed her counterpart's words. The realization that they both harbored self-hatred struck her with a profound sense of melancholy.

"What do you want me to do?" She asked, her voice filled with genuine concern. She desperately wanted to help her counterpart find some peace within themselves. "Is... Is there anything I can do to—"

"Look around, Clarent!" The other redhead suddenly interrupted, standing up and gesturing at her surroundings as she spoke. "Take a good look around and tell me what's missing!"

Clarent glanced around, scanning the surrounding forest, looking closely for whatever her twin was trying to show her. But aside from trees, bushes, and grass growing between rocks scattered everywhere, there wasn't much else to see except for darkness beyond the light cast by the flickering flames of the bonfire.

The redhead hesitated for a moment before responding, "U-Uh... Well, it's dark, so I don't see anything else." She trailed off with uncertainty, hoping this reply satisfied her interrogator somewhat.

The red-haired woman burst into hysterical laughter as soon as she heard this reply, clutching her stomach while doubling over. "That's right... Dark! Empty! Lifeless! Completely devoid of any meaning whatsoever!" she declared as she continued cackling uncontrollably before continuing more seriously: "This is my prison... Your prison! Forever trapped within your own mind, unable to reach out to anyone else! The only company I have is you... And believe me when I say, I really despise you with all my heart! But here we are, both of us, bound together for eternity~"

Clarent winced at being treated so rudely by someone who looked exactly like her, despite not understanding why. "I... I don't..." she began protesting before being interrupted once more by the other girl.

"All of this... all of it, is because of that scoundrel, that damned, treacherous bastard Strife..." the woman snarled, clenching her fists as she voiced her frustration over the white cat. "If only I realized sooner...!"

"W-What about Strife? What does he have to do with any of this?" Clarent inquired after being silenced earlier, becoming curious about what exactly happened between her beloved partner and herself.

Her twin snorted derisively in response to Clarent's curiosity, scowling at the redhead. "Of course, you don't know yet... He may be the only thing I loathe even more than you, though... No offense~" she remarked sarcastically before sighing. "But why spoil the surprise for you now? It wouldn't be fair, wouldn't it?" She concluded afterwards, giving Clarent a genuine smile without any malice whatsoever.

"That's not funny..." Clarent muttered, frowning a bit as she thought hard about what could possibly be hidden beneath these cryptic statements uttered by her other self.

"Oh, trust me, it really is! I for sure am going to laugh my ass off once you learn the truth." Her alter ego retorted cheerfully, grinning from ear to ear. "Anyway~ Wanna hear something real funny? Something that will absolutely crack you up?" She added, abruptly changing the subject with a wicked grin spreading across her lips.

"Eh...?" Clarent replied, caught off guard by the sudden change of topic and taken aback by this unexpected shift in mood from the redhead. "Uh... I'm not sure if—" she attempted, unsure what to make of this weird behavior shown by the woman in front of her.

"It's actually not the first time we met, you know?" Her double interrupted yet again, her tone completely different from before, now sounding surprisingly casual and relaxed while speaking. This contrast between the two sides of this bizarre entity frightened Clarent a lot, which in turn caused her heart rate to rise rapidly in response to this confusing situation unfolding before her eyes.

"In fact, you've been coming to visit me for quite some time now, almost constantly... Even if you can't recall, I certainly do," the crimson-haired woman explained, smiling gently as she spoke those words, appearing unfazed by Clarent's visible confusion. "After all, I'm the only one here with a functioning brain right now." She added in a joking tone, but it was obvious that she enjoyed seeing Clarent squirm uncomfortably under her scrutiny.

"All these times you wandered in here, lost and confused... seeking solace from your torment... All those countless nights spent conversing, asking me the same questions over and over again." She paused a little to take a deep breath before continuing: "And all these times you woke up and forgot about me completely afterwards..." She trailed off, shaking her head regretfully at this sad reality. "But here's the catch: these encounters, no matter how small or futile they seem, still had to end somehow, just like this one will need to." She explained carefully before adding, "So here's a question for you: how did these meetings ultimately end? Come on, take a wild guess~"

Clarent's breath caught in her throat as she listened to what her alter ego said, dreading the answer even though she already guessed what it might be... Yet she refrained from saying anything else. Instead, she simply shook her head in response, deciding not to provoke her companion further with pointless banter.

The red-haired girl smirked, pleased upon noticing this gesture of surrender. "You already know the answer, I'm sure~" she replied with a smug, smirking broadly before continuing, "I did the only thing that both made sense and felt good at the same time: I murdered you. Again and again and again." As soon as those words escaped her lips, she reached for her sword strapped to her back, drawing it slowly while locking her gaze on the poor soul that shrank under her intense stare. The glint of malice in her eyes revealed a deep satisfaction, as if relishing in the fear that emanated from her victim.

"I enjoyed slaughtering your miserable hide, relishing in the thrill of cutting you apart brutally, watching as blood gushed forth from your lifeless corpse... That was the most thrilling experience I've ever had!" she exclaimed, licking her lips in lust as she reminisced about those events.

"Who would've thought killing myself could be so much fun?" She continued monologuing cheerfully, twirling her weapon around while savoring the memory. "Each time, I tried something new and creative to spice things up, such as using your own limbs to beat you like a piñata until your 'candies' spilled everywhere... or finding out how much pressure I could apply until your bones shattered under my strength... I could say I've become quite proficient at that by now~" She chuckled, certainly amused by her own twisted hobby. "I even learned new things about anatomy in the process, which definitely helps in keeping you alive for longer periods of fun~"

Clarent whimpered in fear upon hearing these horrible revelations, trembling uncontrollably as she listened to the other redhead describe her cruel deeds. Meanwhile, the woman simply laughed in response to Clarent's obvious terror, delighted at seeing such a strong reaction from the redhead.

"It's surprising, honestly, that I can even do this much considering this is actually a dream you created yourself... Quite the masochist, aren't you~? Who knew you were capable of imagining such gruesome scenarios?" She giggled at that last sentence before adding, "I won't complain, though... I appreciate your creativity tremendously~"

"Y-You're sick..." Clarent muttered after regaining control of herself, glaring at the woman with as much defiance as she could muster at the moment. "You're absolutely insane..."

Her alter-ego laughed at her reaction before shaking her head. "Oh, please..." she retorted, raising one hand to her chest innocently while pouting like a child. "I'm perfectly sane and healthy, thank you very much~" she declared with confidence, flashing a wide toothy grin at Clarent. "I'm a hunter, after all... This is no different than hunting down prey in the wild... Except, this time, my target is much smaller, weaker, and can't run away, which makes things easier for me!" she joked, snickering while winking at Clarent.

"Please... please stop..." Clarent pleaded, trembling frantically as she started backing away. She had never felt so scared in her entire life before this very moment, terrified beyond belief by none other than herself. Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she cowered pitifully under the shadow cast by her evil counterpart.

However, her pleas fell on deaf ears; instead of answering, the red-haired lunatic just continued her monologue, ignoring Clarent. "When you think about it, hunters are essentially murderers—hunting monsters, killing people... What's the difference? At the end of the day, we simply follow our nature." She shrugged, appearing indifferent toward the poor girl's desperate cries for mercy.

Clarent couldn't handle this madness anymore; she scrambled backwards frantically, trying to escape this predicament somehow. Alas, she tripped due to the overwhelming panic gripping her whole body and ended up sprawled flat on the ground, helpless and vulnerable in front of her aggressor. As she realized she had nowhere left to run, she broke down, bursting into sobs of fear and despair. The sound of her cries echoed through the darkness around her, but there was no one here to hear them anyway.

Unexpectedly, the other girl suddenly ceased her boasting and put her blade away. She quickly crouched down beside Clarent and reached out towards her with one hand, caressing Clarent's cheek affectionately, which caught the redhead unprepared for such tender contact. "Shh... Calm down," she whispered in a soothing voice, wiping away Clarent's tears as she spoke.

"Please don't cry..." she begged, wrapping her arms around the younger redhead, pulling her into a tight embrace, and planting a kiss on her neck.

Clarent froze at the feeling of her foe's warm breath tickling her skin, paralyzed by fear at such intimate touch; goosebumps formed on her arms upon sensing those moist lips brushing against her bare flesh, sending shivers down her spine involuntarily. Tears flowed unchecked down her face, but she couldn't bring herself to react in any meaningful way, rendered powerless by sheer terror coursing through her veins.

"Relax, dear... You're too tense..." the older redhead cooed, nuzzling against Clarent's neck with surprising tenderness considering her prior display of hatred. "I promise to be gentle," she reassured the scared girl while burying her nose into her hair and inhaling deeply. "You smell nice," she purred seductively as she peppered Clarent's neck with kisses and licks.

Clarent shuddered upon hearing those words whispered in her ear, moaning softly at the sense of warm breath hitting her skin, followed immediately by wet kisses trailing down her neck sensually. Those soft, wet lips nibbling on her sensitive skin... The tip of that tongue flicking across her pulse point... The heat radiating off of that body pressed against hers... It felt so good... but also frightening and obscene. The conflicting emotions overwhelmed her, causing her vision to blur and her breathing to quicken.

But then, without warning, the older redhead stopped teasing Clarent and pulled away a bit, staring at the younger girl while licking her lips with obvious lust. She cupped Clarent's chin with one hand while leaning forward, bringing their faces closer together until their noses touched. "I'm sorry for scaring you earlier..." she apologized, peering into Clarent's teary eyes. "I'm just so lonely here... You're the only person I have left..." she explained, sighing in sorrow while averting her gaze elsewhere before burying her face in the redhead's hair once more. "I can't help myself sometimes..." she whispered, sniffling quietly as tears began trickling down her cheeks.

Clarent blinked several times in utter bewilderment as she stared into the nothingness, following that tender moment shared with someone supposedly insane enough to murder her continually inside her own head. She wanted to believe her counterpart; after all, she had to believe in herself, right? However, doubt lingered in the back of her mind, making it difficult for her to accept this sudden change of behavior.

They remained like this for quite some time, simply embracing each other tightly while listening to the crackling noises coming from the nearby bonfire and gazing quietly into its dancing flames. Neither spoke a single word for quite awhile, and Clarent began thinking that perhaps she misunderstood something regarding this unusual relationship between them. Maybe this girl wasn't crazy, and she's just joking around to mess with her for fun... Or maybe she's lying through her teeth right now and planning something sinister still? It honestly felt impossible to figure out what truly goes inside this twisted version of herself.

Eventually, her twin broke the silence: "You know, I really tried at first. I tried getting along with you, being nice and helpful... For the sake of fulfilling my purpose... But after the hundredth time of repeating myself over and over again... after having you forget about me time and time again... something snapped inside me," she stated, sadness laced into her voice as she spoke. "You can understand that, right? After all, we're one and the same..." she added, peering into Clarent's eyes.

The redhead nodded in response, unable to deny such claims anymore. "I'm... sorry." Clarent mumbled, lowering her gaze in shame at the ground.

Her double chuckled humorlessly in response. "It's fine..." she replied with a shrug. "I stopped caring after a while. When it became clear that I wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, I figured I might as well enjoy my stay here... I've nothing left to lose at that point, anyway," she finished with a bitter chuckle.

Clarent shuddered involuntarily upon hearing this confession, which caused her heart to race from fear, not knowing what else might come out of this unstable personality inhabiting her mind currently. Nevertheless, she kept listening patiently to what her other self had to say next.

"So," her twin said again, breaking Clarent out of her train of thought. "I was wondering, since we're both stuck together in this limbo for good, we should spend more quality time together, don't you agree?" She smiled as she spoke, eager for an answer from Clarent.

Clarent swallowed hard before replying with a certain hesitation, "I... Uh... I suppose that could be nice." She scratched her chin sheepishly, feeling a bit awkward at how excited the other redhead acted right now, apparently pleased by the prospect of spending time together in this imaginary realm conjured within Clarent's mind.

The other redhead clapped her hands together happily, beaming at Clarent with satisfaction. "Fantastic! So then... I was thinking of throwing a party with you as the guest of honor, naturally! And I'll invite all of my imaginary friends who live here too!" She smiled happily, her expression softening a bit as she added, "We'll have lots of fun... We'll chat, feast on your innards, drink nice cocktails made with your blood, play games like football with your head... Oh, just the usual stuff you do at parties, ya know~"

Upon hearing such a morbid proposal, Clarent froze in place, her mind struggling to process the sheer absurdity of it all. A few seconds passed in complete silence before her counterpart decided to elaborate further upon her suggestion, adding casually, "Or maybe we could dance! Dance to your screams and cries of agony... How does that sound, hmm?"

Clarent couldn't help but gape without speaking at this demented version of herself, unable to respond in any meaningful way to this offer made so earnestly by her other self. The other woman, however, seemed undeterred by Clarent's lack of enthusiasm regarding the idea; instead, she just laughed merrily, perhaps finding amusement in Clarent's current state of shock.

"Wait, wait, wait... Are you serious!?" Clarent finally managed to blurt out after recovering from the initial shock, unable to control herself any longer upon hearing these horrifying details about her supposed fate at this upcoming festivity. "I-I thought we were going to bond and spend quality time together, right?! Not... whatever you described just now!"

Her twin snickered mischievously in response to this outburst, giggling to herself as if Clarent just said something hilarious. "But that's exactly what I meant, silly." She chuckled, gazing at the younger girl beside her. "We'll be bonding quite intimately, as a matter of fact. We'll do what we like most: torture you over and over again... You'll love every second of it, since you're a natural-born masochist, after all~" She licked her lips afterward, flashing Clarent a predatory grin while leering at her with lustful eyes.

It was hard to determine if Clarent's counterpart was kidding around or not at this point, considering how convincing she sounded during her explanation just now. Nevertheless, Clarent definitely didn't find humor in these ominous predictions of doom. It terrified her beyond belief to witness such twisted delight displayed by herself, albeit not in flesh. Thus, she decided not to stay beside her any longer, and soon she broke free from the embrace. As panic started to overwhelm her again, she stood up quickly and retreated away from her companion. At least that's what she intended to do...

However, Clarent couldn't escape far; she saw herself suddenly dropping on the ground face-first without warning, falling prone onto the hard dirt underneath her feet. Then she felt an immense pain surge from her legs, or rather the lack thereof, as they were cut clean off of her thighs. Her screams were muffled by the ground pressing against her face but nevertheless echoed loudly throughout the entire clearing.

She couldn't move much either, paralyzed from head to toe from fear and shock coursing through her system right now, leaving her defenseless as the other redhead approached her, holding her sword in her right hand and something large and bloody in her other one, a wide grin plastered all over her face. Upon closer inspection, Clarent could discern what the item was: one of her own severed legs, still dripping fresh blood onto the soil beneath her feet. The sight alone nearly caused her to puke, but the knowledge that she was the victim in question only worsened the nausea tenfold.

"Aww... Don't be such a meanie... We were getting along so well just now," her double whined, her voice dripping with mock disappointment. Then, she slammed her foot hard on Clarent's back, pinning the poor girl into position below her heel while swinging her trophy playfully, spattering blood everywhere around.

Clarent moaned in pain, whimpering to herself. Her whole body trembled due to the excruciating agony inflicted on her by this crazed version of herself. Tears flowed freely from her eyes now, and she even wet herself in her terror. She silently pleaded for mercy, hoping that someone would come to her rescue and end this nightmare. The weight of her fear and humiliation seemed unbearable, leaving Clarent feeling utterly helpless and trapped in her own personal hell.

"So, tell me... How should I murder you this time, hmm? Any preference?" the red-headed lunatic asked with a large, wicked smile stretching across her face. "Let's see... perhaps evisceration? That sounds pretty delicious; I haven't done that one in quite some time!" she mused aloud, licking her lips with enthusiasm as she gazed downwards at the broken body writhing weakly beneath her feet.

"No... please..." Clarent begged, her voice barely a whisper as tears streamed down her face.

The other redhead heard her regardless, prompting her to continue speaking: "No? Hmm... well then, let me think for a sec." The other redhead tapped her chin thoughtfully, savoring the anticipation.

It was painful watching her tormentor rack her brain, trying to come up with a suitable method to execute her. Honestly, she just wanted it all to end already. She wondered how much longer this nightmare would last before waking up again. The only thing keeping her from passing out at the moment was the constant flow of adrenaline pumping through her veins, allowing her mind to stay sharp despite losing so much blood already.

After contemplating for a brief moment longer, the redheaded woman shook her head slowly and sighed in disappointment, "Eh... whatever." She shrugged before continuing, "I'm too lazy to think right now."

Without further ado, she casually tossed away the dismembered leg before turning around and facing Clarent once again, grinning maliciously at the injured redhead laying prone before her.

"Let's enjoy ourselves thoroughly, shall we?" She announced with excitement as she grabbed Clarent roughly by the hair, pulling hard enough to cause considerable discomfort for the latter.

The sight of those merciless eyes peering down at her sent shivers down the poor girl's spine. She knew what came next... And it scared her beyond belief. She couldn't escape this hell anymore; all she could do now was hope that death comes fast enough before she loses her sanity completely.

"...Do your worst," she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and defiance. The weight of her resignation hung heavy in the air as she braced herself for whatever sick fantasy her other self came up with next. Her last sight was the smug expression on her tormentor's face, and her cruel laughter echoed loudly in her ears, accompanied by the feeling of the cold steel blade grazing her skin.