Aizen's words held true, as Juno suspected they would. The women held in the manor were removed and taken to respectable and trustworthy places. Thanks to some connections Amelia made available to her, Juno learned what she most feared, that the ones that had been dubbed "utilities" were, for the most part, completely lost and could only be made to live a comfortable and humane life with assistance from others.
The rest of them, with time managed to re-adapt to a normal society, and slowly learn to live with the trauma that had affected them. Juno herself at times wondered if she should go and find some help, from someone who could help her deal with her own trauma. At times like this she would sigh, and her mind would go to Aizen, the man that had seemingly accepted to help her with her issues.
Not only that but he had given her back her hand, given her back her lost power, and even added on to it. Surely this was all the support she needed. Even if it wasn't, Aizen's calm, confident, and all-knowing expression, told her that if she needed something else he would deliver it. Juno could only hope to pay him back for it. Yes, she would use this new life to pay him back.
She also questioned another thing, and only because she had heard the topic being brought up. That was the fate of her former master's wealth. The initial answer she got, from Amelia, was that it was in a safe location. Later on, she came to find that those words were indeed truth, using her connections Amelia had the wealth distributed in several locations under the name of different nonexistent people, so one day it could be used, if needed.
Like that, almost in the blink of an eye, two years went by. Juno found herself going from place to place, serving as a bodyguard to both Amelia and Aizen when they went out on business trips, be it merchant related or not.
As the years passed, Aizen learned much, about these world's inhabitants, about its culture, about its history, all aspects of it, even the part of it hidden from the public knowledge. He also obtained better mastery of his unruly body, so that when those two years were gone, he was in as much control of it as he was in his previous one.
Aizen's actions were also not isolated events. They were so that they caused ripple effects and put in motion other events. Ones that would come together in the end of those 2 years, in E-Rantel.
Alvis Kavaro, found himself being thrown face first into the disgusting dirt floor of the alley, with the ones whom had projected him through the doorway, stood in between his fallen form and the opening. One of them, seemingly not happy with this humiliation, went on to kick the fallen man in the ribs sending him rolling a few of times across the floor.
"And don't come back! The Lucky Dice is not interested in cheaters like you. Now, leave my sight before I decide to change my mind about letting you go!" The man growled in aggravation.
Alvis clumsily got back to his feet, and began to walk towards the street, not making any eye contact with the men as he did so, since the last thing he wanted was an unwanted confrontation.
Alvis was a young-looking man, who was little over 20 years of age. His hair a medium sized cut and black colored, with his eyes having a slight shade of red to them, and his skin a slight pale complexion. He wore expensive looking clothing, even if now much of it was now dirty. He sighed at this, his right hand going to his hidden pocket to make sure his bag of money had not dropped, and much to his relief it was still there.
His thoughts momentarily went to the idea of going back to the casino and continue playing, after all it wasn't his fault he was intelligent, and it made things easier for him. Quickly that idea left his mind, they would not be as forgiving next time and he didn't want to cause a big scene. Perhaps it was because of his isolated village upbringing, since even after all this time away from it he felt like he knew little of how the outside world actually worked.
He would have to admit that he would from time to time, indulge in certain less than healthy habits, ones that if they went wrong could get him killed. Alvis justified this with his age. It was true that he was a genius, and the second smartest person he had ever meet, but in his mind he was still human and at an age when he yearned for certain experiences.
Speaking of which, his eyes went to the approaching end of the alley which led to the street. Standing there leaning against a wall was a prostitute. She had long curly blonde hair, rather heavy make-up, light green eyes, and a luxurious dress that masterfully outlined her figure. Her eyes went momentarily to him, meeting his, and after a brief moment to examine his figure, she turned away, her attention going back to her cigarette.
Alvis wondered if he should go for it, since his nights tended to be lonely ones and his experience with women was limited to say the least. Moving his hand back to the pocket he wondered if it had enough. He hoped so as he was sure she would ask that much for her services. Surely one night, without anything weird wouldn't cost that much.
"E-Excuse me…" Alvis began to say, but she quickly interrupted him.
"I'm going to stop you right there, honey. I'm not interested in no-life losers." She growled.
The young man was taken aback by this for a moment. She must have seen him getting thrown out of the casino and the state his clothes were in. It was as if this night was destined to end badly for him.
"This isn't my fault. They thought I was cheating, while in reality I was just that good at it." Alvis explained, earning him a raised eyebrow.
"Then if you're that smart, you should be able to come up with better way to convince me…" She pointed out, taking a long drag of her cigarette, before speaking again.
"But, you do look pitifully desperate. So, I'll tell you this…" She paused to smoke some more.
"I'll give you the night for 20 silver coins, but if this is for you to pop your cherry, it will cost you extra."
"Huh? N-No, that's not it." He replied, with an awkward laugh, this seemingly shocking her.
"Good. Now, what are you waiting for? Lead the way. Or do you think I'm just going to bend over in some alleyway for the entire night?" The woman hissed.
"Oh! R-Right. Then please, follow me."
He took her to the room he had rented at an inn. As he walked towards it he couldn't help but notice the unfavorable glances he received from some of the other customers, some whom had even complemented him at previous times.
The night was spent as he would have imagined it, even if it had a few surprises justified by his lack of experience, but he made the most of them to learn how to better himself. By the end, even if she would never admit it, he could tell the woman was exhausted from what she may now be considering too much work, due to his extensive stamina.
Alvis was brought back from sleep early in the morning, by the sound of something moving. His eyes lazily looked around, while his body forced itself back up. Standing next to the bed, near the clothes he had thrown to the floor the night before, was the woman, who now seemed to be busying herself with rummaging through his belongings, having opened his bags. He could only assume she was looking for more money, in a rushed attempt to rob him before he woke up, but had failed.
"What are you doing?" He asked calmly, gaining her attention.
His still half opened eyes, fully awoke at the sight of a small knife in her right hand, and a less than pleased look on her face.
"Don't you have more money!?" She growled in anger.
"Huh? N-No! I only had that bag." Alvis explained.
"You brat. Do you think that what you had is enough to cover the shape you left me in?"
"I-I doubt I did you that much harm. Actually, I doubt I harmed you at all."
"Don't get funny with me! You better pay up or I'll…"
She stopped when his face turned serious for a moment, which was quickly followed by a panicked expression, which didn't seem to be fear of her.
"And I really wanted to solve this one without having to do this…" Alvis said as he sighed.
[You will leave behind whatever you took from my belongings. You will take the 20 silver coins you were given, and leave. You will forget my face as soon as you do that. Understood?] He said with a subtle echo in his voice.
"Yes." The woman replied, in an almost mechanical fashion.
Seeing the woman leave, the young man fell into a mental panic. He had to get dressed, but also had to take a shower. After all, he was in no condition to just walk around, and without anyone noticing his peculiar smell.
He then remembered that the showers in the inn only opened after a certain time, had he woken up after or before said time, because if it was before he may have to wait for a vacant space to use. Falling back onto the bed he let out a loud sigh, wondering why things had to be like this, and couldn't just calmly enjoy life.
Maul was a gold ranked adventurer, and was above average height, bulky, and tanned man, with bald head save for a braided ponytail, and light brown eyes. Until that night he was a man that saw himself over everyone, so much so he and the two women that accompanied him would actively prey on the weak and the desparate.
Then, as they were making their way away from their latest pillaging expedition, they met a hooded figure on the road, and that was where their hell started. Right away he lost one of the women, which prompted him and the other one to run past the figure on their horses, stopping at an abandoned cabin near a rushing river.
They thought that everything was fine. That was until the remaining woman decided to go and check out the small porch that lead to the river. The only thing he remembered her saying was seeing something in the water, before she vanished. Followed by the sound of something falling into the river.
Now he stood alone in them middle of the cabin, his sword in his hand, his crazed gaze turning to look at everything around him. Suddenly his senses went to the entrance to the porch, his panicked senses having picked up on the distinct sound of something emerging from the water.
Steadying the grip on his blade, he stared down the figure that stood by the opening, its wet skin sparkled in the moon light, enabling him to see a certain grayish tone to it, and his short hair was of a darker color. He stood about the same height as Maul, with a slender, but still muscular build, and on his neck rested gills which moved from time to time.
"Y-You finally decided to show yourself, you freak!" Maul growled.
"You needed to bathe in your own fear for a little while longer. Being the leader of the group, it only makes sense that you suffer the most." The figure calmly explained.
"The hell you going on about, cunt!? Who the hell're you?"
"My name is Jillur Gralik. I take it upon myself to clean the world of scum like you."
Having made his intentions known, the stranger threw to the ground two golden plates, presenting Maul with the fate of his followers. The adventurer however simply let out a superior snort, his body moving as if he was preparing to attack, something Jillur was expecting him to do.
"Y-You must really be an idiot. Do you really think you can take me on one-on-one? You should have stuck to sneak attacks." Maul laughed.
His opponent remained silent, which only served to build up his delusional ego. Taking his stance Maul attacked, having faith in his own strength. Closing the distance between them, he brought his blade down on the "freak", who responded by taking a step to the side, allowing his opponent's sword to move downwards and hit the wooden floor. He followed this with a kick to Maul's arm, easily breaking it, and causing the screaming adventurer to stumble and ultimately fall onto his back.
"T-The hell's wrong with you!?" Maul growled.
"You, the 'strong', that prey on the weak, for their amusement and some easy profit, deserve nothing else but this."
Maul was about to cry out some other piece of profanity, when Jillur made quick work of him with a swift kick to the head, sending it flying into a wall. Looking down at the body, he removed the golden plate, and picked up the other two, before making his way out of the cabin to look at the horses still bound to a tree. Cutting the animals free after searching them for what their masters had stolen, Jillur looked at the sky, knowing that he should make his way back to the village that had been raided by the trio.
He let out a small sigh, as slight hunger began to overcome him, it had been a while since he had had a decent meal. Part of himself was tempted with asking the village chief for a meal in return for his services, but he couldn't do it. After all, he took up this job just because he was in the area and was not hired to do so.
Meaning he had no right to claim a reward for what he did. That being the case he walked back into the cabin, his eyes falling on Maul's remains. His tastes were rather broad as of late, so much so this situation was for him the perfect opportunity for a filling meal. Not wanting to take too long, Jillur's mouth opened, exposing his sharpened teeth, and then he dug in.
It was a knock on the door, at such a late time at night, that lifted the village chief from his rest, made him put on a heavy robe and open the front door. He was startled at first, to see a hooded figure standing in front of him, with a high collar. It would have hidden the lower half of the man's face under normal circumstances, but at night no face was visible.
The figure, who was carrying a bag over his left shoulder, carefully placed it on the floor, before throwing on top of it three blood stained gold colored plates. Right away the elder understood what was going on, his gaze going from the bag, to the figure, and to an attempt to verbalize his gratitude.
"T-Thank you. Those bastards took everything from us… I-If it wasn't for you…" The chief paused, at a visible loss for words.
"How can we repay this debt to you? We don't have much, but if you wish…" He was saying, before being interrupted by the figure's raised hand.
"You don't have enough to pay my price. But, one day I may return, and when I do I will call upon some form of payment. Until then, I wish you, and your village, good luck."
The figure took a small bow, turned around, and walked away. Jillur ignored whatever the chief said as he distanced himself. He had been doing this for long enough to accurately imagine what was being said. In the end, this form of payment he mentioned was just a necessary excuse he had come up with. He had found that many people, even if grateful for having been saved, found it strange that their savior would ask for nothing in return.
Eugene Infrit Brovada, was a handsome looking young noble, who made his way out of the inn he had been staying at for the past week, and on his way back to his carriage. Everything had already been taken to this room, so outside of waiting for him, there was also need of waiting for the lovely young woman who was his bride.
Candice Felucia Brovada was a stunning beauty. There was no woman that could match her flowing blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and creamy white skin. It didn't even matter if she was from a lower noble family, and this marriage had some aspects of convenience. He cared little for this when his parents presented him with what could easily be described as a living work of art.
This was what he used to think, until just a few days ago when he met a woman named Annika Masador Aenar. He first saw her in the restaurant next to the inn, and when his eyes fell on her, his primal instincts seemed to take over. Her skin was tanned, her long silky hair was black as the night, and her strangely colored green eyes pierced through him, especially when they seemed to slightly shine scarlet when light hit them.
The light also showed him that her hair was not entirely black, but also possessed some purple highlights, which were ultimately swallowed up by the surrounding darkness. How could he describe her body? Truly it was perfect. His Candice was of small features, while this woman wasn't small. or even big. She was in a perfectly balanced middle ground, as if her body had been sculpted by some genius artist who knew a man's desires.
Since that time, his eyes had meet her more than a few times. Sometimes when their gazes met, he found himself the one looking away from her feline like stare. Eugene stood his ground and fought against the feelings that could put his relationship with Candice at risk, and he succeeded until Annika crossed paths with him as he was leaving.
"Good evening.~" She cordially greeted, her voice matching the highest grade of music.
"G-Good evening." He nervously stuttered.
"I saw that you were leaving, and I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor." Annika informed, sounding a little embarrassed by the situation.
"I-Indeed I am leaving, b-but depending on what it is, I may be able to help." Eugene remarked, still uneasy.
"Oh, such a kind man you are, sir…"
"Eugene. Eugene Infrit Brovada." The young noble quickly added.
"You are a kind man, to even consider wasting your time on such a lowly priestess as myself.~"
Annika said, taking a cordial bow, her words had a mix of true gratitude, and a hidden hint of superiority, which he could not place as being true in such a person. It stunned him that she was a priestess. After all, she looked so... sinful.
"I-I was wondering if you could take me with you." She finally said.
"M-My apologies, but I…" Eugene began, but she spoke once more.
"Not all the way of course.~ Perhaps 'till the closest city. I believe that isn't too far from here. Would that be alright?"
"J-Just until the next city? If that's the case, then perhaps…" His words were drowned by her again.
"I'm sure your female companion won't mind. After all, you are just helping a priestess, are you not?~ There is no need for you to concern yourself with her reaction."
Before Eugene could fully process her words, she had closed the distance between them. He seemed to feel the heat coming from her, the sweet smell, all these things further dazed his mind.
"V-Very well. I shall take you to the closest city. Please, follow me." He said almost in a daze.
Candice opened the door to the carriage she and Eugene shared, and as she did so her mouth fell open as she let out a shocked gasp. Her man was in the middle of an overly friendly conversation with a woman whose beauty was unquestionable.
"We were waiting for you. Please come in, you will get a cold by standing outside." Eugene remarked, offering her help to get inside.
Candice took this help, even if her attention was at all times on the strange woman, that was in many respects an almost complete opposite to herself, who seemed to regard Candice with the same warm expression she did Eugene.
"Candice Felucia Brovada, this is the priestess Annika Masador Aenar." Eugene informed.
"Pleasure.~" Annika greeted warmly.
"Good evening. Eugene, honey, why is this woman in our private carriage?" Candice couldn't help but ask in a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty.
Eugene seemed to be somewhat taken aback by the question, but did his best to explain the situation. However, before he could act, Annika moved. Candice watched as the so-called priestess leaned towards her, and gently placed a hand over hers, at that moment Candice felt a wave of heat go through her. It was a strangely pleasing feeling.
"It is my fault. I asked him for help. You see, the people that brought me here left without any way to leave. When I saw Eugene, I approached him and asked if he could help. And, being the kind man he is, accepted to help me."
"I-I see." She remarked with a barely stifled gulp.
"There is no issue with it, right?" Annika asked with a kind smile.
"N-No, there is no reason to leave you alone here."
Candice wasn't sure if this was what she wanted to say, but the woman's warm touch and sweet smell seemed to cloud her mind, and move her into saying these words. She would say something about it, but the effects that woman had on her made her drop the thought entirely. Instead, she wanted to continue to feel like this, and perhaps even consider feeling more.
"I'm glad you understand, honey." Eugene remarked in relief.
"Of course. Now, perhaps we should get going?"
"Yes. We are ready to leave." Eugene shouted, giving the driver the order to depart.
The sun was beginning to rise, as two people made their way through the forest. Their destination was one of the taller trees in the region, that allowed whoever stood on it to see everything around them.
The one leading the walk was Jaecar Laporin, a man of average height, and healthy build. His shoulder length hair, now held in a pony tail, was light brown which got darker till it ended in black coloring. His eyes were light brown, with a slight yellow tinge to them, and just in his overall look, there seemed to be a certain majestic hair about him.
Walking behind him was Elsa, whom was of average built when it came to women. Not really the type that could easily catch someone's attention, her brown hair was also held in a pony tail, one of her eyes was light blue, while the one was dark, almost black.
"Where are we going?" Elsa asked, letting out a tired sigh.
"Up that tree." Jaecar replied, to which she let out an even louder sigh.
"We're apart for more than a year, and as soon as you come back you're already making ridiculous demands! And why are we going to climb that thing anyways!? The target is that way!" She continued in an annoyed tone.
"Simple. I'm going to hit him from the top of that tree, so we don't have to run away as soon as we get the job done." He casually explained.
"What?! You're good, but you aren't that good. You can't hit him from that far away."
"Please don't be so loud. And yes, I can. I didn't spend that time away for nothing." Jaecar remarked with a grin.
"I thought you were out on a solo assignment."
"A-And I was. But I learned a few things along the way."
"Like whatever you did to your hair?" She dryly asked.
"Huh? What's wrong with my hair?"
"N-Nothing. It just looked weird at first glance. But it's not that bad."
"Just keep walking."
They stopped in front of the tree and began the difficult task of climbing. Stopping in one of its oversized branches, Jaecar's attention went to a manor in the distance. Taking a deep breath he drew his bow and a single arrow, before taking aim.
"I can't believe you're actually going to try it." Elsa said once again.
"Just confirm the kill." He growled in annoyance.
Pouting slightly, Elsa drew an enchanted monocle, an item one would use to enhance their eyesight and allow them to perceive things at great distances. In this, case it allowed her to perfectly perceive the target, who was sitting by a window. He was some noble who seemed to have tricked the wrong people with some shady business of his, and they were the Workers hired to handle the job of "taking care" of him.
"Can you see him?" Jaecar calmly asked.
"Yeah. I can."
"Tell me when it hits."
Moving his arm backwards, Jaecar held the arrow in place for a little while longer, before letting go. The projectile was sent flying at great speeds, soon vanishing from sight. For a while Elsa said nothing, but then her jaw dropped.
"N-No way."
Being too overwhelmed by the extreme showing of marksmanship by her companion, Elsa didn't even notice the monocle falling from her face and down the tree. That was until Jaecar's arm moved with lightning like speed catching it before the item fell.
"Don't break this." He growled, handing it back to her.
"H-How... did you do that!?"
"Training and skill." Jaecar replied, with an uninterested tone.
"Don't joke around!" Elsa spat, hitting him in the shoulder.
"Be careful! Or you may just end up throwing me off this tree."
"Who cares!? How did you do that!?" She insisted.
"Fine. I developed some new techniques." Jaecar replied, with a small awkward laugh.
"I still don't buy it. You were away for this long, and that's the best you can come up with?"
"What…"
Jaecar began to speak when he suddenly paused. His expression turned serious, followed by a pensive expression decorating his face. Elsa was surprised by this, enough to silence her in order to let him recover from whatever shock had affected him, but what he did further surprised her. He looked down, the look in his eyes, was one familiar to her. It was the look he gave when considering something. Was he considering jumping from this height?
"A-Are you going to jump?"
"I have to go. I'm sorry, but you will have to continue this one on your own." He curtly replied.
Elsa's free hand sprung up, grabbing a hold of Jaecar's arm. This was a gesture to make sure he couldn't easily throw himself off the tree.
"No! No way. I'm not going to let you go just like that. Not after you spent all this time missing."
"Then, what do you suggest?" Jaecar asked with a sigh.
"You tell me what's going on."
Jaecar's expression turned serious, to a point she did not remember seeing in a very long time. With a simple brush he freed his arm from her grip, and placed his hand on her shoulder, before speaking.
"Can I trust you?"
Elsa was taken aback by this. She was ready to growl how offended she was by his words, but his expression held her back. There was something major going on.
"O-Of course. You know you can."
"Then... promise me you'll keep your mouth shut. Under no circumstances will you speak of what you are about to see."
"J-Jaecar. You're scaring me... but I promise. Not a word will ever leave these lips if you want it to be so."
"Very well… I will show you where I've been."
Elim Cusak took one last big gulp from his glass before he left the table, and began to walk towards the gorgeous woman by the bar. He was the leader of a team of workers that was a match for a group of Mythril ranked adventurers.
He was in his 30s, and his body was enviable by almost everyone that laid eyes on it, the result of several years of training. His features were hardened, yet relaxed. His eyes were gray in color, and he had a trimmed goatee and with brown hair. His hair decorated with a white patch, from some long-lived trauma, he had never openly discussed with anyone.
The woman that he had his eyes on, a blonde beauty, had gotten his interest since the moment he arrived just on the previous night. He had decided that today would be the day he would speak with her. At first, it seemed this was not meant to be as another man had approached her. He, however, was no longer sober and got too personal with her, trying to brush away the hair that covered the right half of her face, a gesture which had earned him at least a broken jaw.
The man's friends took him away, and no one tried anything against her, both fearing her reaction and having seen that he was the one that had started it. Taking a seat next to her, Elim asked for 2 drinks, and when they were delivered, he moved one of the glasses towards her.
"Good evening. I'm Elim Cusak." He informed with a confident tone.
Her visible green eye moved to the drink, then to him, before going back to her own drink which she had yet to finish.
"Evening." She said, not sounding too interested.
"Can I at least know your name? I mean, I told you mine, so it's only fair if you give me yours." Elim respectfully pointed out.
"Leinas. Leinas Rockbruise."
"Wha? I-Isn't that the name of one of the Imperial Knights of the Baharuth Empire?" He asked, unable to hide his surprise.
She let out a small chuckle, before emptying her glass, followed by pushing it aside so as to make room for her new drink.
"The name of a former Imperial Knight." She dryly corrected.
"T-Then you are her!? The…" Elim gasped, when she raised a hand to silence him.
"Be silent. The last thing I need is unwanted attention."
"R-Right. Sorry about that. Still, I heard rumors of an incident in the Empire, about the same time I began to hear about one of the Knights leaving. Are those rumors…" Once again he was silenced this time by a more violent motion.
"Continue down that road, and the night won't end well for you." She warned.
"T-Then, by any chance, would you be interested in a job as a Worker? I'm the leader of a team of 4, and an extra hand would always be appreciated. Especially with someone as powerful as you must be." He suggested, and once more she chuckled.
"You have no idea. But I'm not interested in that at the moment."
"Ah. Such a shame. It could've benefited the both of us." Elim mumbled, drinking from his glass.
"Speaking of which, is that what you wanted to say when you came up to me, and gave me a drink?"
"Not really. But it's not everyday someone like me gets to share the same space as someone like you. I couldn't ignore that opportunity."
"Then what did you want?" Leinas asked, with a slight smirk.
"W-Well, that's a bit of an unfair question. You just caught me off guard and all."
Leinas moved her glass aside and turned to look at him. This action caught him by surprise, as he slightly shifted in his seat, perhaps fearing she would break his jaw too. Elim was surprised by what she did next. With her right hand she brushed her hair away, fully displaying her face to him. No, the beauty he had seen before did her no justice, as two green orbs looked back at him, as if unbeknownst even to her, they called out for his approval.
"So, what do you want?" She asked, with a mischievous smile.
"I-I don't mean to sound rude, but I was wondering… If you were interested in having me as your company tonight?" Elim asked, putting on the most charm filled expression he could muster.
She emptied her glass, and dropped down from her seat, not even giving him time to react she grabbed on to his right wrist and began to walk, pulling him along with her. Elim tried to think of something to say, but his mind went blank at the prospect of spending the night with such a high quality of woman.
Taking him to her room, Leinas threw him onto the bed. Elim went to sit on the bed, but the woman jumped him, landing on top of him in such a manner that even if he struggled, he knew he wasn't going anywhere.
"Before we get started. I have one question for you." Leinas informed, removing the top portion of her clothing.
"W-What is it?"
"Are you familiar with the expression 'going at it like rabbits'?" Leinas asked, to which he replied with a gulp.
"Good."
The morning after, Elim groaned as his entire body ached under the pressure of waking up. The previous night had been insane, and even that word didn't feel like enough to describe what happened. He wondered if this was explained by the difference in strength between them, because for a few moments he wondered if she was human. His mind was fussy on what had actually happened. He fully remembered the first couple of hours, with the rest was either a blur, or just a few flashes.
Elim went to push himself up, just to have his lower half give out under the strain. His arms also felt drained, but still responsive. The only reason he dropped the idea of moving, was when his half-opened eyes went down to Leinas, who was resting her head on his chest, with her arm draped across it.
Using his free left arm, he took the moment to caress the right side of her face. He internally cursed himself for the ridiculous luck he had. With how things were turning out, Elim was almost certain he was not going to get this far with her, but he guessed the attraction was mutual.
Suddenly, her eyes darted open, her hand went to his left wrist wrapping on to it and forcing his hand away from her face. She sat back up, her eyes constantly on him, Elim let out a both surprised and painful cry at her actions. This seemingly enough to bring her back to her senses and let go of him.
"S-Sorry about that." She remarked, taking a seat on the bed.
"No, it's fine. I shouldn't have touched you while you were sleeping." Elim quickly argued back.
"Can you stand?" Leinas asked, obviously wanting to move on from the topic.
"My lower half is numb." Elim replied with a laugh.
"Numb? I was certain we had done enough to leave you on that bed for the rest of the day. Should we continue working towards that goal?" She suggested, with a teasing smirk.
"A-Actually, my team should be waiting for me. We have things to discuss, before we leave." He pointed out.
"That's good. Because, even if I wanted to, I have to leave, right now." Leinas informed getting out of bed.
Elim was silent, as she went about the room, getting the necessary things to go and get a quick shower before apparently departing.
"I-Is there any chance I will get to see you again?" Elim managed to ask, catching her off guard.
"Perhaps. I think I'm going to get rather busy soon enough." She replied.
"I see." He mumbled, when she spoke up again.
"But... do you want to see me again?" She asked, in a low tone, approaching him.
"If possible. I would like to actually get a better chance to know you, before we…you know."
Leinas blushed at this, almost as if his words had just showed her what she had actually done. She walked around for a brief moment, before stopping and looking back at him, her hair hiding part of her face once again.
"My apologies. I did overreact."
She paused, and on her face came over a certain hint of indecision. She cursed herself for having let her libido get the better of her. It had been a while, and he fit perfectly on her tastes. He had even managed to hang on for a decent amount of time. However, she couldn't let a pretty face and a few compliments affect her so easily, and now he was talking about seeing her again. It didn't help with her situation.
"I cannot guarantee that we will meet again. But I can give you this, if you want to remember me."
Going to her things, Leinas materialized a potion, which she threw at him. It landed on the bed due to him failed to move to catch it.
"Don't worry. I won't forget that night that easily."
"Woo!"
The sound echoed through a small inns bar, as a night long party began to pick up steam. The source of the "war" cry was the soul of the party itself, Cayo Ozzik Gantz. He is a Mythril ranked adventurer, even if at the moment he was missing his plate.
His blonde hair was medium sized, going just below his neck. His eyes were olive colored, and his body as fit as fit could be. He also had the habit of partying. Wherever he went, whenever the opportunity emerged, he would set the fire in whatever bar he ended up in. A fire he would see burn to its peak, and slow back down until it went back to nothing. All the while he drank, danced, and got his hand on whatever girl happened to catch his interest.
As the event had just started, he danced around, with a woman under each arm, and surrounded by people who said that they could keep up with him, as if such a thing could ever be possible.
"Honey, why don't you have a drink of this?" Some young woman said coming up to him with a glass.
Letting go of one of the girls, he used his newly freed arm to do as she asked, downing it in the blink of an eye, before giving the empty glass back to the woman, and eyeing her down curiously.
"Tonight! You! Me! And whatever you put in that glass." He laughed, wrapping an arm around her.
"I see. That it worked like a charm." She chuckled, her hand going to his lower body.
"Well...~ Aren't you the naughty one?"
"Everyone!" He shouted, getting the attention of all those around him.
"Just so you are informed. The one and only, Cayo Ozzik Gantz, is about to take these two fine ladies to heaven and back! And for all those other young ladies of this fine establishment, know this; If you want to experience what heaven fells like, you go up those stairs, turn right and walk to the door at the end of hallway." He paused.
"Cayo Ozzik Gantz has no issues with numbers. Be it 2 women, be it 6 women, be it 10 women, be it a 100 women! He will take all of them to heaven of back, guaranteed. And if you don't believe it, you can ask these 2 fine ladies, in 2 hours time. Woo!"
Cayo woke up the morning after, with the same energy as if he hadn't drunk as much as the combined number of people that spent the night in the inn. Sitting up in his bed, the early rays of the morning sun entering through his room. He wasn't shocked to see 6 women scattered around his bed, with 2 more sleeping to his side. Cayo let out a slightly disappointed sigh. He felt as if he could have done better with that given situation, but it would seem he would have to do better next time.
Taking advantage of the early hours and the hangover that affected everyone else, Cayo quickly cleaned himself, got dressed, even cooked himself some breakfast, before he left behind the payment for what he used in making it. As he exited the inn, he was confronted by a group of at least 20 men. It didn't take him long to see that they weren't happy with him. Like usual...
"Morning, gentlemen. How can I help you?"
"We were told that our wives and daughters were seen going to your room, last night." The leader of the group angrily said.
Had it been any other situation, Cayo would have had a little fun with them, but he found himself in a certain need to rush. Instead of speaking right away, he motioned them to his plate, indicating his rank and the odds of them being able to beat them.
"If I slept with your wives or daughters, or both, it is because they failed to tell me so. And do believe me when I tell you this; many of them seemed to be convinced that I was their 'daddy'. Now, if you want to attack, go right ahead. But, I will not be going easy on any of you."
"You bastard! You think you can just look down on us and get away with it?" Another man growled.
"Yes. And you want to know why?" Cayo asked, staring the man down.
"Because, I'm just that damn good! Now, if that's all you wanted I'll be leaving."
No one did a thing. They simply allowed the man to walk past them. After all, what he said was true. They had no chances of getting the upper hand in a fight with him, even with their numbers. Of course, in every group there is one exception, and that turned out to be the same man who decided to speak out of place to begin with, as he tried to stab the adventurer in the back.
No one could fully explain what happened next. Cayo just moved too fast for them to fully perceive it. They just knew that by the end of it, the attacker was on the floor with his arm bent the wrong way.
Elfis Aie Bronson, a man in his 50s, who for monetary reasons still worked as a Worker, but now limited himself to being the second in command of his team. His hair was white, like his small beard, and his eyes were a light gray, almost like he was blind, but his eyesight was sharp. Sharper than most. His almost always wore his armor, the same set he had worn for years. The one that one the lower left of his stomach that the mark of a hole. A hole that had gone through his body, and then closed up when the armor was repaired.
Tonight's job was an easy one. So much so all the members of his team were relaxing in the cabin given to them as shelter for the night, but he as always kept eternal watch. Eternal watch for the thing that had punched that hole into his armor all those years ago. Their job was to look over a plantation. That was all they knew, and no questions were asked about it, even if they suspected the distorted nature behind its owners.
"Is it me or is it getting colder?" The only woman in the group casually asked.
"Huh. Now that you mention it, I think it is."
Suddenly, Elfis got up from his seat, marched to the window and forced it open, so he could look outside to the dense forest in the distance. A thin cloud of mist was coming out of it, as well as pale cold clouds were forming over them, with the apparent origin over the forest. It didn't take long for snow to begin to fall from the sky and on to the plantation. All were wondering what could have caused this, but the old man with his hand extended to the outside seemed to know.
"He came. He finally came for me!" He announced, with a maddened expression.
"Y-You can't be serious." One of them nervously stated.
"I've never been more serious about anything in my life. It's him. It's the White Buffalo."
"But, elder, that's just a legend, is it not?" Arim, the tallest of the group, remarked.
"What is the White Buffalo?" The young female worker asked.
"It's an old legend associated with the Frost Giants. It is said that the creature, a great white beast was freed from time to time, in order to deter anyone from getting too close to their territory. The beast would be released upon a group of people, leaving only one of them alive in order to spread the legend. Elfis is one of said survivors."
The cloud grew and grew, now seemingly covering everything their eyes could see. The snow continuing to fall down still, but with reduced intensity. Then, a crashing sound echoed through the area, and all eyes went to the window. They saw what seemed to be one of the great trees of the forest falling to the ground.
"Elfis." All said, looking at the shaking figure of the old man.
"I-It's him… I'm certain of it." Elfis mumbled.
No one believed his words. The most feasible explanation would be the use of magic for a direct attack on the plantation. That was until a sound echoed through the area, which could not be said to belong to a beast. At least, one that they knew of, but what else could it be? The call came from the forest. It was similar to the sounds made by cows and similar creatures, but on a more massive and dominating scale. It broke through the air, not like an animal, but as a force. Some unstoppable force.
"It's him! It's him! It's the White Buffalo!" The elder shouted desperately.
The call finally broke through the barrier between the forest and the small wooden fence that was placed around the plantation. From the forest, taking another tree down in its way, emerged a great white mass. The four-legged behemoth, began to make a direct line towards one of the many cabins in its path, cutting its way through the many crop filled fields in the way.
"W-We have to do something!"
"There is nothing we can do. Run! All of you run away! It's either that or death." Elfis ordered.
The sounds of violent knocking assaulted their door. The leader of the group was the one to open it, revealing the master of the plantation.
"What are you standing around for!? Go and take care of that thing!" The man growled.
Before the leader could reply, the blood curdling cries and a violent crash filled the air, as a cabin was easily knocked down by the creature. The impact doing little to stop its advances.
"Everyone, get ready. We are going to kill that thing." The leader announced, with a determined look.
"You can't! No one can!" Elfis pointed out.
"But we gotta try! Or do you plan to die here as it destroys everything in its way."
Elfis said nothing, allowing the rest of the group to exit the cabin and go do their jobs. The girl, the bow user of the group, took to the roof so as to hit the beast from afar, and the other two men had to stick to the ground both being expert sword users.
The cold was starting to bother them, and the cold mist that now seemed to cover the lower half of their legs, made it difficult for them to move. A few arrows had been fired but they simply bounced off the creature's hide, failing to get its attention. It seemed to prefer to be tearing down everything else around them. Some had tried to escape on horse or carriage, including the master of the plantation, but those were easily sent flying by the beast, showing them that escape was not an option.
"Damn it! Why doesn't it come at us." The leader growled in confusion.
"Because those are not its orders." Elfis confidently declared, finally emerging from the cabin, his war axe on his right shoulder.
"So, you've decided to join us, old man?" The leader sarcastically asked.
"I've decided to accept my death. You young ones, should still try to escape, while I hold it back."
"You can hold it back?" The girl asked, from on top of the cabin.
"I doubt it, but given the situation I can try. The rest of you stand back. I'm going on ahead."
Elfis began to run in the direction of the next cabin the beast was targeting. He ignored the shouts of his younger teammates, his mind focused on what he was certain were the last moments of his life. As he ran, he could see arrows fly at the Buffalo who like before completely ignored the projectiles, continuing its path of destruction towards the next cabin.
Placing himself in the beast's way, Elfis activated his martial arts, [Body Strengthening], [Cutting Edge], and [Fatal Edge]. His axe began to glow, as now visible symbols took a bright orange color. Soon flames erupted from the weapon, both his hands wrapped tightly around it, as he raised the axe over his head, his lungs emptied with a mighty war cry, and with a simple motion he brought his axe down on the approaching beast.
It was as if the resulting shockwave ignited, raising a large wall of fire, that went in the opposite direction to the creature, resulting in a head-on impact. The clash resulted in a massive explosion that shook the surrounding area, as well as momentarily lifting the mists in the area.
Where the mighty beast had once stood was now a massive mass of fire. Elfis however was on his knees, using his axe to hold himself up. His breathing was heavy, and his strength had abandoned him. His team rushed to his side, kneeling down next to him, offering him potions, whatever the elder needed after his massive effort. Yet, the old man's eyes were still on the fire, as the mist stealthily regained terrain, and the snow got more intense.
The cry filled the air, as the flames violently swirled around, as if they were the gates of hell opening the way for one of its mightiest demons. The White Buffalo calmly emerged from the flames, the only visible mark on it was a rather large scorch, and a few burnt hairs. Outside of that the beast was fine, calm even.
It took a few steps out of the flames, and began to look around as if examining the people who had dared to stand up to it. Shaking its head a couple of times, it began to prepare another charge.
"All of you get out of the way from here." Elfis roared, pushing them aside.
"We can't leave you!" The leader objected.
"You can, and you will! Or we will all die here."
Pushing the younger man aside once again, Elfis stumbled forwards, standing in between the group and the Buffalo, ramming his axe into the ground he cried out a proclamation.
"Come at me you bastard! I will make you regret having left me alive all those years ago!"
The animal of legend let out its own war cry and charged, that was all there was to it. Elfis went for another weaker swing, just to be sent flying with a simple head motion. The two remaining men tried to slash at the beast's eyes as soon as it got close to them, but they were also sent flying. The girl fired a few arrows, before her survival instincts took over and she jumped to the side. However, this didn't stop the beast from stomping on one of her legs as it passed by her.
The pain spread through her body like a bolt of lightning. Not even thinking of getting back up and noting the beast was continuing its rampage, she tried to crawl towards her missing bow. She could only go in the direction she imagined it would be, since the mist made it almost impossible for her to find it.
It didn't take long for her to see something similar to its outline, and giving her body one final push, she went to grab it, when a massive foot fell on it, making it impossible for her to lift her weapon. Her head slowly went up, and in front of her stood a 7-foot tall colossus of a man. He was muscular, bald, with a bluish shade to his skin, and light gray, almost white, eyes.
On his shoulder someone was sitting. She was almost the complete opposite, being short and childlike in stature, with long silver hair that must have reached her feet if she was standing up. One of her eyes was green and the other blue. His name was Inon Zur Morres, and hers was Carmyn Zoya.
"I think she is the last survivor." He said in a low tone.
"It would seem so. Meaning, you can call back your pet. The thing is starting to make an unnecessary mess of the place." The childlike figure casually remarked.
The giant lifted his right arm, and in it rested a crystal of incredible beauty. He uttered a single word, [Return], and at the sound of that command, the crystal began to shine and in the distance the creature disintegrated into light particles before returning to the crystal.
"Now, we have to deal with her." Carmyn sadly added.
"Should I do it?" Inon asked.
"No. I'll do it. The poor child has suffered enough. [Lightning]."
The single bolt was enough to end the young woman's life. Lifting his foot from the bow, Inon began to walk, making sure as to not step over the body of the fallen Worker. He was not the type of man to do such thing.
"Let's go find somewhere to spend the night. I'm starting to get sleepy." Carmyn said as she yawned.
Gazef Stronoff was pulled back from his sound sleep by a knock at his door, it was a weak knock, yet one that he could tell was trying to get his attention. Sitting up in bed, and letting out a weak yawn. The Warrior Captain pushed himself up into a vertical position and made his way to the door.
Opening the door he was surprised by who he saw standing there, and relieved since being who it was the ridiculous hours made sense. Before him was Rylen Tsezguerra. The sight of the hood wearing figure, flustered him momentarily. After all, this was one of the men that had helped train him, and was a friend of his mentor, Vesture Kloff Di Laufen.
"M-Master Tsezguerra. Please come in, make yourself at home." Gazef quickly said, taking a small bow as he stepped aside so the old man could enter.
"I hope I didn't wake you up, Gazef." The elder chuckled.
Rylen removed his hood and entered the room. For some reason the image of him sent a small shiver down Gazef's back. Rylen's hair was short, as he knew the man had always liked it to be. His beard which was long and messy the last time he saw it, was now much shorter and decently groomed.
His overall build seemed somehow fuller than before. As if Rylen had gone through the trouble of building up his lost bulk, and his eyes, had a newly found fire to them. Fire that Gazef for as hard as he tried to remember, couldn't place the last time he had seen Rylen with such a look. It was almost as if this old warrior, who had long ago given up on making any kind of impact on the world, had suddenly changed his mind.
Gazef wanted to ask about it, but a quick glance from the elder was enough to silence him. Even if he was certain the aged fighter couldn't do much against him, if such a situation came about.
"Would you like something to eat?" Gazef cordially offered.
"Thank you, but today that is not what I came here for."
"Then, how can I be of any help?"
"I would like to spar with you, Gazef. I want to give these old bones of mine some exercise." Rylen replied, surprising Gazef.
"A-Are you sure, Master Tsezguerra? I mean no offense, but in your current state…" Gazef was about to say, but the elder spoke over him.
"Do not concern yourself. I brought healing potions with me just in case. And I'm very sure about wanting to do it."
"Very well. Give just a few minutes to get ready, and then I can take us to some secluded location where we will be free to spar." Gazef replied.
"I appreciate your diligence, Gazef."
"Think nothing of it, Master Tsezguerra. It is the least I can do for one of the men that helped train me."
"The meals and place to sleep from time to time are enough."
"Not for having been given the means to build a respectful life."
Gazef returned 5 minutes later, wearing light armor and two swords in hand. One that he offered the elder, who politely declined it, but Gazef decided to take it with him. The duo went to an isolated forested region, stopping in a moonlit clearing. Rylen stopped on one end of the clearing, while Gazef walked to the other side and dropped one of the blades, unsheathing the other.
"Whenever you are ready." Rylen said, stretching his limbs a bit.
"Very well. I will be attacking now."
Gazef charged at the elder, holding himself back so as to not seriously injure Rylen, bringing his blade down with the idea of stopping just before hitting. Gazef was surprised when his opponent used his staff to block the hit. The elder followed up by moving his staff so as to strike a blow of his own, but Gazef easily threw himself back in order to avoid it.
"I thought that saying this wouldn't have to be necessary. But given the situation, I guess it is a forgivable mistake. Don't hold back. There is no reason to do so." Rylen informed.
"Are you certain?" Gazef asked, not feeling comfortable with the idea of killing a former mentor.
"Do you think I would ask you not to hold back, if I wasn't certain?" His opponent growled, becoming impatient with the back and forth.
"M-My apologies."
Taking his stance, Gazef charged once again, this time putting real strength behind his blow. He still feared what could happen, but he didn't want to offend Rylen any further. Going for an upwards swing this time, Gazef kept his idea of stopping his blow before he hit, just like last time Rylen went to block the attack.
Stopping his advance, Gazef used [Flow Acceleration], as he spun around in order try and land a blow on the other side of the elder. He was certain this would be too much for the aged fighter, but much to his surprise, Rylen's burning gaze followed his every motion. As the younger fighter was mid-spin, Rylen used his staff to kick his leg right from under him, followed by hitting Gazef in the chest with his opened palm.
Being sent right into the ground, Gazef was quick to recover from the shock and try to get back up, when he felt his opponent's staff on his neck.
"Give up." Rylen instructed.
"I yield." Gazef admitted.
Rylen offered him a hand, and Gazef took it, so the elder could give him some help getting up, even if Gazef felt himself doing most of the effort himself.
"Heh. I guess someone's ego is getting the better of them." Rylen said with a laugh.
"Perhaps a bit. But, I must admit, you are in formidable shape Master Tsezguerra." Gazef pointed out.
"You give me too much credit. I call what happened luck."
"E-Even, so. Would you be open to working for the King?" Gazef insisted.
"No. I still have much to see in this short life of mine."
"Please consider it. Any help would be welcomed, especially from someone as skilled as you."
"As always, your diligence is admirable. Outside of your strength, I can see why the King decides to have someone like you close to him. However, I have decided to take my life in another direction. But who knows, it may lead us to cross paths once again in the future." Rylen said.
"Then, there is no way to convince you?"
"No."
"Very well. Thank you, for the sparring session."
"Likewise."
Gazef watched as the elder simply turned around and began to walk away. He did nothing to stop him as he knew that this was a habit Rylen had, and actually convincing him wouldn't be possible. As Rylen vanished, Gazef tried to convince himself that indeed all of this had been just luck on his opponent's part, but his experience and senses, told him that Rylen was hiding something.
Rylen stopped his walk a good distance from the capital. Looking around he saw that he was truly alone. Going into his bag he materialized a cube, and using his free hand he pressed the side facing upwards, causing it to fire upwards along with a white cloth. The cloth began to fall around him in a spiral pattern. More and more cloth exited the cube, causing the one that was surrounding Rylen to begin to tighten, until in a flash of bright light he vanished.
When Rylen became aware of his surroundings, he looked at the cube, which was now empty as if it had never held anything within. He looked around as he saw similar flashes to the one he saw before arriving appear around him. Other people had arrived in the room via the same means as him, they much like himself were looking around at their new surroundings and strange faces.
"Everyone, can I get you attention." A familiar female voice growled.
All eyes went to the large table in the center of the room. It was a long table with 12 seats in total. On the back of each chair was written a name and a number. Out of these 12 seats, 3 were already filled, and these individuals were familiar to all of them. Sitting in one of the chairs with the number "4" was Juno. To the right of the head of the table was the woman that had previously spoken, Amelia. At the head of the table itself was their mutual benefactor, Sōsuke Aizen.
"I am glad that all of you have answered my call. Please sit down. We have much to discuss." Aizen calmly said, and all obeyed without a word spoken.