Chapter 93
"It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man that makes us believe the oath"
Aeschylus
The quotes and jokes in this chapter rightfully belong to whoever created it in the first place.
Three hours after the event of the last chapter, in the Valdomir's Base…
Beelzebub, Hibram, Thanatos, Baphomet, and Amon Ra are having a short meeting to decide what their next plan would be. "WE SHALL GO AS WE AGREED WITH BEELZEPHIR AND GAHN" Beelzebub, obviously the strongest of the five, takes the role as the moderator and speaks, "AMON RA WILL STAY WITH ME HERE TO DEAL WITH SAGRAMORE AND NAGHT SIEGER. BE IT WE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THEM BOTH OR JUST ONE OF THEM AFTER THEIR BATTLE, WE WILL ENSURE OUR VICTORY HERE"
"Honestly, I could careless about the humans here. They are all boring" Hibram quickly responses, "If getting out of here helps me erase the boredom, I'll take that chance"
"I might agree with Hibram" Thanatos joins, "I don't really want to admit this, but it will take some amount of time for me to completely recover"
"AND IT WILL TAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME FOR MY BODY TO REACH ITS FULL POTENTIAL BACK. AFTER HELPING BEELZEPHIR WITH THE SET UP FOR RAGNAROK, FENRIR WAS EASILY ABLE TO SUBDUE ME" Baphomet is the last to voice his mind of the plan, "I WILL BACK DOWN FOR NOW, BUT I WILL MAKE HIM PAY IF I EVER SEE HIM AGAIN"
Seeing this rare occasion, Amon Ra chooses to praise it, "THAT IS RATHER SURPRISING TO SEE NONE OF YOU VOICE ANY INTEREST ON JOINING THIS BATTLE AS OPPOSED TO THE PLAN. EVEN LORD OF DEATH HAS LEFT THIS PREMISE ONCE HIS BATTLE WAS OVER. HOW RARE"
"EVEN IF IT IS, THIS LOOKS BETTER FOR BOTH US AND VALDOMIR ENTIRELY" Beelzebub finishes the short talk tonight as a warp gate appears nor far from their middle, "BEELZEPHIR HAS SENT HIS SUPPORT, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO NOW"
It doesn't take a long time for Thanatos, Baphomet, and Hibram to make a good use of the warp and teleports. Thus, leaving the other two monsters like they planned, "SO WHAT IS YOUR PLAN, BEELZEBUB?"
Beelzebub looks to the east, smiling before answering, "WE WILL LEAVE NAGHT SIEGER FOR LATER. PREPARE YOUR MEN TO DEAL WITH SAGRAMORE IN TWO HOUR. NOW, WITH THEM NOT BEING IN PEAK CONDITION WE COULD SURELY MAKE A GOOD USE OF THIS ADVANTAGE"
At the same time, inside Pegasus Base…
With the storm of battles cooling down, everyone is taking a well deserved rest. In the entire ship, the only people awake are Gen Ed, El, Marcus, Isabel, Patricia, Frea, Sasha, Fenrir, Iris, Olivia, and Eremes. The rest of them are resting. Not in peace, of course. Apparently, despite having only his head in one piece, Hugo is still alive (or in terms of rocket science, active). Gen Ed ordered Patricia to store his head in the storage until they got a proper material to rebuild him.
"Cannot believe we lost nearly all our men four hours into the battle" Elraven expresses his disbelieve to Gen Ed. Apparently, Gen Ed called El for a small chat in the dock while Fenrir is guarding the base, "The battle in this Endless Tower is the hardest I've ever seen so far, General. Not even the small scale war against Valdomir two years ago was as grand as this"
"I guess we didn't really understand the potential of our adversaries here like we should" Gen Ed isn't puzzled by the result at all, "Now, that we experienced it all by ourselves I guess we can formulate another plan to anticipate the ensuing battle. Because, as we knew it, there are still several threats left. Not counting Naght Sieger, according to the report of the others we may also have to deal with Great Demon Baphomet, Thanatos Phantom, Fallen Bishop Hibram, Amon Ra, and to top it all, Beelzebub"
"And let's not forget the 500 soldiers of Rekenber waiting the other side of the island" Unpleasant, but El feels the need to state the truth, "As we stand know, those horde of enemies would be quite a handful"
"Or should I say, too much" The general closes his eyes for a second, thinking the best way to get out of the problem. Without winning the game, there's no way they are going to get out of here alive. But in order to reach Naght Sieger's place they would have to fight their way, "Say, Elraven, have you thought about using your secret power here?"
Elraven puts a serious face upon hearing the question. With a focused look, he replies, "No, not at all. I never thought about using it here. Honestly, I was planning to save it for guys like Beelzephir, Ifrit, or Satan Morroc. Or maybe the hotshots from Millennium. Mind telling me why you suddenly asked, General?"
"It's precisely as you said, we got quite a handful of enemies to handle here" The older gunslinger keeps his calm, because judging by his tone he can clearly see the younger one nearly loses it, "If you consider using the power Sarkhan informed you before our journey here, things would have gotten a lot easier. I can understand you wanting to keep it for the bigger deals, but there are certain things worthy of being considered, son. Especially, at times like these, when your comrades are low in power"
El takes what the general said into his mind and keeps it there, trying his hard to absorb the essence of his advice. Calming down, the purple glassed gunslinger takes a deep breath, "You're right, general. I shall consider it"
"Glad to hear that" Gen Ed smiles and heads to the door, but Elraven stops him for a moment.
"And…General, about my tone earlier…I was surprised" Like a proper adult, El apologizes, "I'm sorry for sounding so rude"
"No need, Elraven. It happens" And just like a real adult, Gen Ed shows his understanding, "Well, then take your time. I will have a meeting with the soul linkers and their leader"
"Matthew?"
"Especially that kid. Him and I need to talk like a man" Gen Ed retires himself from the room. El is now left to wander by himself. In another spot, Frea & Fenrir are seen together.
"So, you finally dumped Elraven, huh? Told you he doesn't suit you" Another talk between long time friends.
"I wouldn't have dumped him if only he could choose" Frea still seems bitter about it, "But he couldn't. And I don't think he will ever could"
"It's his loss" Fenrir throws a faint smile, "Well, may he find happiness with whomever he chooses to be with. It's not like he is any good to begin with"
"Don't say that, El is actually a good man. But…he just couldn't commit to his relationship with me" The soul linker recalls unpleasant memories, "And it's all thanks to that brat!"
"Princess Fiorentin?" Fenrir wants to laugh, but he holds it knowing his would get his butt handed to him if he does, "Come on, there's no need to be so hard on a young human. A hundred years from now she would be dead but you would still be alive as it is"
"Yeah, alive with the memory that she once ruined my relationship!!!" Frea raises her tone. Thankfully, no one other than the two of them are anywhere near the point so this shouldn't even make a problem, "If it's not for her unrequited crush, El and I would still be couple!"
"Come on, there's no such thing as unrequited when it comes to love. You of all people should know that" Fenrir turns to Frea to see her angered expression. Wisely, the Black Ripper changes the direction of the conversation, "No, I mean…isn't she at the age of wanting to be loved?"
"By ruining other's people relationship?!"
"Yes…no, I mean no!" Fenrir dangerously enters the loss of words situation, "I mean, in things like romance or love, isn't flirting considered normal?!"
"Ruining a couple is way too much! What did she have against me anyway?!"
"She had nothing against you, Freyja. The thing she had was definitely for your ex-partner" The Odin-slayer replies only to met silence from the soul linker. Seeing how Frea doesn't give any form of replying for nearly a minute, Fenrir advances, "Anyway, I think you should move on"
"Move on?"
"Yeah, you need to find…you know what I mean"
"No, I don't"
"Come on!!! What are you, fifteen?! You don't get it at all?!"
"No"
"You need to find another man!! Another man, you know!"
"What?! Another man?!"
"Yeah!! So you can show Elraven that he isn't the only one who can find happiness with the princess!" Wow, Fenrir sounds so spirited, "Haven't the thought crossed your mind at all?"
"Well…I was actually thinking about it, but I don't know that many men…"
"No worries" Fenrir cannot hold it any longer, "Isn't there one gentleman here?"
"What? Gentleman? Where?"
"You know…here"
"Where? I don't see any gentleman around here"
"Ok, I'll give you a clue about him" Fenrir should have gone straight to the point, "Clue number 1: He is very charismatic"
"Hmm"
"Clue number 2: He is also charming"
"Ummm…" Why does Frea suddenly become insensitive? "I still couldn't figure it out"
"Then, clue number 3: You've known him for…quite some time"
"Gen Ed?"
"What?! Gen Ed?! No, not him!"
"I was wrong? Isn't Gen Ed charismatic and charming? I've also known him for at least 9 months, quite some time"
"You're wrong!! Why would I encourage you to start a relationship with Gen Ed?! He has grandkids for sanity's sake!! OK! Let me revoke clue number 3: You've known him for a very very very long tiiiiiime!"
"…is it…Sarkhan?"
"No!!! For goodness' sake, no!! Why Sarkhan?! Why him?!? Didn't you get my clue at all?!"
"…no"
"Clue number 4: That man is here!! He's here!! Right now, here on this island!"
"…Elraven?"
"Noooooo!!! Aaaaaah, forget about it! You're beyond help!" Finally losing his patience, Fenrir wanders off to somewhere else, leaving Frea alone.
"What's with him?" Frea raises her eyebrows. It seems El's insensitivity has become a plague.
On the other point of the base, Olivia and Eremes are enjoying their time together. Just like always, "I'm glad we made it out alive, Eremes. The others didn't do so well"
"They are doing well thanks to you" The assassin cross reminds his partner, "You dealt greatly healing the entire team, especially when you healed Princess Fiorentin and Felicia"
"Of course, they are important for me. No way I would let them die on me as long as I can afford it" Olivia sounds a bit proud of herself responding the praise, "And…isn't it thanks to you I could improve?"
"Come on, if it weren't for your own hard work you couldn't have improved that much"
"You're so sweet, you know that?"
"You're sweeter than me" Ow, what a lovey-dovey talk. Too bad before anything could proceed further, Sasha shows up.
"Um…am I interrupting?"
"Eh?! No, no!" The couple is caught off guard and quickly turn their attention to the gunslinger, "Why are you here? Can we help you, Sasha?"
"Yeah, Gen Ed requests Olivia to come to the meeting room. He's going to talk with that Matthew guy right now"
"Mind telling me why?"
"Because we need someone from Sagramore to be officially there. Fenrir is out of reach while Princess Fiorentin and Felicia are resting. You're the closest thing to Sagramore's leader we got for now. We need you at the meeting room"
"Wow…" The closest thing to Sagramore's leader, that very sentence tickles Olivia's mind like never before. Glancing at Eremes, the assassin cross gives her sign that he will accompany her to the meeting. Without further ado, the three goes to the room.
On the rear side of the base, Marcus is taking the role as its guardian with his best friend Gregory.
M: Aw, this is so boring. Can't we do anything else?
G: No, we have to guard this point and that's what we're going to do.
M: Well…how about funny jokes to erase the boredom?
G: ….ok, it's not like it would do any harm. You go first.
M: I'll go for the question and you have to answer it, okay?
G: Okay.
M: What do cows play at parties?
G: Moosical chair.
M: Why is it possible to see through preachers?
G: They are holy.
M: George Washington not only chopped down his father's Cherry tree, but also admitted doing it. Now do you know why his father didn't punish him?
G: Because George still had the axe in is hand.
M: What does it mean when the baby's head is crowning?
G: It means you feel as thought not only a crown but the entire throne is trying to make its way out of you.
M: How could you answer all those questions?! This isn't funny at all!
G: Weren't those common jokes?
M: Yes, but you can't just answer all of them like that! I didn't get the chance to make you look like a fool!
G: That's what you've been trying to do? What an idiot.
M: Don't call me an idiot!! Why did everyone call me an idiot?!
G: Isn't it obvious? Because you're one!
M: Wuaaaaaaaaaaah!!! I'm not an idiot!! I can prove it!!
G: Okay…I'll ask a question and you have to give me the correct answer, ok?
M: Ok!!
G: Who is the fifth member of Teletubbies, Andy Lau or Chow Yun Fat?
M: Eh…Andy Lau!!
G: Wrong!! Teletubbies doesn't have the fifth member, you moron!!
M: That means…I'm an idiot.
G: You're always one.
M: Wuaaaaaah!! Don't say that!! I'm not an idiot!! Wuaaaah!!
G: Shut up, moron!! You'll tell the whole island where to find us!!
Leaving that aside, there's one more thing to be seen before the meeting really starts. Elraven, who's been wondering alone for himself, is comfortably sitting on the dock. That's on the outside, in the inside, he's busy thinking about what Gen Ed said earlier, "Only three chances…should I use one here? I would like to hear what Alexandria think about this, but she is resting…even without that, I still don't know whether I would want to use it or not"
"Hey, what are you doing here? Goofing around?" El's mind got caught up by a voice coming from his behind. Turning his head, it was Iris, "Don't you have anything better to do than sitting around mindlessly? Like guarding the base?"
"What's with this girl? Why does she always have to be so rude to me?" The first thing comes to the gunslinger's mind is how uneasy he feels around the kafra girl, but he prefers to not bring that one up, "No, I was wondering. And not trying to talk back, but Marcus and Fenrir are already on guard so I don't see why I should join them. Both of them are insanely strong even by themselves"
"What about guarding Fio and the others? Aren't they resting?"
"Yes, they are. But the infirmary isn't too far from the dock. If anything happens, the butterfly wings are already prepared in my pocket"
With Elraven gaining the upper hand, Iris adds some counterweight, "You sound really confident, huh? Mind telling me what happened to Fio? She seems okay, but why did she collapse?"
"Mental shock" El sees Iris sitting down beside him, "She met her mother's killer after six years long and found out not only she lost her mother, but also her unborn sibling. Unknown to her, her mother was actually pregnant by the time the assassination happened"
"For God's sake…that's horrible…"
"I was shocked too when I heard it"
"Who's the name of the murderer?"
"Red Valdes, also known as The Vampire of Einbroch. He is a sadistic gunslinger with a potent combat ability. But, maybe out of rage, Alexandria was able to easily best his moves and remove his right eye out of its socket"
"Wow, serves him just right"
"Yeah, and if Alexandria ever sees him again she would decimate him for sure"
"Hmm…this has been bogging my mind for quite some time, so can I ask you one thing?"
"Go ahead"
"Why do you address Fio as 'Alexandria'? Didn't she ever tell you to call her by her name?" Finally, a small revelation.
"She did, but I felt like it would be impolite to do so. So, I prefer to go with her nickname"
"Hmm…you still have an amount of decency, huh?"
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Well, you're free to decide it" Iris raises and reminds El before heading inside, "On the record, I still dislike you"
"I could see that" The gunslinger calmly responds the threat, "A lot of people have been hating me lately. Either way, thanks"
"For what?"
"For making my mind feels a bit relaxed. A little chat actually help me thinking"
"…whatever" And then, Iris retires from El's vision.
Good for him, El has now made up his mind, "All right! It's decided! I shall discuss this with Alexandria later when I got the chance!"
****
In the meeting room, a man to a boy talk is about to begin. Matthew, still having his leg injured thanks to a fine shot from Elraven, is sitting with both his hands crossed across Gen Ed. He's got several men behind him, not sure why. Gen Ed, meanwhile, is visibly seen with his usual composed stature on his seat. On his left, Olivia is calmly observing the situation on her seat. Eremes and Sasha are guarding the door and also the room, in case something bad ensues. The last but not the least, Isabel is sitting in Gen Ed's right.
Assuming everything is set and ready, Gen Ed accelerates and starts the meeting, "You know, my father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say,
"You're tearing up the grass". "We're not raising grass" Dad would reply, "We're raising
boys"
"Cut the bull, what are you trying to say?" Matthew talks back in a rude manner.
"What I'm trying to say is my father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. That's what a man, or should I say a father, do…he looks over his family. And he would look them over with his heart, protecting them with all his might and his soul" Seeing how Matthew is being disrespectful, Gen Ed raises his tone, "That's what Naght Sieger has been doing nearly all his life, being a father"
Learning that name, Matthew grunts, "Look, if you're going to bull me about…"
"I'm not finished!" In a rare occasion, Gen Ed shows his anger by smashing the table bordering the two sides with one smash into pieces. Needless to say, the entire room is shocked to see this, "Don't cut me while I'm talking to you, young man. And don't say bull or whatever is going to come out from your mouth. You know nothing about being a father. But, I do. So listen to me with your lips sealed. If you're going to cut me off again, I ensure you that would be the last thing you will ever say. And if you doubt that, you can always give it a try at your own cost. Now, do I make myself clear?"
No one dares to say a word after that. "I will take the silence as a yes, thank you" Gen Ed proceeds, "Now where were we? Ah, yes. The Naght Sieger being a father part. You know, it's easier for a father to have children than children to have a father. Mind giving me your opinion on 'why', Matthew? No worries, you're allowed to talk"
"…what do you want me to say?" Matthew seems still shocked from before.
"One simple thing, do you know how to diaper a baby?"
"…beg your pardon?" Trust me; Matthew isn't the only surprised listening to that. The whole room is.
"You heard me right. Do you know how to diaper a baby?"
"It's…" Obviously, the so called 'leader' doesn't know the answer.
"Spread the diaper in the position of the diamond with you at bat. Then fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitcher's mound. Put first base and third together, bring up home plate and pin the three together. Of course, in case of rain, you have to call the game and start all over again. Isn't it simple? I learned all that through becoming a father" Gen Ed simply explains how the game goes, "You don't even know how to diaper a baby but you want to be the ruler of this island?"
That question owns…big time.
"I'm not trying to belittle my own subordinate, you couldn't even defeat Elraven despite having the number advantage yet you still want to be the ruler of this island? You couldn't handle four fighters entering your turf for less than an hour yet you feel good enough to replace someone who's been protecting his turf near flawless for thousands of years? You couldn't even diaper a baby but you talk like you're destined for greatness? Let me tell you something, you're pitiful" That last word is harsh but true, "You, and your entire family, had a wonderful father who loved you, sheltered you, fed you, protected you, but you let a small whisper from a fly ruined all that. You're pitiful, you're weak both in and out. You don't deserve his kindness at all"
"I've heard enough of you!" Matthew explodes after all the sayings, "You talk a big game but you nearly lost your son out there!"
"Ah, that's why I said you're pitiful" Gen Ed doesn't let Matthew speaks further than that and cuts him off, "I'm a father, it kills me seeing him grow and risk his life. But it would kill me quicker if he didn't. You don't understand this, do you? I bet you don't, because you're not a father. But I am, and Naght Sieger is. That's something only fathers could understand. You don't know how far a father would go for his children. You're naïve, you knew what I've been saying is right but you're afraid to admit it. You're afraid, because once you admit it, you will also admit the lives you have taken and the peace you have ruined can never be regained. You're poor excuse of a son and a leader, Matthew. The least you could do now is admit your mistake right here, right now, in front of Isabel and the rest of your family. That's the least you could do as a man. I'm not fond of saying harsh things, but what makes a man a man isn't how much balls he got, but how big his heart is. You're a pitiful leader, a pathetic son, but at least you can save your face as a man. Now, admit it. And you better admit it like a man"
What a talk Gen Ed just gave to the pitiful young man. Matthew cannot talk back any longer. Every single word the general spoke of was true. The worst misfortune that can happen to an ordinary man is to have an extraordinary father; that was what exactly happened to the soul linker. Or maybe he is just flat-out stupid.
"Let's give him some time and space" Gen Ed orders everyone but Matthew and Isabel to leave the room so they can settle their business. Outside, the general takes the further explanation to Sasha, Eremes, and Olivia by himself, "I'm sorry if I invited all of you inside there even though you didn't actually do anything. I was just trying to show Matthew he was in a disadvantage in number"
"Oh, don't worry" Olivia keeps the atmosphere cool, "That was quite a talk you gave him there"
"He deserved it" The general smiles knowingly, "Anyway, I asked your presence here for a need, Miss Olivia"
"Oh? Can I be of any help to you?"
"Yes, since you are the only Sagramore member present at the moment, I would like you to help me decide our next move" Gen Ed looks at Olivia in the eye so she could tell he is damn serious, "Assuming Matthew and his men wouldn't trouble us any longer than this, we still have 500 Rekenber soldiers, Beelzebub, Amon Ra, and Naght Sieger to be taken care of"
"Hm, so what are we going to…" Olivia's word is cut off when the ground suddenly trembles and shakes the ship, alerting the whole base of what might happen…
Around six minutes ago, in Rekenber's base…
The five hundred men are looking at someone in awe. Just now, they've been waiting for Red Valdes to return and lead them back without knowing he has somehow left from the island, abandoning them. The soldiers scattered all over their base, feeling calm because of their numbers and the three airships they got with them as both their weapon and their mean of transportation.
But all 500 of them are struck when a certain figure shows up from the forest with a pair of Twin Edge swords ready on him. His mere presence is more than enough to keep their eyes on him, "SO, THIS IS THE REKENBER ARMY? WHAT AN UNPLEASANT VIEW, JUST AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE"
"Who are you?!" Yelled one of the soldiers, "You better get out of here before we kill you, monster!"
"AND PRETTY IMPOLITE TOO. I WAS HERE JUST FOR A VIEW BUT I FIND MYSELF BEING MOCKED" Fearlessly, Naght Sieger raises both his swords to mid-air, not caring the fact that if he continues this it would be 500 on 1, "VERY WELL, THEN. I SHALL SHOW YOU WHAT COST YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY IF YOU DARE TO DISRESPECT THE RULER OF THIS ISLAND"
Too bad for themselves, the rekenbers are too overconfident,
"Hey, freak! Get your butt out of here! You might want to be wise and not waste your live!"
"Yeah, can't you see you're alone?!"
"What are you trying to do?! Scare us with a pair of swords?!"
"Can't you see we get a load of firearms and three airships?!"
"I GROW WEARY OF YOUR VOICES" Before the soldiers could take a good look of what is actually happening, The Twin Edge shines and combines into one sword. A large purple colored greatsword with a cross between blue colored and red colored hilt. Its blade is sharp; combine the length of the hilt and the blade and the length would match Naght Sieger's height. The greatsword features a large guard with side rings to protect the hands from opposing weapons, plus a long leather covered ricasso that allows the blade to be gripped higher up for better control for close range slashing and stabbing attacks, and integral forward parrying lugs. The hilt is wood covered with leather and is extra long to afford a full two handed grip. The heavy steel pommel helps balance the long blade and also serves as an effective close-range weapon.
When the soldiers are still surprised, Naght Sieger lifts the sword over his head, gathering what seems like a purple mist coming from the sky. Realizing something bad is going to happen if Naght Sieger unleashes whatever he is preparing, one of the soldiers reacts and shouts, "Damn!! Shoot him, shoot him!"
The front row soldiers pull out their guns and bombard the demon, penetrating him with many bullets. But despite having his body like a honeycomb with his blood running out from his inside, Naght Sieger still maintains his previous stance, not affected at all by the bullets, "THIS WORLD HAS INFLICTED MORE PAIN TO ME THAN YOUR BULLETS!! I SHALL SHOW YOU GALLAHAD!! BEGONE!!!"
Amidst the rain of bullets, having his blood paints the ground red; Naght Sieger hits the enhanced Violet Fear to the ground. In less than three seconds, the earth roars from the inside. Within the earth's crust below the island, a seismic wave emerges and hits the surface, displacing the entire base and blasting off the whole area from the bottom inside. The soldiers felt like their bodies are being harshly pulled to the above, forcefully launched from the ground. And then the three airships follow the soldiers to the air, hitting their inhabitants in the air because they uncontrollably move everywhere in the crowded space. The ground fractures from below, now shattered into pieces, are the next to leap to the air. That plus the rampaging ships hit every soldier on the air and kill them in one or two hits, turning the aerial experience into a massacre. Fleshes, blood, and bones rain the shattered land below, coloring the island with the proof of its ruler's wrath.
After the impact finally lessened, one by one, everything in the mid-air begins to fall. Each sound of the fall signals how many dead bodies are there. And it's a lot.
After no more voice is heard echoing in the base, Naght Sieger casts a good look on the massacre he just committed. His island is now a killing field, nothing he could do to change that. Nor is he attempting to do anything. He started his life as a demon with killing, and now he is planning to end it with another killing. Silently, he returns his sword back into two and walks back to his tower…
****
Thirty minutes after Gallahad, inside the Pegasus base…
The aftermath is rather nerving in the base, now Fenrir and Marcus finally take their job guarding the place seriously. Isabel and Matthew knew exactly what just happened; meanwhile Gen Ed manages to calm the ship down, "There is nothing to worry about. The impact seemed to come from another area, not here"
Since nothing happened after the quake, the business continues on the ship, "I'm sorry for the earlier outside commotion, Miss Olivia. Now if you may, can we get back to where we left?"
"Oh, yeah. Where were we?"
"The enemies part" Gen Ed looks outside before turning back and informs, "Although I must say I don't feel the presence of the 500 soldiers anymore"
"So, the loud sound earlier must be their demise?"
"And it is more than likely Naght Sieger was the one who did it"
"And what was that thing you wanted me to decide again?"
"We still got Beelzebub and Amon Ra…and of course Naght Sieger. Actually, we could hope for a miracle to swipe both Beelzebub and Amon Ra for us, but that cannot be ensured at this moment" Gen Ed secretly referring to Elraven, but of course Olivia didn't get its meaning, "With more than half our party down, we can only have some assist from Matthew and his men. I'm not trying to disrespect them, but I don't think they are capable of handling Beelzebub or Amon Ra . My question is, how do you wish of us to advance in this situation? Mind you, Naght Sieger is still out there"
Olivia, now wiser because of her experience, takes some time to take the matter into her mind. With a composed tune, she voices her answer, "I wouldn't mind answering on behalf of Sagramore, but may I ask why do you wish to hear what Sagramore think of this?"
"Because we're allies, Miss Olivia. And Sagramore opinions represent our move at the moment. It was Princess Fiorentin herself who confronted Naght Sieger in the first place after all"
"Very well, then that is what should be done" Olivia decides in a very calm tone, "We shall leave Naght Sieger for Fio to deal with, that's her original plan anyway. As for Beelzebub and Amon Ra, take the initiative to attack them first rather than waiting for them to attack us. Granted, using your ability we can easily track their aura and ambush them first. That and that alone, should make our problem easier to deal with"
Not only Gen Ed, but even Eremes and Sasha are caught in a surprising awe listening to the matured high priest. "Well spoken, Miss Olivia" Gen Ed mirthfully approves the idea, "Then you should ask whoever you wish for and set sail in half an hour, I'll start tracking Beelzebub and Amon Ra. And worry not; I will guard this base and our party here by myself"
"Thank you for the approval, General" Olivia politely replies as the general goes to the control room. Eremes, still in disbelieve, looks at Olivia with a goggled eye, "What's with that look, honey?"
"I have never thought such wise words could come out from you, Olivia. Honest"
"That shows just how much I have changed, doesn't it?"
Thirty minutes later…
With all matters being approved, Olivia, Sasha, Eremes, Frea, Fenrir, and Marcus pick the four gathered packs and go to the 90th floor of Endless Tower, the place where the two monsters have been waiting according to Gen Ed's tracking. In the infirmary, Ty finally regains consciousness and view where he is, "Where is this? Pegasus' infirmary? We're saved?"
Moving his head, he could see nearly the entire group is resting, "We're alive after all…thank lord, I thought we were going to die after all those battles…"
And of course, one person doesn't escape his attention. Thanks for the quietness inside the room, he can still hear Felicia breathing, "Dear…I'm glad she is still alive. I thought she died after being stabbed"
"You look at me even at times like these? Don't you know the word 'give me a break', Ty?" Much to Ty's unawareness, Felicia suddenly opens her eyes and talks to Ty.
"Wha?! Hey, I was worried about you! That's why I was looking at you!"
"You sure you're not looking at something else?"
"Felicia, I'm not always a pervert, okay?! I can be gentleman too at times!"
"At times? You mean when you want to try seducing your victims?"
"Yes…no!! I mean no!! I can be gentleman in times of need!"
"Hm, yea" That sounds like an underestimating kind of approval.
"You don't believe me, do you?" And fortunately, Ty gets it just right.
"Yup"
"Doggone it…"
"Just kidding, Ty" Now, the paladin shows her sweet side, "Thank your for saving me tonight. Guess I owe you one, eh?"
"Eh? Well…uh…" Why does Ty suddenly become nervous? "You…you're welcome! I mean, we're cool aren't we?"
"Not until I manage to repay the favor" The sentence caught Ty's attention greatly, "Say, if we manage to get out of this island alive, would you like to…walk around the town with me? There are places I want to visit and this I want to see. I would be glad if you could…accompany me"
An invitation for a date!! Ty never thought he would ever hear this from Felicia!! This is the chance to get chas…I mean, her heart, "O-o-o-ok!! All right! Let's do that! I'll happily accompany you!"
"Why, thank you" Felicia rests her head deeper to the pillow before turning it, not wanting for Ty to see the giant blush coloring her face. Ty, on the other hand, is thinking of not letting this chance go.
On the other side of the ship, Elraven is still sitting at his peace on the dock. He told Olivia and the others to leave him for the time being. He'll come when he's ready and feels decided. "You're not going with the others?" A familiar voice frees Elraven from his own wander.
"Alexandria?" El sounds somewhat happy seeing her heading towards him, "You're awake? I thought you would need…"
"More rest? Not a chance" Fio cuts him off before sitting beside him, "If you wanted to ask about how I feel after seeing that scum again, I felt horrible. Especially when he said mother was actually pregnant, but I couldn't let that hinder me from what I've been wanting to keep: a promise"
"Wow…you're incredible" Believe it or not, this is one genuine praise from Elraven, "It amazes me how…easy you could steel yourself like that. I would freak out like there's no tomorrow if I ever experience anything like that"
"Because there is time when I need to put others before myself. And now is one of those times. What would be of me if I let my past bound me from achieving what I and my comrades want?" The difference between a leader and a soldier really shows itself here, "And the last thing, much like I said earlier, I have a promise to fulfill"
"What determination…" El escapes his praise again, "Such strong will…one can never achieve it without experiencing a loss and overcoming it"
"Ow, you flatter me! Aren't you like that too?"
"I'm much different, by all means. I have never experienced a great loss, nor do I want to. I'm doubtful I can overcome any loss to that matter. For example…I cried heavily when I thought you died on me at Glast Heim" That surely brings back memories. One which makes the two goes into another weird silence. Even after all the moments, Elraven is still insensitive. Fortunately, it sometimes goes in the right way, "And even now…I still cannot decide whether I want to…"
El pauses, not saying anything for the next two minutes. The situation urges Fio to take the lead and pushes the gunslinger a bit, "If you wish to free your shoulder of the unspoken burden then speak, El. I'm not the number one advisor in the world, but I can at least listen"
"Yeah, you're right. This relates to you too after all" El welcomes the offer with the right answer, "Before we got to this island, Sarkhan secretly visited us and told me the truth about my changeling power. At first, I thought it only allows me to manipulate light, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Much to the contrary of light, I can also manifest darkness. But this time, in much greater scale"
"Greater scale?"
"It allows me to temporarily use the power of Lucifer, The Fallen Angel" El deepens his voice as he continues, "Lucifer was said to be brighter once amidst the host of Angels, than that star the stars among. But he defied God and was banished. Incidentally, the hidden power sealed with my changeling power would let me use at least 3% of his power. Sarkhan stated just 3% of it are more than enough to deal with Gods in their normal form or even Crescendo form. Regardless, there are some conditions not to be overlooked"
"Alright…"
"First, once the power is activated I can only last 15 minutes…20 at most. Second, each minute passes mean my lifespan would decrease" The condition gets worse and worse, "Three, in 24 hours I can only use it once. I'll have to wait another 24 hours before using it again. Four, I need to open the seal whenever I wish to use the power. And the seal is my purple glasses, apparently crafted by someone who knew this all along"
"Wow…that's an interesting revelation…" Fio only nods her head several times to respond the story, "And I assume you must have wanted to save such power for Ifrit?"
"And greater dangers, like Beelzephir and Satan Morroc. But upon arriving here, not only I learned we…or to be more precise, you, have to deal with Naght Sieger, we also got the whole honcho waiting for us. Gen Ed already warned that Beelzebub is at least on the same level as Sieger and Amon Ra is a god, which means only Frea or Fenrir could harm him. With all those obstacle waiting for us, I wonder if I should unlock my power for the first time now? So that we can safely settle what we're here for? Is this the right time? What if something greater happens in the future but I couldn't prevent it from happening thanks to the used opportunities?"
Fio understood it well. El doesn't need to explain any further than that. She could give him all the big talk about life and death, but she feels like that's not what El wants to hear now. He wants an answer. He wants something that ensures him the next step he takes won't be the wrong one. Making up her mind, she says, "Elraven, putting others before yourself with such thought is honorable, but isn't that why such power needs to be used not because there are apparent dangers but because you and your comrades need it?"
El takes it upon himself to put his ears better and listens when the rune knight continues, "Even if there are threats in the future, that doesn't mean you have to take all of them upon yourself. That's why you have others helping you. And if you really wish to help, then would you help me?"
"By all means, Alexandria" Having some of his burdens lifted, the gunslinger sounds so sure.
"I will need all the strength I have left in order to fight Lord Sieger. And in order to do that, I need my path to be cleared at all cost" Such simple words, yet the hint doesn't take a long time to get to El. Fio just said she wants him to take Beelzebub and Amon Ra out by giving him a hint which would do a favor for him and everyone else, "And I want you to promise me something, Elraven"
"Yes?"
"I wish my bout with Lord Sieger to be a fair one on one bout. I want no one, not even you, or anyone to that matter interferes regardless what may happen. I require no help unless I couldn't tightly grip my two swords anymore. So promise me, you will do everything you could in your power to let me finish my fight him with him, one on one. If you cannot manage to keep that promise alive, I swear to God I will make you pay it dearly…in this life or the next" That's quite a request, "I entrusted my life to you, now will you entrust your life to me and take that path by my side or not?"
It's another burden to bear, but it's worth it. El knows all too well how he feels about a certain girl's live, but you cannot be too egoistical either. So, just this once, El complies to the wish, "At your service, Alexandria"
"Well spoken" Fio smiles, signaling their preparation is finished and they are ready to go, "Are you ready to enter the squared circle?"
"Bring it on"
****
I'm sorry for the very late update, I just got back to Jakarta at Sunday. But this week I think I don't really need to go anywhere so maybe I can update either this week or next week.
C u next chappy!