Dina glared at Venus, fury burning in her eyes. "Hey, Venus! How could you be so cruel?! You even created a human experimentation site?!"
Venus just smiled casually, shrugging. "Ara~ I wasn't the one who made it, so why are you mad at me?"
"You gave permission to those savage scientists!" Dina shouted, her voice trembling with emotion.
Venus narrowed her eyes. "One day, you'll understand our purpose."
"What do you mean?!" Dina asked, even more upset.
"Yes, that's what I meant," Venus replied, her tone indifferent and trailing off.
Seeing the tension between them, Gamma quickly interrupted. "Okay, okay! Don't fight! Here, eat first, Sis!" She handed two food packets to Dina and Venus.
Dina immediately snatched the food. "Thanks, Gamma! Aaa~ I'm starving!" she said, starting to devour it.
Venus glared. "Don't eat it all! That food was sent by Reisa-chan, you know!"
"First come, first served!" Dina replied with a satisfied laugh.
"What?!" Venus exclaimed in irritation.
Gamma quickly offered another one. "Don't worry, there's more, Sis."
Venus accepted it with a bright smile. "Aaa~ thank you so much, Reisa-chan!"
Meanwhile, in the city of Azura, Arya was striding quickly toward the city center.
"Hey, isn't that Exone?"
"It is! We must bow in gratitude to him!"
The citizens who saw Arya immediately bowed their heads in respect. Arya stopped in confusion.
"W-what is this? Why is everyone bowing?" he muttered, then hurried toward the ruler's mansion.
Upon reaching the gate, Arya looked at the guards and said, "May I come in?"
One guard squinted. "A kid? What business do you have?"
"Sorry, kid. Please leave," the other guard said.
Arya looked at them flatly. "Exone."
Both guards turned pale. "E-Exone?! Forgive us! Please come in!" they shouted in a panic, opening the gate.
Creaaak...
Arya nodded slightly. "That was easy. Thank you."
"O-of course! Welcome!" they stammered.
Arya raised an eyebrow. "Why are they so nervous...?" he muttered as he stepped inside. He was surprised to see the empty corridor without guards.
"No guards? Alright then, I'll open the door myself," he said, pushing open a door that creaked softly.
"Hm... no decorations? I guess Pirlo doesn't like over-the-top decor," he said as he walked down the hall.
As he passed by some maids, whispers followed.
"That's Exone!"
"Show respect!"
The maids bowed immediately. Arya gave a faint smile. "Excuse me, do you know where Lord Pirlo's room is?"
"O-over there!" one of them answered nervously. "Please follow us."
After knocking, one maid said, "Sir, someone wishes to see you."
"Come in," Pirlo responded from inside.
"Please enter, Sir," the maid said, bowing.
Arya nodded politely. "Thank you, Miss. Long time no see, Pirlo."
"Exone? What brings you here? Couldn't you have contacted me through the communicator?" Pirlo asked, a bit surprised.
"It's an urgent matter. Do you have any new information?"
"Information? Nothing special. Just that you're being hunted," Pirlo replied casually.
Arya chuckled. "Haha, that's true." Then his tone shifted to serious. "Hey, Pirlo. Did you know there's a human experimentation site here? I came to tell you."
"Experimentation site? What do you mean?"
"A place where humans are turned into monsters."
Pirlo immediately stood. "What?! I didn't know anything about that! Are you accusing me?!"
"Not you," Arya explained calmly. "I'm just telling you that the previous ruler of this city was behind it. I came here to destroy that place."
He continued, "But the site is now beneath people's houses. Can you ask them to leave without drawing attention? I don't want them to panic."
"Hm... But why didn't we find any large room while building?" Pirlo asked, confused.
"Because the lab was built underground. Above it are just normal houses. It's located at the western edge of the city, so even when you built new houses, the deep foundations didn't reach the underground space."
"Alright, I'll order the guards to clear the area. But what reason should I give the citizens?"
"Just say I want to conduct a survey. No further explanation needed."
"Okay, give me a moment."
Pirlo then gave orders to the guards.
"Citizens!" they shouted. "Evacuate this area now! This is an order from the city ruler!"
"Why? What's going on?!"
"This is at Exone's request! He wants to conduct a survey! You don't want to get in Exone's way, do you?!"
"A-alright!"
"Let's go!"
Arya immediately moved toward the location. He nodded at the guards. "Thank you, gentlemen."
"You're welcome! We'll be off now!"
Before him stood a modest house. Arya opened the door.
Click...
He stepped inside. "No guards, to avoid suspicion, huh? They really are smart."
Krreeott... The metal door creaked as it opened. "They camouflaged the door with dirt... Impressive. They even stocked food and supplies. No need to go in and out..."
Arya covered his nose. "Ugh... Even after going in so many times, I still can't get used to this stench..."
"Who's there?!"
"Intruder!"
"Guards! Kill him!"
Arya raised his hand. "Shut up!" Bang! Bang! He fired quickly, eliminating them all.
He walked to the center of the room. Closing his eyes for a moment. "Forgive me... I'll kill you all without pain." He brought his hands together. "May you rest in peace."
Ultra Freeze! The entire room froze instantly. He drew his katana.
Sword Blazing! With one swift spin, Arya slashed and shattered everything into icy fragments.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered.
He activated his communicator. "Pirlo, it's done."
"What?! That fast? It's only been five minutes!"
"I don't want to waste time. Destroy the house above it. Level it. Don't let anyone enter again."
"Understood! Thank you, Exone!"
"I'm off. There are still four cities left."
"That many?"
"Yes. There are nine experimentation sites spread across the cities we saved. Including the capital, it's ten."
"Ten?! That's insane... Alright then. Good luck, Exone!"
"See you."
Teleportation! Arya vanished, heading to the city of Tizar.
He quickly cleared three cities Tizar, Eryua, Yuiria. Few citizens even noticed him.
"Alright, only one city left... Oiter City."
Teleportation!
Arya appeared in front of the Oiter city mansion. His sudden teleportation startled a maid carrying a tray of food.
"Kyaaah!"
The tray nearly slipped from her hands. She stepped back, eyes wide.
"W-why did you appear out of nowhere?!"
Arya bowed his head politely, his voice calm and courteous. "Sorry to startle you, beautiful lady. Don't mind me, please continue your work. But... could one of you guide me to Lord Tarze's room?"
The maid stuttered but eventually nodded. "A-alright... Please follow me."
They walked through the quiet, clean corridor of the mansion. Soon, they arrived at the main room.
The maid knocked gently. "Sir, you have a guest."
From behind the door came a deep yet calm voice. "Come in."
Arya smiled at the maid. "Thank you very much, beautiful lady. Excuse me."
The maid blushed, quickly bowed, and walked away.
Tarze, a middle-aged man with a well-groomed beard and noble attire, turned from his seat. His eyes widened when he saw who entered.
"That voice… Exone?"
Arya nodded. "Good afternoon, Lord Tarze. I have some business."
"Business… what kind?" Tarze narrowed his eyes, confused.
"I'll get straight to the point," said Arya, standing firm. "Beneath this mansion, there's a human experimentation site."
Tarze immediately stood from his chair. "Huh?! What do you mean? I… I never knew about that!" His shout sounded like someone just slapped with truth.
"There's a hidden room. The entrance is on the floor," Arya explained calmly. "May I be allowed to enter?"
Tarze slowly nodded, still shaken. "Of course… but are you going alone? May I come with you to see it?"
"Of course. Come, I'll show you."
They walked down a dark hallway toward the secret room. Arya pushed open a hidden door in the floor with a gentle shove.
Kreoottt...
The sound of old iron echoed in the cold, damp underground room.
Tarze instantly covered his nose. "Ughhh… it stinks…"
Arya handed him a small handkerchief. "Use this."
"Thank you…" Tarze murmured, taking it.
"I'm warning you, it will be horrible. If you can't handle it, you may leave."
"I'll… try."
They stepped inside. As Tarze's gaze swept the room, his face immediately turned pale. His eyes widened, jaw dropped.
"W-what is this…?" his voice was hoarse. "Why… is it so horrifying?! Humans… whole… in tubes? And their body parts mutated like monsters…?"
Tarze trembled. He held back tears, but his voice cracked. "I'm sorry… Sir Exone. May I… may I leave now…?"
Arya bowed his head slightly. "Please do. I will take care of the rest."
Tarze stumbled out of the room. Arya looked at the large tubes containing corpses and dismembered bodies still bubbling in the fluid. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Ultra Freeze."
The entire room was instantly frozen in a sharp, silvery-blue layer of ice. Cold mist covered the ceiling.
Arya drew the katana from his back. He took a deep breath, leaning down and preparing.
"Sword Blazing."
A fast spin of his body wiped out everything in a single, furious yet precise strike. Tubes, creatures, and machines were shattered into icy fragments that slowly disintegrated.
Once all was silent, Arya brought his palms together.
"May you rest in peace."
He walked out and found Tarze collapsed unconscious in the corridor, his breathing heavy and body still shaking.
Arya gave a faint smile. "Hm… trying to be tough, huh?" He gently carried Tarze back to his room.
After closing the door to Tarze's room, Arya looked out the window at the reddening evening sky. The wind carried the scent of soil and the tension that had just ended.
"Alright… it's all done. Time to return to the three of them."
With a single hand motion, Arya vanished.
Teleportation!
Arya returned to the forest near the capital in the late afternoon.
"Ah, welcome back, Ar!" greeted Dina.
"Welcome back, Brother!" Gamma shouted.
"Hmph…" Venus just snorted coldly.
"All done?" they asked together, walking toward Arya.
"Yes," Arya replied calmly. "The experimentation sites in all cities are handled. And... would you three like to come with me for a bit?"
"To where?" they asked again, almost in sync.
"Gamma and Venus haven't met Noctarion, right? I want to introduce you to Lord Noctarion."
"Sounds good," Arya thought to himself. "Besides, I want to ask Lord Noctarion something."
"Oh right, Gamma's never seen him. Perfect!" said Dina.
"Noctarion? Who's that?" Gamma and Venus asked in unison.
"Secret. You'll be surprised when you see him," Dina replied with a mysterious smile.
"Alright," said Arya. "Teleportation!"
They were transported to a forest near the city of Azura.
"Why a forest again, Brother? Who is Noctarion really?" Gamma asked, curious.
"Which forest is this?" Venus asked, confused.
"That… look. Huh?" Arya pointed ahead.
In the distance, a large figure was rolling around, whining affectionately.
"Aaahhh… Aquarix-chan, I miss you so much, I want to see your pretty face! But… forgive me, I still can't meet you…"
"Huh?!" all four of them gawked.
"Wait… why is Lord Noctarion acting like that?! He's supposed to be the dragon lord!" Arya thought, staring in disbelief.
"Hey Ar," Dina whispered, "is that really Lord Noctarion?"
"No idea. Who is that?" Arya was totally confused.
"B-black dragon?!" Gamma cried out, falling down. "Brother, that's a black dragon? But… why is he acting like that?"
"Black dragon?! But he's so disgusting…" Venus said with disgust.
"You don't have the right to say that, Venus!" Dina snapped.
"What did you say?! You think I'm like him?!" Venus retorted sharply.
"Ssshhh, quiet!" Arya hissed firmly. "Don't disturb his daydreaming! Or we'll all die."
Noctarion's voice suddenly turned intimidating.
"WHO'S THERE?! SO NOISY!"
"Eeep!!" They all trembled, cold sweat dripping.
"DID YOU… SEE WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Noctarion shouted, panicking.
"No! We just got here!" they all replied at once.
Noctarion quickly fixed his posture. "Ahem! W-what do you want?"
Arya stepped forward. "Ahem! Well, Lord Noctarion. I came to introduce my companions. A small blonde girl named Gamma, and a big-breasted purple-haired woman named Venus."
"Nice to meet you! I'm Gamma." Gamma bowed politely.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Venus." Venus bowed too.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Noctarion, The Black Dragon," the dragon replied in a deep voice.
"So… is that all?" Noctarion asked.
"Actually, I also want to ask you something." Arya stepped closer. "Do you know anything about time magic?"
"Time magic? Hm… I can use it too. Watch this." Noctarion lifted his claw. "Slow Time!"
Time seemed to slow down.
"Eeehhh? Why are you all moving slowly?" Arya said, his voice slowing down too.
"You're talking slow too," said Dina, also slowly.
"Brother?! Why are you all moving slowly?" Gamma asked, panicked.
"This is scary! Everyone's slow!" Venus was terrified.
"What is this? Why is everything slowing down?" Arya thought. "So this is time magic…"
"Lord Noctarion, can you return it to normal?" Arya tried to speak despite the slow motion.
"Cancel!" Noctarion said.
Time returned to normal as the dragon let out a booming laugh.
"Hahaha! You all look hilarious! Hahaha!"
"Waaahhh!" They were all shocked and thrown back.
"A-amazing!" Arya's eyes sparkled. "Lord Noctarion, teach me magic like that! I've read about it in books, but I don't get it. It's so complicated!"
"Hm, alright," Noctarion replied.
"Hey Ar, magic like that doesn't make sense. Why even learn it?" Dina protested.
"Yeah, Brother, it's really dangerous," Gamma added.
"Scary magic," commented Venus.
"It'll be useful someday!" Arya replied confidently.
"Time magic only affects a 100-meter radius. Anyone outside that radius remains unaffected," Noctarion explained.
"To be honest, I'm not good at teaching others. But I'll try," said Noctarion. "As for the rest of you, just relax in this forest for now."
"Alright! Please guide me!" Arya bowed respectfully.
Dina, Gamma, and Venus relaxed. They ate together and enjoyed the atmosphere like they were on a picnic.
"So, what do I have to do first?" Arya asked, full of excitement.
"Let me see your hand," said Noctarion.
"My hand? Here." Arya extended his hand.
"Transfer!"
The memories of time magic flowed into Arya's mind.
"W-what is this?! My head feels like it's going to explode!"
His mind was overwhelmed with complex information.
"Told you," said Noctarion. "Even using memory transfer is hard. Explaining it with words is even worse."
"Alright, I'll try! Focus… the basics… and… Slow Time!"
"Not yet. Still normal," said Noctarion.
Arya trained hard for three full days. He failed. He had headaches. But he didn't give up.
"Slow Time!" Arya shouted on the third day. "Did it work?!"
"Woah, you're amazing! Only three days!" Noctarion said in a slowed-down voice.
"Gamma, why are you moving slow?" Dina asked, also slowly.
"Huh? That means Brother Arya did it?!" Gamma said while chewing.
"Only three days?!" Venus was also shocked.
"Cancel!" Arya smiled in satisfaction. "Woah, I did it! I did it!"
Arya had now mastered time magic: he could accelerate, slow down, and even stop time.
"You did it, Ar?!" asked Dina.
"Of course!" Arya beamed.
"You're amazing, Brother!" praised Gamma.
"Of course! Hahaha! Praise me!"
"You're pretty impressive, kid," said Venus.
"Obviously!"
"Alright then. Are you all done with your business?" Noctarion asked.
"Thank you very much, Lord Noctarion. Is there anything you want as payment?" Arya asked.
"Payment, huh? Oh yeah! Beer! Give me beer! It's been so long since I drank beer!"
"Beer? I don't have any in storage. Alright, I'll excuse myself to go buy some. Please wait a moment!"
"Very well. I'll be waiting."
Teleportation!
Arya traveled around many cities. He bought all the best beer stock with just one pouch of gold coins. The amount of beer was insane—about the size of two houses.
"Here! I brought all the best beer from various cities, Lord Noctarion!" Arya summoned them all.
"Woah! So much! Thank you, kid!" Noctarion immediately chugged a barrel. "Uuuhhh… so delicious!"
Dina whispered something. "Hey Ar, isn't this too much? What if he gets drunk and destroys a city?"
"Don't worry! Lord Noctarion is a good dragon."
"But even good ones… are still scary," said Gamma.
"Can I have a bit?" asked Venus.
"Go ahead. Even losing one barrel doesn't matter with this much."
"Thank you very much, Lord!" Venus drank right away. "Wahahaha! That's the stuff!"
"Hahaha! Right?!" Noctarion laughed loudly.
"Hey, isn't this starting to get out of hand?" Dina asked. "That Venus is getting drunk too."
"Sister Venus…" Gamma looked worried.
"Hahaha! Let it be," Arya said. "Hey Venus, we're leaving. Hurry up!"
"Huh?! What did you say?! This isn't over yet!" Venus replied, already staggering.
"Lord Noctarion, we're leaving now."
"What?! Leaving already?!"
"Yes, we have other business to attend to."
"Very well. Thanks for the beer."
"Thank you too for your teachings. See you again!"
Teleportation!
Arya transported them to the capital.
"Where are we? Where's my beer?!" shouted Venus, looking around.
"We're in the capital, Sister Venus. Get a grip," said Gamma.
"Reisa-chan, come here, give me a hug!" Venus opened her arms.
"Sis, you reek of beer!" Gamma pushed her away.
"Iiihh! Reisa-chan is mean, pushing me like that!"
"Why don't we just leave this drunk pervert behind?!" grumbled Dina.
"Hahaha!" Arya laughed, but his face turned serious. "Alright, time to kill the king."
They walked toward the palace…
———
"They're coming… Prepare yourself, Noctis-kun."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
...