**A few hours ago. Somewhere in the Desert Kingdom**
A large set of stone double doors opened in a chambered room. Three figures stepped out from it casually, chatting amongst themselves. From the other side where they came, the faint colors of pink and boisterous colors reflected onto the floors of this earth-toned place they entered, completely in contrast to the feel and vibe that these quarters gave off on their own. The gray and tan tones meshed; there was only light from the ceiling, which was high up and let off a natural light spotlighting something in the center. Small humps of sand patched the room in different places. This might as well have been an abandoned storage room somewhere in the desert.
"All I'm saying, Alice, is if you just talked a little bit less, then you might just grow up to be a hottie like your sister here."
"YOU ARE INFURIATING! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, ARE A CAPTAIN OF ANYTHING! Sis, do we have to help him? Can't we just leave him somewhere and call it even, please?" Alice shouted, sobbing toward the end, and pleaded to her sister now.
"I'm actually surprised you two are related. You look nothing alike. I mean the eyes, sure, but still," I said with hands behind my head, strolling casually.
"Alice and I are actually not related by blood, but I've taken her in as a sister, so she's family," Belle responded behind both of Alice and me, finally stepping through the open door of the Pink Room we came from.
"Ah… That makes SO much sense now," I said, completely disinterested in the topic now.
"HEY, WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?" Alice fumed, but I was too busy scratching the back of my head and surveying the area to care anymore.
I looked around and found nothing but a dusty room of stone and sand and… something poking out of the ground in the center of the room.
"So why are we here again?" I asked.
"We're here to get that." Belle pointed a slender finger over to the center of the room.
The thing that was there looked just like a jagged stone with a crack down the middle of it. At first glance, it didn't seem like anything of significance.
"I don't mean to be dense… but what exactly is that?" Trying my best to still look cool in front of my princess, who was next to me now.
She simply gave me a cute smile, and my face flushed over right then and there. I did my best to hold my composure—futile as it was.
"That is one of the Arcane King's greatest weapons entrusted to me here in the Desert Kingdom for times when he is absent," she said.
"Really? That thing? Hm…"
"You idiot. It's inside the stone. Duh," Alice retorted to me, scoffing at the end. "You're supposed to—Hey! Wait! I wasn't done telling you—"
Before she even got another word out, I was already at the stone, breaking it open. The stone crumbled effortlessly, and what was revealed from the inside of it was a large claymore the color of shadow-black gunmetal. She continued her sentence anyway as she witnessed me do this all the while, "how… to break… it open…"
Alice was taken aback at what she had just witnessed, her eyes a pale white, and her mouth gaped open. "You—you big dummy! We were supposed to undo the seal first! But… you just did… how did you?—"
"Hmm… So, my speculations on you were right after all. You even broke the seal without trying," Belle said with a finger to her mouth, spectating me.
"Okay. Now for the real test. There's a reason that Claymore is the Arcane King's weapon and his alone to wield. It's something only he can wield for long periods of time. And it's to only be used in emergencies. Even I have to use a special type of spell in order to wield it. Made by the Arcane King himself, it's a blade that can take away the very essence of magic. The claymore's name is 'The Arc Slay'—"
Just like that, before Belle had finished, I had already pulled the claymore out of the ground and thrown it over my shoulder.
"So, what's next?" I said like it was nothing.
Alice's jaw had dropped to the floor, and she was in utter disbelief at what I had just done. Belle tilted her head, pleasantly surprised, though it also didn't seem like much of a surprise to her for some reason…
"H-h-h-how? How are you able to pull that from the ground!? Let alone hold it so casually like you are!?" Alice stuttered.
I looked at her with an oblivious look. "What do you mean? I mean, sure, it's kinda heavy, but it's nothing to fret over."
Belle giggled with a dainty hand over her mouth. I swear, everything she did was just the cutest thing. I could hardly get over myself with her.
"Well, first off—the stone that you broke just now was a seal that only high-class mages have the power and authority to undo—a.k.a. SS Rank mages and above. That's only me and the Arcane King. Second, the reason no one is able to wield that weapon aside from Daz and a few select mages is that it is a Nullifying magic claymore. Touching it immediately wipes your mana completely, leaving you utterly helpless. Let alone, strengthless to even be able to pick it up, regardless of whether you are strong… I could not even wield such a blade for any longer than ten seconds max. Not without that specific spell, at least."
"And Belle has a lot of mana, too, more than most. So ten seconds is a long time even for someone of such caliber as herself," Alice added, "and with the spell it raises it to twenty seconds… It's meant to be a final and all—a last-ditch effort to beat a major threat. Yet here you are, holding it like it's nothing."
"Hmm… You sure? If it's everything you say it is, wouldn't I be reeling and almost lifeless on the ground by now? It's about to pass ten seconds of my wielding it right"—I purposely paused, counting the seconds—"now… You sure this was the right one?"
Belle giggled again. If she kept that up, I might as well drop everything now and risk it all. In front of Alice, even. Indecent thoughts…
"You impress me more and more by the minute, Greed. That is the right sword. I have complete control over the Desert Kingdom jurisdiction. The Arcane King, Daz, himself entrusted me to keep that claymore here for safekeeping and gave me rights to access this room once I officially became an SS Rank knight just yesterday. Aside from him, no one knows about this except me, Alice, and now you. The only way to get into this room is through Alice's magic. The room itself is guarded by a unique barrier that others cannot detect or enter. So, unless you have Alice, there is no way to get into this room. Not even I could find it on my own."
There wasn't even reception for our comms here. It's like we were in another dimension completely. Just how valuable was this sword? And why had I been able to wield it?
Such questions stormed my head, but it was time to head back. I can tell that there were other things happening at the Valley Kingdom right at this time. And if this weapon was going to help us win against Syemore, all the more reason to make use of it as soon as possible.
"Well, now that we have this—what do you say we head back now?" I said, twirling the giant sword down at eye level as I inspected it.
"Agreed. My sources tell me that Syemore is back at the Arcane King's castle… Are you ready to head over there?" Belle asked me.
It took me a few minutes to respond. When I looked at her face and deep blue eyes, for some reason, I felt tears stream down from the sight of her. It came out of nowhere.
"Greed?" Her sweet voice echoed in my ear. Slowly becoming more muffled than the next.
Greed? Greed…
For some reason, I saw Ryo, and we were facing each other, both impaled by claymores and shadows, standing atop a fading pentagram and surrounded by pitch-black darkness. My lips were moving, but I couldn't hear the words that were coming out of them. I could only think I uttered the words 'thank you'…
What was going on? What was this?
My Greed, I thought I heard her say. This one was as clear as day…
She was in front of me now, and I had barely noticed. She was literally a kiss away, like our first encounter at the Kingdom's Guild Meeting.
"Are you okay?" she asked so sweetly that I forgot what I was even doing.
"I'm fine. I just spaced out. Let's go now," I said, almost coldly, as I casually wiped away the stray tears from my cheeks.
I threw the claymore up over my shoulder again and put my other hand on her shoulder gently. When I walked past her, I carried a steady gaze upon my face, looking only at the door where we had entered to get here. I didn't even acknowledge Alice there, gawking at me.
"Weirdo…" she said as I walked past her and Belle now, both giving a concerned look at my direction.
That look… Does he— Belle reflected to herself before my voice interrupted her thought.
"You comin'?" I looked slightly over my shoulder to both of them, back facing. It looked as if they both blushed, but I could be wrong.
"Grr… We were the ones waiting on you, asshole!" Alice replied as she raised her hands to the door we came through, revealing the Pink Room on the other side of it.
As we walked through, I was in my own head, contemplating what had just happened.
***
**Present time—moments before entering the meeting room at the Arcane King's castle**
Belle, Alice, and I had finally arrived at Valley Kingdom lands, just a few miles away at a nearby town. Alice had been resting her head on Belle's lap as we sat in the back of a tavern, recharging her mana just before going the final distance. At that time, we had received intel from Belle's subordinates about the situation happening at the Arcane King's castle. Though we would probably arrive just a little too late, at least we'd be back in time to stop Syemore… That was the plan, at least.
Due to the Desert Kingdom being quite far away, even if it was in the Valley's jurisdiction, Alice's magic also had its limits. In order for us to even reach the Desert itself, we had to pass through a few other doors on the way that were strategically mapped out just to go that distance. So long as these pathways exist in Alice's memory, we were able to travel, but only from a distance of twenty kilometers between each door. Opening a door cost Alice chunks of mana—and the farther away the door, the more mana she used.
Her recharge time was about fifteen minutes per interval, explaining why she was resting on her sister's lap at this time. I used the opportunity to check the group chat that I had Havoc create for updates.
The last message that was there was from Raeyn. We got ambushed at the Crimson Dragon's castle by the Blue Phoenix Knights. They sent an army and 3 of their Executives to apprehend Ryo. Seems Ryo had just taken care of the 1st Executive. I handled the 2nd one, and Havoc the 3rd. He's currently passed out sleeping… Going to retrieve him now and meet Nash and the others at Wolf Den rendezvous North Gate. ETA is 1245 approximate.
I skimmed past her concise and organized message and read Nash's next, Blue Phoenix Vice Captain, Hen… Henz… Henzoe… Whatever… Their Vice Captain came here a little while ago. Not sure why, but he did a number on Star and Brand. I took care of him. Whatever happened while I was in my room better be good. We have their Vice Captain apprehended now… Wolf Den OTW. Over.
It looked like Phase 2 of our plan was about to begin.
Great job, guys. Leave the rest to me. Was all I wrote back.
When Alice had woken up, she had been ready to send us through the next door. This one was going directly into the meeting room where I was kicked out of the Kingdom's Guild Meeting. Ironic that we were heading right back there, and to kick someone else out instead this time.
***
**Present time**
The situation was dire. Two captains had already been taken down before our arrival. Acting Captain Sylva of the Snow Lilies and Captain Jecht of the Silver Sharks. All that beheld us in this moment were the pompous Captain of the Purple Panthers, Tubolt, and Syemore of the Blue Phoenixes—which, for some reason, resembled a demon at this time. The form had reminded me of Star's when she lost control, something she had done today—an update from my crews' group chat from Brand. Today had been full of unprecedented events as it was, what was a little more…
Syemore's facial expression changed completely. He looked more sinister now as he displayed his demon form and laid his bloodshot eyes onto me. It was as if my presence alone was enough to rile him up. He didn't even hesitate because, in a quick motion, he dashed at light speeds. Speeds that even I had not been ready for.
DASH!
He bolted over to me in a matter of seconds.
His presence in front of me was unexpected. Faster than my reaction time, it had seemed. Lording tall over me, his arm swung and just so happened to catch me off guard… but only for a second… "Disappear, you damn weed!" he said in a deep and thunderous tone as if the storm behind him that he carried all this time had finally arrived. However…
SLAP!
The sound of his hand rushing across my face echoed. Expressions of confused shock formed on both Belle and Tubolt at this time.
"What!?" Syemore's voice staggered in disbelief as well.
"Hey…" My head faced the ground, my tone defiant. "Is this some kind of joke, Syemore?" I bellowed as my bangs covered and formed shadows over my eyes. I swore I could sense Syemore's goosebumps from my words.
"You look like a damn monster, but you hit like a bitch… And here I thought you were going to be worth the trouble. I feel like I don't even need the sword at this point," I said almost hauntingly to him as I raised my head and flipped the claymore on my shoulders down onto the ground. The weight of the sword caused the stone floor around us to shudder, cracking it from where the tip of the blade had etched in.
I knew what he had tried to do. Instant contact from his palm would have shrank any normal mage… but that was not me. Not at all.
Releasing the hilt of the claymore and reeled in my fist. I stepped forward with my left foot, meeting Syemore just inches away. In a drawn-out motion, I shot my fist at his face, and it rippled as it made contact, slightly cracking his cheekbone.
BANG!
The punch echoed like a shot from a gun, sending him backward in the direction he jetted from. His large membranous wings flapped as he flew back, stopping him yards away from us and a few feet past Tubolt. His feet dragged on the ground as he caught himself and hunched slightly from where he stopped.
"My, my… I didn't see that coming. I knew there was something different about you, but I just couldn't put my finger on it…" His attention went to the claymore next to me, standing on the ground. "The great Arcane King of the Valley—Daz's claymore 'the Arc Slayer'… You even manage to wield that blade." His crimson eyes met mine once more as his demon head swayed to face me. I glared at him from a distance, retracting my stance. "Just who are you, boy?" he asked.
My eyes unwavering, I grabbed the large claymore and began pacing slowly in the direction I shot him. "Everyone asks me this constantly. And it's always the people who looked down on me from the start. I'm just a nobody from an 8th-ranked Guild—which makes you"—the step from my boot was so heavy everyone in the room could feel the weight of its aura, and it was not magic—"insignificant."
He gave out a low chuckle that slowly escalated to a maniacal laugh. "You Valley Knights all like to play tough. You are different, I'll give you that. But you should watch your tone with me, boy." His tone changed. It was more psychotic and challenging now.
I said nothing in response. I only smirked and glanced over at Belle, who appeared by me and began walking along to my side.
"You hear this guy? He wants me to watch my tone. What do you think, princess?"
As we stopped just parallel to where Tubolt was standing in the center, Belle closed her eyes, and the sudden stop from her pace had made her perky breasts and backside jiggle slightly. She put a hand to her waist and shifted her weight onto one leg.
"I think, as a traitor, he should know HIS place," she said with a clever sweetness.
At this time, however, another captain in particular had other things in mind…
Right then, sharp carbon shards resembling spears formed from out of thin air all around me. "How dare you show your face here again, you filthy dog!" Tubolt's crude and harsh voice strained on my right. The expression on his face was that of pure agitation.
"Wanna settle the score, bowl-cut?" I tested him.
Belle didn't even flinch when he summoned the spikes surrounding me. It was as if she didn't see it as a threat. It wasn't because Tubolt was weak—he was far from that—but rather, it was something else entirely as to why she was so at ease…
From Tubolt's point of view, my right eye had been covered by bangs, not allowing our eyes to meet. I stood there unwavering, not letting him trigger me at all—unlike the last time I was here, and we faced off in this very room.
"Well, what's it gonna be? Me… or him?" I replied, shifting my eyes from Tubolt to Syemore in front of us, yards away.
Tubolt's eyebrow twitched. "Come again, mutt?"
"Hard of hearing?" My eyes turned back to meet his once more. It was a harsh glare, one that felt as if I physically pushed him back when our eyes locked again.
Tubolt hesitated a bit at the sight of me but kept his stance—as shaky as his resolve had seemed. "What I want is what's best for the Valley," he said.
"And will getting rid of me help you achieve that goal?"
"What kind of dimwitted question—"
"Because it seems that you and I share the same goal right now, and if that's the case"—I pointed at Syemore—"that guy right there was the reason her younger sister was taken last night." I gestured to Belle behind me. "So if you don't mind, I'm gonna beat his ass real quick. You can help if you want. And when all this is over, and you still wanna kill me. Go right ahead… well… go right ahead and try."
Tubolt's eyes twitched unendingly, assessing his stance. "I absolutely hate you Black Wolves. I hate all of you. Your crew, your former Captain, what you 'stand' for… and you… You're the worst of them all. I will wipe you all from the face of existence!" he replied in a calm voice with a hint of irritation behind it. Belle and I were expressionless as we let him speak. I didn't even bother to interject as he went on, "One day… Because there is only one thing I hate more than you filthy dogs… and it's a fucking traitor."
As he said this, Tubolt rotated his hand, the spear carbon shards then rotated from me and faced completely away, facing directly at Syemore now.
Belle tilted her head and wore a faint smile across her face after our little settlement. And from where Syemore was across the room, a dark aura seeped out from him like steam.
"Haha… AHAHAHA!" Syemore laughed violently. His tone was menacing and evil as he bore witness to the three of us Captains standing there before him with defiant looks across our faces.
"Fine… You Valley scum can all die together! I will show you the power of a god."