Chapter 15
Weeks have passed since their return to Fantasy City. Nemisis stepped out of his room and headed toward the Proving grounds, where Tezuka and Clara were already training. Tezuka fired a bolt of lightning at Clara, who struggled to divert it into the sky. Nemisis headed over to them.
"What's going on here?" Nemisis asked.
"Oh, hey there," said Tezuka. "I am helping Clara train her control over lightning."
"Wait, she could do that?"
"Of course I can," Clara replied. "I have the power to control the elements- and much more."
"That's sick," said Nemisis.
"Sick?" Clara frowned. "What do you mean by that? No element can get ill."
"Oh, my bad. I meant to say that's cool. Back on earth, saying something is sick means cool," said Nemisis.
"That's strange."
Tezuka smiled, "Trust me, the more you get to know him, the weirder he gets. Sometimes he feels like a defective Xercise."
"Hey!" Nemisis frowned.
Tezuka laughed, "Take it easy."
Nemisis sighed.
"Hey, have you guys seen the captain?" Nemisis asked.
"I bet she is still in the castle," Clara responded.
"But she's been there ever since we came back," Nemisis said.
"I still think about it sometimes," Tezuka folded his arms. "The look on the Queen's face reminded me of a disappointed mother looking at her child. She made a terrible decision, but does she deserve this?"
"The Queen must be really mad," Clara added.
Just then, a guard approached them. He leaned over and whispered into Nemisis's ear. The guard then turned to the others and ordered they follow him.
Nemisis watched as the others left, and he then headed to the entrance of the castle walls. Upon his arrival, a royal carriage stood ready to depart. One of the four guards escorted him to the carriage door.
"Great Sage," the guard said.
Nemisis looked confused.
"The one you requested is here."
"Hooray!" a familiar voice exclaimed. "Your friend is here."
"Keep it down," another familiar voice cautioned. "Let him in so the journey may begin."
"As you wish." The guard opened the door.
Nemisis froze. His eyes widened as he stared blankly. He tried to speak, but no words came out. He entered, his jaw still dropped as he sat down beside the Great Sage Aria.
Before him sat a lovely dark elf maiden. Her long silver hair cascaded over her shoulders like a gentle waterfall, each strand carefully arranged befiting a princess. Her light skin carried a noble radiance, and though most of her face remained hidden behind an elegant fan, her golden eyes regarded him calmly.
The carriage began to move, and the silence started to feel heavy. Nemisis stared at the one before him.
"You know it's not ethical to stare at the Princess like that," Aria said. "It's a sign of disrespect or lustful intentions."
For a moment Nemisis sat still, then his eyes widened with realization.
"No... no, it's not what you think," he struggled to find his words.
"Well, I think it is, judging by your action." Aria teased.
"Will you two stop it already?" the Princess snapped the fan shut.
"Ah ah ah! Don't take it out on me, or else I will make your situation even worse," Aria said with a grin.
"Situation?" Nemisislooked puzzled. "What does she mean by that, Aenzil? Did I cause you any trouble?"
"No, and address me as your Majesty," Aenzil said, smacking Nemisis's head lightly with her fan.
"She denied the others from coming to help after realizing the Prince was in your location," Aria said. "The Queen saw it as an act of negligence or whatever that is. In short, that move could have fractured the relationship between the Kingdoms."
"Wait, but why didn't you send them?" asked Nemisis.
"Well...there was..."
Back in the study room of the castle, Tezuka, Clara, and Kuto are seated.
"Wait, so she didn't give the go-ahead because of a barrier," Clara said. "Maybe we could have destroyed it."
"Yes, but," Kuto replied, "Have you wondered what happened to the messenger who left the castle at that time?"
"The Prince reported he never returned," Tezuka answered.
"Because that barrier was the loophole into the Alphar's realm," Kuto explained, "The Alphar wanted to prevent outside interference. He could have wiped out the entire town if he wanted, but he realized what he sought was out in the open."
In the carriage, Nemesis looked down at his feet, his face flushed with frustration.
He let out a deep breath. "So I almost killed the people I was sent to protect," he said in a dull tone.
Aenzil looked at him, guilt evident on her face. "I didn't mean to-"
"No," Nemesis interrupted, "It's fine. I guess it's part of the job, isn't it?"
"On the bright side, you did the right thing. And Aenzil is only being punished for not sharing her discoveries earlier," Aria said. "She has to play her princess role for a while before she can join you. The kingdom needs to see their princess, not just a demon possessed with strength."
"Hey!" Aenzil exclaimed.
Aria giggled.
"So, why am I here?" Nemesis asked.
"We're heading to the farm town in the east. Our queen has been requested for a meeting, but she's sending her daughter instead. Plus, Kuto suggested you join, saying it would keep you more human than Xercise."
"Interesting, but I don't see your role here," Aenzil said.
"I'm here to ensure nothing bad happens. And after how he was watching you, I'm glad I'm here," Aria added.
Nemesis frowned. "What do you... Hey, where's your head?"
"See, he is still trying to deny his intentions," Aria teased.
"No, I don't," Nemesis replied.
"Yes, you do," Aria said playfully.
"No, I don't. Geez, some sage you are," Nemesis grumbled.
"Take that back," Aria said.
"No, you take back what you said," Nemesis shot back.
Aria and Nemesis continued their banter, while Aenzil gently hit her forehead with her hand and slowly shook her head.
Upon arriving in town, the carriage proceeds to the town hall.
"Okay, I'll stay with the princes, and you go make yourself useful," Aria said.
"I thought I was supposed to stay with you," Nemisis asked.
"No, you're here to mingle with the locals, check if there's a guild or something, and offer help. Just don't overdo it unless necessary," Aria explained.
"Alright," Nemisis replied and headed out.
"Is it okay to leave him at home?" Aenzil asked.
"Don't worry, I have someone checking on him. He probably wouldn't even notice," Aria assured as they entered the building.
While exploring the busy streets, Nemisis accidentally bumped into a young girl. She toppled over with her basket.
"Sorry," Nemisis said, helping her up. "Where are you headed with that?"
"I'm delivering lunch to my father and brothers at the farm," she replied with a smile.
"Oh, okay. Take care," he said, gently patting her on the head before walking away.
He then encountered a town guard. "Hello," he greeted.
The guard looked at him silently for a moment.
"Um... I'm here because—"
"I know why you're here," the guard interrupted. "Unfortunately, there's no guild or similar groups here, but we could still use your help. Follow me."
Nemisis trailed the guard to the town's outskirts, where several guards already gathered.
"Hey, everyone, I found the one the Sage mentioned," the guard said, pointing at Nemisis.
"Come on, Joan, does he look like he belongs to the Celestial Phantom?" asked another guard.
"He matches the description — red hair, red eyes, appears to be 'a loser', and—" she lifted Nemisis's white inner shirt, revealing a diamond embedded in his chest, "—a red diamond."
"Whoa..." Nemisis quickly pulled his shirt down. "Did you just say I look like a loser?"
"That's what the description said," Joan replied.
"And I suppose you thought it was me?" Nemisis's eyes narrowed. "That's an insult."
"Enough," the head guard said. "Loid, Joan, I leave him in your care. Take the riverside. Remember, today is the last day of their breeding period, so they might be more aggressive. Be careful out there, men."
"Got it," the guards replied.
"Hey, what is he talking about?" Nemisis frowned.
"Let's go." Joan dragged him along as she followed Loid towards the river.
From the shadows, a dark figure observes before disappearing.
[ In the dark void exists a being.
But don't be fooled-
For this being is the void itself...
and beyond even that.
The darkness is merely its presence.
Then-
a bloody red eye opened.
1/9 eyes are opened ]