Chapter 42: Dragunov's Secret
Marieflorine Corasell
Sir Estoff kept his promise to keep me safe even though I'm such a dead burden by now. We are currently aboard the S.S. Maryjane, a private airship that is docked in the terminal which is usually used to get down from the flying continent Guardian's Haven. And all I can do is sitting comfortably on this five-star hotel-like VIP room while some soldiers led by Rudolf Azregon is catapulting us some cannonballs.
It just so happens that I visited their hideout when that damned new Pentagram Knight sieged us. Sir Estoff decided to flee with me in order for my name to stay clean. They might suspect me for being a part of Arcadia if I was caught in the raid. That Rudolf Azregon… He's really playing all his cards against us. He already succeeded on snatching Amphere Harrison from our team. And now, we don't know how much information about Arcadia they have access to.
We all feared that this will happen, but not too soon.
Suddenly, there was three knocks on my door. I hopped through the wooden floor and opened it excitedly even though I was in the verge of death a few hours ago. I was hoping for Sir Estoff. Sir Estoff Wraith makes me calm even if there are thousands of enemies behind us! Sir Estoff is too old for me and his heart already belongs to Elumina, so I wished that there comes a time where I can meet someone as valiant as him, and marry that person!
Sadly, it was no Sir Estoff. The one standing in front of me was Duke Dragunov, who was also dragged in this mess. I frowned at the old white man and returned to my bed.
"I'm sorry if I'm not the person you wanted to see." Duke Dragunov made a fine laugh. "I'm just here to report to you that we are now completely safe. Estoff managed to lose the pursuers. We are now away from the floating continent, but above the ruins of Vanilla City."
"Thank goodness." I sighed.
"And there is another thing." The Duke continued. He reached something on his sleeves. My eyes widened in shock!
It was a revolver! And now he's pointing it to me! W-Why? Is the duke changing sides too?
"The Arcadia has no need for you now, Duchess Marieflorine Corasell!" The duke made a genuine smile. "Since Amphere Harrison is now against us, there will be no one who can support the Dragonoid Rights Bill. The piece of garbage wrote by your parents is now just a dream!"
I resisted my urge to cry, but even so, I tried to act bravely as I tried to argue. "Estoff won't allow me to die!"
"Oh, yes. Where is he now?" Duke Dragunov even made a Cheshire cat smile. "He's busy, trying to formulate the course of this ship in order to make us untracked. You can't call your hero now."
"B-But…" I finally cried.
There's no one to run into. There are only two of us in this room! The duke slowly made five steps nearer to me, until the gun is two inches away from my forehead. I can't just run in this almost point-blank range!
"Brings me back my old memories. Your mother made the very same brave yet wet eyes when I pointed this revolver to her chest."
My emotions became mixed as I processed all his revelations on my head. Fear and cowardice became bravery and anger in my heart. "Y-You killed my parents…"
"Oh yes. I just framed that it was all just an accident. But the truth is your mother and your father died with a wonderful scream. They sound best when they harmonized with the bang of my glorious gun."
"Y-You lunatic!" I cried. "You're worse than the retarded general!"
"Well, maybe we're just in the same caliber." He said. "Time for you to die."
The moment the trigger clicked, there was a loud clang! It was just in time to make the revolver fly away and its bullet hit the window beside me. I barely managed to evade the projectile, and thankful that I'm still alive.
"What the-"
Behind me, are floating golden fans. These are the fans I regularly use, and they are multi-purpose. They are controlled by my brain waves and can defend me if I am in absolute trouble. The fans work perfectly the same as Amphere's Dynamos, though I can't make them shoot laser beams. This is my recently-awakened ability. This is my Heightened Clearance.
"I never thought that what Amphere taught me comes in handy." I muttered to myself. Then I shot a killing glare to the duke! "Now I'll get my revenge!"
The floating golden fans revealed razor-blades on each of its corners and flew to the duke! The duke is completely unarmed and not agile enough to dodge my killing fans, so victory is mine! Or so I thought.
The wall broke and two of my fans got parried by icicle daggers. It was a silver haired woman, wearing a purple princess's dress. The silver woman clutched and made her way in front of the duke, ready to protect him at all cost. She's…
"Thanks, Emy." Duke Dragunov said. Then he picked up the revolver on the floor.
Now that the silver ninja lady is here, I don't have any way to defeat them! I haven't perfected controlling my fans yet, so I have trouble in making them fly again.
Emy revealed four stalactite daggers on each of her hand, and then launched it to my position! It got my royal dress torn up, and I was pinned on the wall. Thankfully, I'm not even grazed. But right now, I'm fully incapacitated.
Duke Dragunov went near me again, for the last time, and pointed his gun on my forehead on point-blank range. "For your information, I also ordered the real Black Phantom to kill you. It was not the will of Leviticus' or Alder's. It was mine."
I tried to struggle, but it's no use. Am I going to die here?
The sound of the gunshot echoed throughout the room.
But I was not the one who's hit. It was a blank bullet. Duke Dragunov and Emy's face looks so puzzled, as so do I. How did it happen?
"The duchess won't die as long as I'm here!"
It was a childish voice. The mad duke and his ninja dragonoid turned around to see who it really is. It was a twelve-year-old girl who is always cosplaying as a magical girl. She's Eva! The former dragonoid of Reina Fleuret!
Eva revealed her palm which contains a single bullet. "I used street magic to swap your bullet with a blank one."
Emy the silver ninja reacted fast! Her hands magically produced ice daggers and shoots all of them to Eva! But Eva's agility is on a greater level! Eva materialized her fairy wings and then she shrink into a cockroach-size, totally evading all the projectiles! She flew like a moth with sparkling glitters as a trail!
When she finally reached me, she touched my chest with her tinny-winny hand and pronounced these words:
"I wish to become Marieflorine Corasell's shield
To be the guardian of my knight
To be her guiding light
In her darkest night
To be the proof of her kindness and might!"
"Activating Vesryn Pulse"
The room exploded, and the next time I opened my eyes, I was already flying in the stratosphere. I was sitting on top of the head of a blue Fairy Dragon, which is Eva I suppose. Behind me is the S.S. Maryjane, which is now as little as a basketball from my eyes. Considering the distance, I pretty much escaped from that murderer.
I'm sorry, duchess. Eva spoke through my head. I need to 'kidnap' you from the Arcadia to keep you safe. Don't worry about Estoff, Dragunov will not hurt nor betray him. Dragunov needs Estoff and Arcadia for his evil plans. My first priority is to save you away from harm.
There was no flaw on her logic. Instead, this is the best course of action. But who formulated this entire plan must have known everything from both sides. As I was about to ask a question, the answer came off.
Amphere Harrison's orders. Eva supplemented.