Deep inside Rasb Forest, Lucy and Mary are standing near a creature. It is a Red Panda, a king class magic beast and one of the few in this small forest. Even one who is at the very top of an Archmages in terms of power will not dare to disturb a king class magic beast.
Such a creature was held to the ground by huge pillars of metal and ice, blood still flowing out of iits wounds.
"I heard Lune gave birth and it is a girl, wanna go see her?" Mary said as she conjured a metal lane in her hand, walked close to the bleeding panda before impaling it in its body. After which she conjured another and brought it down again, again, again and again until the best drew its last breath. The playfulness she displayed when she was with Lucy was nowhere to be seen.
"Yes, we should. Let's gift Mr. River the core as a congratulations and the core from the fairy for Ms. Soel. " Lucy walked towards the now death beast and dug the beast core out.
"Why bother, they won't accept them." Mary shook her head, after meeting Aaron and Lune, she figured that they were very special, what they showed was not what they were capable of.
"That is none of our business, everyone has their secrets." Lucy shook her head. "Store the body, my ring is full." As Mary stored the body in her mana ring, zane appeared in front of them.
"Lucy, Mary, be in rune city in 5 days. We will be climbing the tower." He dissapeared right after he said that, leaving 2 flabbergasted girls behind. "Wait, Zane is taking us with?! YESSSS!!" Mary screamed with excitement as she jumped up and down.
"Must be masters decision, I doubt he would take us otherwise. Where they go is too dangerous and we would be only risking our lives. It seems like something is going on for her to make us urgently increase in strength."
Lucy knitted her brows, unlike Mary, she knew more of Zane's character. He would not take any risks. Bringing them with is a very dangerous thing to do, because of that she did not believe it was his choice.
"Who cares, we can be with the others and see them in action! Uwuwuwuwuwuw that's soooo coooooooool!"
Lucy rolled her eyes at her reaction "You are happy just because you will be climbing with Zane, I bet you'd do whatever he told you to."
"Damn right I am and yes I would, he is my prince charming!" Mary had heart for eyes, totally different from the cold look when she slayed this Panda.
"Whatever, let's go. We'll leave for Rune City tomorrow, let's go see Ms. Soel and Mr. River."
...
....
Back in Rasb City. Lucy and Mary were sitting with Aaron and Lune, who Ayla in her arms.
Aaron looked at the two beast cores on the table and pushed them towards Lucy and Mary
"Girls, this gift is too much, we can't accept it."
"Mr. River, we are in no need of these cores and I believe that something is going to happen soon, use them to be able to protect yourselves." Lucy pushed the cores back as she said that, she looked at Mary beside her for support.
"Yes Aaron, you two use them to protect yourselves, if not for yourself then for the child in Lune's arms." Mary had a grinned as she saw the Ayla 'This little one will leave a trail of broken hearts behind later.'
Aaron and Lune looked at each other then at Ayla. Lune hesitated a bit before picking up the cores. "Thank you girls." She seemed to have made up her mind, as her eyes showed full on determination. Aaron seeing his shook his head before a flicker of lightning appeared in his eyes, disappearing in an instant.
Seeing the cores being accepted they two girls bid their farewells and left for Rune City. Aaron and Lune went back inside, Aaron took Ayla in his hands and looked at her for a good while then put her in her bed where she slept.
"Are you sure this is the correct decision hun?" Aaron said as he looked Lune in the eyes, the later closed her eyes before answering. "It was inevitable, we can't run away forever, we take Ayla with us and hide away."
"What about Ray?"
"Ray is safe with grandma Cai watching over him, safer with us at the very least." Lune sat down on the the bed next to Ayla, stroking her hair.
[BOOOOOOOOM!]
An explosive sound came about, resulting in the house shaking. Lune instantly stood up with Ayla in her arms.
"Go check what that sound wa...."
[BOOOOOOM!]
[GROOOOOOOOWWWLL!!!]
many sounds of monsters could be heard and 3 which were very distinct, they sounded like the red panda slain by Lucy and Mary.
"Monster attack? let's help them out." Aaron was about to leave but was pulled back by Lune. She shook her head, looked at Ayla in her hands "This our chance to disappear, we can't waste this opportunity."
Aaron nodded after some thinking, if they left now they will be thought of dead, while Ray may be hurt he knew that Ray was different from the normal children and will understand if he was explained the situation to later.
"Alright, take a cloak and wait for me outside the west gate." Lune quickly took off, leaving Aaron behind. Who in turn had his hair turn burn like magma with flickers of lightning amongst it. He held up his hand high, an orb of magma like fire and lightning mix slowly came into existence and kept increasing in size, before long the surrounding starting burning. When the orb reached a diameter of 2 meter, Aaron threw it at the house.
[BOOM!]
A huge explosion could be seen throughout the City, Lucy and Mary who were fighting the King Class magic beasts together with the city lord saw the explosion, noticing its direction they both became worried.
"Seems close to Aaron's house, hurry up and kills these basterds, we need to go there!" Mary was fighting with a lance against a Beast that looked like a Lion with 3 razor sharp tails. Lucy was trying to keep the flaying bat under control by spamming Ice magic, Spears, Needles, spikes, cones and many more objects were flying towards it. She was able to wound it but killing it will take time.
The major was in combat with a Emperor class magic beast that looked like a Gigantic Ant, slowly breaking of its carcass.
Many thousands of magic beasts were inside the city, the causalities were high in number, if not for Lucy and Mary being there the city would have been destroyed. the city guards were strong but even they could not protect everyone.
Aaron was killing any magic beasts in his path to the west gate, when he reached it, he was Lune outside waiting for him, many bodies of magic beasts were piled up around her. "Let's go." He once more created an Orb of magma-like fe and thunder using it to destroy the gate and the carcasses there. They looked at their home for the last 15 years before leaving.
The whole battle took 17 hours to conclude, more than 10000 magic beasts were killed with 4 King class and an Emperor class being slain.
Lucy and Mary were at the spot where burned down the house. "This... this can't be real? right? they can't have died, right?" Mary's voice was trembling, she had grown very close to Aaron and Lune. She could not accept them dying. Lucy who was looking at the ashes on the ground had no words to describe her feelings. She knew Aaron and Lune back when she was a child, they took care of her after her parents passed away, she considered them family. She was not willing to accept them dying either.
The city lord who came with them shook his head. "Let's hope they were not here, even I wouldn't dare to claim to get out of that explosion unscathed."
Hearing his words Lucy had tears rolling down her cheeks, she knew that they were at home when they left and not even 5 minutes later the explosion rang out. Seeing her reaction the city lord took the guards with him and left for the west gate.
"Why, why... why.. [sniff] why did I not come here first, I should have been here.. this is my fault [sniff]." Lucy's voice trembled as she spoke with tears streaming down her face. "After all they did for me...[sniff] I couldn't even protect them [sniff]!" She fell on the ground and tucked her head between her knees, sobbing like a child.
Seeing her like this Mary's eyes were also red. She sat with her, pulling her into a hug.
"ahhhhhh huff haaaaa" Lucy's silent cry got louder and louder until she could no longer hold it.
They sat there like that until Lucy fell asleep through her tears.