CHAPTER 37: FIRST PENTAGRAM KNIGHT
XENON WINGATE
PRESENT DAY - INTERROGATION
The hologram globe in front of me lost its bright glow as it started decelerating its spin.
[The Psychic Amplifier Prototype is set to be activated after one year Lothar told the information to you. He knew he could trust you with such information for the shallow reason that Kirina's heart told him to do so. Did you find it odd and weird that an enemy is giving such vital information? Didn't you find it suspicious that Lothar is trusting you a bit much?]
"No." I exhaled my breath. "He knew he has his reasons too. And he's only the intel I had that concerns Elysia. If it weren't for him, I would be left in the dark while Cheng, Trystgade, and Eldritch do their evil plans. What other choice do I have but to trust his words?" I laughed.
[You also discovered Cheng's plan to breed Serena and replicate her powers. You knew that they were coming for her, one way or another. You knew that Serena is being threatened. Yet you kept it a secret from her. Why did you hide it? Do you not trust her?]
"No, you're wrong!" I cried. "I don't want her to worry, and I want her to live her life free of problems. I trust her more than anything in this world, even more than myself. She's the only one I got, so I have to protect her happiness at all cost."
[Protect her happiness? What did you do to protect her happiness? How did you protect her happiness?]
"Six months." I exhaled white smoke from my mouth. "I trained for six months to be stronger. I made the resolve to challenge our first Pentagram Knight six months after the Operation Arcadia Annihilation. With the Psychic Amplifier Prototype and the imminent threat to Serena's life on hand, I put my focus on mastering my magic and the synchronization of our heartbeats. We need to become stronger so that we can defeat whatever threat that comes before us."
There was a long pause. It seems that the interrogator is doing something behind, and I don't know what it is. He just continued speaking after ten seconds.
[Let's go to the time where you challenged the First Pentagram Knight. Who is he?]
"Gerald Lucielo." I laughed weakly. "He's the first Pentagram Knight I challenged. Considering that he's one of the strongest dragon knights in Alterra, he put me to an edge."
<>
XENON WINGATE
2 YEARS AGO
It's a bright and sunny morning. Normally, I would still be sleeping on the floor or on the sofa on Saturdays six months ago, but now I'm all up and early, ready to go out. I have brushed my teeth and took a bath, and the only thing to do now is to get on my combat apparel.
Meanwhile, my trusted dragonoid Serena can be seen relaxing her stomach on the bed, her chin resting on her hands. She's still on her sleeping shirt and pajama shorts, and all she's doing is watching me. There's even an innocent child-like smile on her face, and her crimson eyes are sparkling. She also had her angel-like wings and white-and-blue tail materialized, and she's wagging that tail like an excited puppy.
"What's with that smug?" I coldly glared at my dragonoid.
"Nothing~" Serena chuckled. "It's just that, you've changed for the past six months. You no longer drink overnight or lay lazily on the sofa until it gets noon. It's like you're a different person, an ideal Senpai for me~"
Well, I have an explanation for that. Six months ago, I received intel from Lothar that Cheng and Eldritch are planning to kidnap Serena away from me and use her as a baby maker for their ancient dragonoid army. I can't just sit around and drink as I wait for that to happen. I need to become stronger so that I can protect the only person I got in this world. And to do that, I shall defeat all the Pentagram Knights and acquire my own army.
"That's where you're wrong, Serena." I made a counter-smug. "I'll drink overnight later right after we defeat our First Pentagram Knight as a celebration. So get your ass suited up and prepare for our battle!"
"Fine, fine." Serena made a cute laugh. "But before that, I need to ask a favor from my Senpai-knight first."
Serena pressed her face forward until I can sense her warm breathing on my cheeks. Her kitty-like wide irises make me want to pat her head a thousand times more. Damn, she's so adorable. I can't help but blush.
"W-What favor?" I asked even though I already know the answer. "Y-You mean 'that' again?"
"Yeah! That!" Serena excitedly pumped her fists while giving a bright red blush on her cheeks. "Our early morning won't start until you do 'that' with me!"
"B-But…" I scratched my head while I look away from her hypnotizing eyes. If I stay exposed to her glittering red irises, I'll be sure to be her psychic slave.
"It has to be you, Senpai." Serena started to pout, and it made her pinkish face a lot more adorable. Then she started to pray as if I'm some kind of god. "Pleeeeasseeee…"
"Fine! Fine!" I cried out loud.
Then I immediately stood up, closed the windows, curtains, and made sure that the door is locked. Now that everything is set up, nobody would be able to see us. Unfortunately, the room isn't exactly soundproof, and if you are out in the living room of our apartment, you would hear these noises every morning whenever I do 'that' thing to Serena.
"Ah!... Not so hard... Senpai… Please be gentler…"
"I-I'm sorry, Serena… It's tight."
"Ooh… that hurts!... But you're getting better, Senpai…"
"Serena… please stop making weird noises."
Unfortunately, it's not what everybody thinks what it is. Every freaking morning, I'm in charge of tying Serena's braid around the back of her hair and put a red ribbon on it. She can't do it by herself, so she always asks me to do this thing nowadays. I had to close the windows and doors so that nobody could see me fixing a girl's hair. It's so damn embarrassing if anybody discovers.
"Serena, next time learn to do it yourself." I coldly said. "If Kevin or Alphonse saw this, they'll accuse me of being gay."
"Absolutely not!" Serena angrily pouted like a pufferfish. "You can do it the best, Senpai! Not even my hairdresser can make a braid and ribbon look this good!"
I just uttered a tired sigh. I may just have to accept how dishonored my name will be if ever anybody discovers that I have a talent for being a hairdresser.
After that, Serena immediately prepared herself to wear her usual battle kimono. Like all other teenage girls, she took about one fucking hour to be fully suited up. She even had her make-up and lipstick on, and she even used her expensive perfume just to smell good. We've heard that challenging a Pentagram Knight is both a test and a ceremony where everybody is free to watch whoever is challenging one of the most powerful dragon knights in Alterra, so Serena spends so much effort to look good. There might be hordes of fans that are ought to watch her later, and it would be good publicity for her celebrity career.
On normal occasions, dragon knights only challenge Pentagram Knights to advance through the next rank. Defeating a Pentagram Knight is similar to accomplishing an S-rank mission that is enough to promote a fourth-class dragon knight to third-class. The promotion level requirements increases as a dragon knight's rank increases, so challenging a Pentagram Knight for promotion in my instance is unnecessary. Since I'm now a second-class dragon knight, it would take about four Pentagram Knight challenges for me to be a first-class.
Of course, I only challenge the Pentagram Knights not for honor or promotion, but for the private army. Emperor Sirius Elkyria promised me that I can borrow his infantry once I get the approval of the Five Pentagram Knights.
Serena and I finally made it to the arena inside the Dragon Knight's Academy. Since it's Saturday morning, there are only a handful of people here. There are about eight of the girl audiences who are holding the banner "SERENATICS" which I suppose, those die-hard fans of my beautiful dragonoid. There are also some media men ready to record the fight that is about to happen.
There's no sign of Sir Valesmith, Sir, Faradeiss, or Lady Keine in here. That's good enough for me because I get pressured a lot or even distracted if my friends are watching my big fight.
But even though none of the audiences are my friends, the pressure won't go off. There is one person who is putting this much intimidating influence at me, and he's sitting at the very front of the audience's seat. He's a middle-aged man with beard and mane as majestic as those of a lion. He is the Emperor himself, Sirius Elkyria.
"Good morning, Sir Wingate." The Emperor smiled.
"Your majesty." Serena and I bowed on his presence.
"I knew you will avail the promise I gave to you." The Emperor held her hands together. "Now this is your time to prove me your strength."
Suddenly, at the center of the dusty arena, the ground opened. A platform was raised, revealing the appearance of the First Pentagram Knight I will be challenging. When Serena and I raised our heads, we were astounded by the presence of a glorious dragon knight and a powerful dragonoid.