As soon as the two went back to Ru's humble home, night time was blanketed in the sky, seeping the caverns in deep darkness. Though, her place wasn't all that dark, since there were some fireflies fluttering around with their bluish night bulbs and radiance that were illuminating her home. She placed the shimmerblight potted plant inside her home, near the doorstep respectively. The place had a mysterious feeling suddenly. Glowing butterflies dyed in lavander were surrounding inside her room, as they were moving in deep swarm, wreathing the place in a mystical trance. Zeran was shocked at first but his face shifted into a more awe-strucked expression, since he was noticing the amazing scenery of the glistening lights made by the butterflies such as they were swaying petals in the soothing breeze. Ru's face was brimmed in a maiden-like smile that made him to blush in a sensual feeling. It was like his eyes had laid upon a very beautiful divine Goddess's smile tinged with her radiant pristine amber eyes before him, that was beyond he had ever seen, even with the other Goddesses. His heart was beating gradually in the blend of amazing sensations, as he was mesmerized by Ru's maiden-like appearance. Ru noticed him and took a glance. Though, he turned away his face away immediately although, he was puzzled in his thoughts,
("What's this feeling inside of me?")
("Why did I feel something different when I look at her like that?")
(Was Ru even this beautiful?").
Ru just nodded with a subtle smile on her face. The entrancing flowing purple lights were soothing their very senses, waltzing into the scene of starlight. It was an unusual sight to experience for both of them. The glistening butterflies had suddenly dispersed into crystalline powder afterwards. Their very sights witnessed that the place was now bigger in aspect and spacious in area. Not only that, there was now a fridge and another door that leads to the deluxe toilet complete with a decent-looking shower room. It was tinged in transparent fragile glass. Soon after, Ru went to her own kitchen area and whipped up a quick snack of pork barbecue on sticks somehow. A little while later, she was done. She gave those grilled meat on sticks to Zeran in a very hospitable manner and told him to wait for sometime, since she'll just take a nice shower. As soon as Ru was at the shower room, Zeran tried to sneak a peek. Though, Ru already expected that and just said in a teasing way to him with, her face masked in a slutty look, oozing out a diva who keeps her man with a tensed up feeling, lying in waiting,
"No peeking♪"
"My dear Zera...".
He gulped down his throat, as he heard her symphonic voice and the door slammed tight. Even the lock was set in place too, so Zeran just accepted her interesting offer of a lil' meal and ate the numbers of pork barbecue on sticks. The scrumptiousness and right tenderness of the meat made his mouth to be eager for more, munching them with great satisfaction. The savory taste of the sweetness and unique flavor of the spicy barbecue sauce blended in another world of deliciousness, leaving out the appetite arousing aroma in the very senses. Zeran, was feeling the diverse flavors of each bite on the pork barbecue stinged in the pointed wooden sticks. As a longtime passed, he passed out on the sofa with a delighted look on his face. Ru was now done with her shower and she was now wearing a towel around her body, that exposed her voluptuous body in a different sense. As she was outside the toilet, she saw him sleeping with a smile on his silly face. Ru left out a foxy yet heartwarming smile and carresed his head. Her slim hand felt the unexpected softness and fluffiness of his hair despite his spiky and dangling hairstyle. As she noticed that his hair was so nice to touch, she was utterly surprised and carresed his head more, such as she was handling a sleeping dog, that made the whole area to feel a different kind of fluffy experience to behold.
The next day, Ru was now wearing her usual clothes covered by her full cloak. The two went out in search of the next artifact, although Ru acted like she was hiding something, since her face was looking quite in deep doubt. The two set out first at a small chapel that was at the city outskirts in the shrouded woods. Zeran was kneeling down and praying. He was looking quite sincere at the statue of the evangelistic statue of the light Goddess Angehime. Somehow, Ru was doing the same thing beside him too, turning him to look utterly dumbstrucked filled with disturbing thoughts,
("There is just one thing that blows my mind...")
("WHY IS RU HERE?!").
He looked at the solemn Ru beside him with a different hair color dyed in light blue and her ears and tail weren't visible at all. For some reason, there had no major occurence that had happened to her. Even though that place is such a sacred temple of the Light Goddess Angehime, that opposes the well-being of the dark Goddess Ruhime. At the altar, there was a charismatic priestess sending out a divine message,
"May the light of the holy Goddess Angehime be with you upon your travels...".
As soon as they were done with their business, Zeran went outside seeing the vast scenery of the bright nature teemed with cherry trees and clear blue sky. Though, Ru stayed for awhile. Zeran didn't mind it, since he must've thought that Ru powdered her nose at the restrooms provided at the chapel. Sometime soon, Ru went out yet, her look was more and more feeling in doubt with a tensed up feeling or even a tiny bit of guilt, as she walked not in her usual whimsical self and tried to distance herself from him, turning Zeran to be very suspicious in his thoughts,
("Kay...she's acting weirder now...and she's trying not to look at me straight...")
("Hmmm...").
Though, he still tried to ask her something,
"I just wanna ask something...Ru..."
"Why didn't you..."
"Well, weaken down or even disintegrate at that small church?".
Her troubled and heavy-looking face was replaced by a sudden sinister smile to brush off his doubts to her. Then, she said with a humming voice,
"Hmmmmm♪..."
"Let's just say—".
Suddenly, young warriors in red armor came out and gave out a warning at the two of them,
"Former king Zeran...if you'd come with us quietly..."
"We won't have to resort with force...".
Yet, Zeran gave out an evil grin at them, denying their request. Moreover, his response to their band was very taunting to hear,
"Geee...I wonder if I didn't come with you all...".
As they heard his defiance, the warriors unsheathed their swords to threaten them and prove their violent reply,
"Then you'll leave us no choice...".
Though, Zeran and Ru weren't fazed by their violent remarks, since they brought out their respective weapons in return. Zeran brought out his shimmering claw. Not only Ru brought out her mysterious gun but, she also summoned her kitchen knife. She licked her kitchen knife with her serpent tongue and gazed upon the band of knights as if they were measly prey. Sometime soon, the fight was already finished. Ru and Zeran were the ones victorious over that one-sided fight. The young knights were down on the ground, as their armors were scraped and even burnt to mere ashes. Their bodies crushed and blood was spurting through their mouths, painting the battlefield in crimson red, as they lie dead. Soon, her voice slipped as if in doubt,
"Hmmmm...they're kinda quick...".
While he heard her say that remark, his face looked with a deeply puzzled and dumbfounded expression, that shrouded their atmosphere in a very heavy feeling with the gray clouds above. Not only that, he had convuluded thoughts, reassuring something,
("They weren't that fast...")
("I wonder why Ru said that out of the blue?").
She went near him and says to him fidgetly,
"By the way...Zera...I know this sounds wrong but I kinda—".
Though, she was interrupted again by someone who came outside a sophisticated carriage that came by fast, accompanied by a mass number of veteran warriors. Thereon, a small pudgy-looking shrewd mayor, named Piphon appeared before them. He wasn't having any pleasant features except his aristocrat-like outfit. He let out his voice in a sort of grandeous manner even if it sounded like it was a high-pitched ear-raping mess,
"It's been awhile...Zen...or should I say former King Zeran..."
"I'm sure ya heard the news about you...".
Zeran replies,
"What news?".
It made mayor Piphon to huff out in a quite humorous manner yet, he was looking serious, that made him to look awkward or a trying hard fella who wants to prove his importance and position. Next, he explains to Zeran like it was a threat,
"That you've been collecting artifacts...and want to crush down our peaceful world by reviving back the EVIL GODDESS...".
Though, Zeran just nodded and he cracked out a devilish smile at the mayor. Then, he responds in a kinda evil way, as if agreeing on the convuluded things that the mayor said from his blabbering mouth,
"Wow...you easily figured it out.".
Yet, in his thoughts were different,
("Okay...that was a bit of a stretch...")
("Revive the evil Goddess? Destroy the world?")
("Not a bad a idea...but it's out of my league!")
("I'M STILL NOT THAT MUCH OF AN EDGY VILLAIN YOU SENILE OLD MAN!")
("I'm just doing this since...wait why am I doing this exactly?").
Soon, the mayor tells him,
"And it seems you are alone now...".
Zeran had snapped out of his uncertain thoughts and noticed the mayor. Though, as he looked on the other side, he saw what he couldn't believe in his very eyes. He saw Ru on their side now yet, she wasn't held captive or anything but, she was relaxed and her face was ridden with a sinister smile of a sly woman, that made him to feel the amazing shock to course through his very look and voice,
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING RU?!".
Ru waved back in a friendly manner to him. She says to him with her grinning smile, depicting a very foxy look even without her ears and tail visible,
"Sorry my dear Zera...but I kinda told them you're here...".
The mayor turned his look on her and thanked her,
"Thanks for letting us know lady Ru...".
Zeran was knelt down on the ground with a hopeless face, since for him it was a truly scarring experience, since he trusted Ru with all his being when everything was lost from him. He really couldn't believe on what just happened. Thereon, he tries to recall his thoughts on how it occured,
("Wait? RU SET ME UP?!")
("HOW? WHEN?!")
("It was at the church?!")
("So that's why she was acting strange...")
("No wonder she changed hair color!")
("I KNEW I COULDN'T TRUST HER!")
("But what is she really after?!")
("Why would she do this to me?!")
("I know she has unusual reasons but...WHY?!")
("Was she trying to cozing up with me and tried to dish out her REVENGE on me?!")
("I can't predict her unlike the others!").
As he was vulnerable and open with a traumatized look upon his face, the warriors took the opportunity and seized him when they got the chance. His hands were chained aswell as his legs too. Later, Ru leaned near his ear and whispered with a relaxing tone, that was only for him to hear,
"I'll come back for you..."
"Just wait...my dear Zera...".
Sadly, he didn't utter any word, since his face was scarred in deep shock and trauma upon what she had done before. After that, he was brought along to the second carriage, accompanied by the number of warriors. Though, as soon as he saw Ru going to the other carriage with the mayor, he exclaims filled with great anguish and felt another betrayal that crawled up in his heart and soul,
"DA*N YOU!"
"RUUUUUUUU!".
Later, Zeran was locked up in an isolated underground jail cell below Phonn city. The city where the mayor Piphon reigns supreme. Zeran didn't even move or tried to escape, since he was too ruptured upon the experience that Ru betrayed him. He was letting out an expression upon his face a mix of deep anguish and crazed hatred for the dark Goddess Ruhime, although broken tears were leaking out of his eyes, crushing his whole being. He was very terrifying yet pitful to see, such as you'd see a person gone psycho. More than that, he was locked down in his own burning thoughts,
("Hah...I guess I got fooled by that Evil Goddess...")
("What a fool I am...")
("SHE'S THE EVIL GODDESS FOR PETE'S SAKE!").
Meanwhile in another area of the woods, Mai was done fighting some rogue-looking bandits along the way. The bandits were down for the count with impaled arrows upon their very hard skulls, trailing out deep blood across the way. Mai sat on a huge rock nearby and brought out her smartphone. Her eyes saw a geographical map that pointed out a red icon of "Zeran" and the huge green icon "Phonn city" in plain sight. She let out a curious look and said,
"So now he's at Piphon city...".
("And I can't believe I still have this smartphone...")
("Those CELESTIAL GODDESSES are too loose on punishments...")
,while in her thoughts were much more deeper in respect. A little while later, her smartphone vibrated and rang a scandalous ringtone. At the screen she saw the image of Ru at the center. Mai's curious look upon her face was replaced by a sort of annoyed one as she saw Ru's profile. She had second thoughts if she'll answer that but, she still picked up the call. Mai spoke in a kinda bored way to her smartphone,
"Oh it's you..."
"What do you want now?".
Mai heard the serpent-like voice of Ru through her phone,
"Let's play a GAME shall we?"
"Mai...the FORMER LIGHT GODDESS OF AIKO...".
Mai responds,
"Can't believe you're still rubbing it off on me..."
"Okay...what kind of game...".
Mai heard Ru's voice as if she was trying to interest Mai in a very sinister way,
"It's called...FIND AND CATCH ME...AT PIPHON CITY".
On the other hand, Ru was now in another place. She was inside the mayor's extravagant villa. The whole place was decorated with great sophistication and elegance, such as you'd see in any rich household. Ru was holding her smartphone and she was leaning upon the wall at the hallways, as she was done talking to Mai through her smartphone. She knacked out an interesting smile that reveals such a serpentine look and tells herself,
"Hope you'll have FUN, Mai..."
"Now that's done...time for my next plan to unfold..."
"Although...it's so predictable..."
"But the mayor is so gullible over women...such as mois...".
Right beside her was a huge wooden door that was depicting great importance to the whole place. The door was etched and carved with an intricate design of amazing craftsmanship. She opened the door and her eyes met the extravagant office of the mayor. Though, it wasn't just any room, as it had four brimming statues of the light Goddess Angehime in pure gold on all four corners. The walls were even etched in golden designs. There was a huge velvet red carpet that encroached the tiled floor. At the sides were small and round fishponds with fishes gleaming in crystals.At the center of the cieling was an expensive-looking glass chandelier that was teeming the place with brilliant radiance. Lastly, at the very back was the pudgy mayor slurping down his feast of a giant roasted pork belly and exquisite wine on a black table with golden strips at its edges, as he was gourging down in his own satisfaction. While, the mayor noticed the blue haired curvacious bodied Ru wearing her full cloak, the mayor sent out a loud laughter from his scandalous mouth,
"GAHAHAHA!""I never knew you'd set him up..."
"For a very beautiful woman...you can be such a sly fox..."
"Lady Ru was it?"
"Tell me...what would you hope to gain in this?".
Ru left out a glimpse of a smile as she had heard his words. Though, her whole look upon her face was very fine and wasn't filled with any sinistry, in which it was more terrifying to see her like that. Later, she replies to him in a very uncertain way as she put her index finger upon her succulent lips and looked upon the ceiling as she was guessing,
"Hmmmm...maybe world peace?"
,as she looked back at him and said. The mayor brought out a stronger laughter from his horrid lungs, that reaked of such belching smoke and his voice was reverberating around the whole room too,
"GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"So that's why you caught the one that'll shatter this WORLD PEACE..."
"But really...what is it you're really after...hm?".
He looked at the standing Ru from head to toe with his eager look upon his face, as if he was depicting her amazing uncovered body without her full cloak in his eyes. It seemed he was atrociously violating her body in his crazy vision, exposing her cantaloupe breasts and her slim and long legs that has an ounce of flesh. As for Ru, she went near him and closed her eyes. She opened them again but, her whole face was now filled with deep sinistry and menacing intent. Her intense foxy eyes were gleaming and glaring with grave interest, as it was complemented by her demonic grin at its peak of terrifying happiness. The sudden flow of dark aura emerged from her, driving the whole place in such a bizarre and chilling miasma to the bone, that revealed the true appearance Ru before him. Next, Ru leaned close to him in a very seductive way and held his chin like she would do to Zeran. Then, she let out her soothing sexy voice,
"Hmmmm...why don't I tell you that...through a game?".
It gave a cold shoulder to the mayor after. Though, he cracked out a smile and tried to play along and said,
"Ooooh, I never knew you were an interesting woman...okay then..."
"What kind of game we should PLAY woman?".
Ru looked even scarier and the air became thick and heavy. The terrifying feeling crawled upon the very room. It was such that the dark Goddess Ruhime had caught her prey in her spider web, even though, she's a demifox evil Goddess. Soon enough, she replies with her serpent look,
"Hmmm, why don't we play...FOLLOW MY ORDERS?".
The mayor looked interested and said,
"Sure!".
Afterwards, Ru released her hold on him and twisted herself away from him in a very graceful way, that was, Oh quite enchanting to see! Her graceful movement revealed her slim legs below, as her cloak fluttered upon the breeze. The mayor looked sensually engaged as he saw a part of her. Soon, she tells him the instruction in a very sneaky and malicious way,
"Okay...first close your eyes...".
He did as he was instructed by the sly vixen Ru, without any hint of suspicion like she was in control of the whole game. She tells the next instruction with her calming voice,
"Next you stand up...and...".
The guy did as he was told yet again. Not only that, she walked near the shut-eyed mayor. As the mayor heard her lady-like footsteps, he was feeling eager and sweaty all over his wretched body like he was waiting for something that he would be interested in. Though, she found an opening and used it to her advantage, as she brought out her kitchen knife in an instant. She stabbed the gullible mayor in his left chest, directly into his beating heart, while she let out her terrifying voice with a menacing smile, that would scare anyone out of their soul,
"STAB YOU LIKE THIS!".
The mayor felt the surging pain and the immense blood started to spill and leak out of his chest. He tried to resist and grab her hand with the knife. Alas, to no avail the strucked knife was already too deep, so the only thing he could do was cry down in agony, as he was nearing death's door,
"GAAAAAAAAAAH!".
Soon, the city mayor died and fell down. His fish eyes was deepened in great shock. The blood was slathered on the carpet, dyeing it in the color of crimsom red. Not only that, she saw lots of keys inserted in a keyring, near the mayor on the ground. Her face was masked in an evil grin as she witnessed his fresh corpse. She grabbed the keys and looked at it. Soon, she tells herself in a complacent manner with her heartwarming smile, despite her treacherous action from before,
"Now to save Zera..."
"Sigh...I hope Zera won't be mad at me..."
"I think...I should've told Mai that I'll be changing some rules..."
"I forgot Zera was in this too...".
Her expression became menacing again even though she was smiling with her intense eyes,
"There is something BELOW THIS CITY that I want to show him..."
"That'll SHATTER HIS RESPECT for this stinkin' mayor...".
Though, she was kinda surprised in her own ways too, that she questioned herself, as she let out a charming and embarassed expression too,
"Ara♪? I never knew I'd be this terrifying..."
" I hope Zera wouldn't mind♥~".