Zeran had seen in his very eyes were the young-looking children chained and shackled down behind bars such as they were some kind of animals. Their faces were terrified and their scraped bodies were cowering in fear of their very lives that they had been witnessing. His very expression couldn't explain it in words yet, his sudden deep silence tells it all. Silent void seeped through the air and Mai noticed that Zeran's hand was shaking in utter fear of what he was setting his eyes into. Though, soon enough, Zeran shut his eyes and relaxed himself through deep breathing. Then, opened his calmed eyes and said,
"Okay...Mai...could you explain to me...on why are these kids inside these cages?".
Mai replies,
"What do you think?".
He shifted his look at Mai. Though, Zeran's face was no longer filled with terror yet, instead it was something much worse. His face looked kinda creeeped out with an unexplainable grin of a faking smile, trying to reach out a sarcastic humor despite the dark atmosphere. Not only that, he blurts-out a sensitive question to Mai,
"Could it be the ringmaster is a PEDOPHILE?!".
The wooshing mute was in the air. Mai wasn't pleased, as she heard that from his grinning mouth. The only response she gave to him was an intense facepalm that revered her pissed-off look for him. Though, her eyes were leaking burning rage for his utter idiocricy. Thankfully, she still tried to utter words at him,
"Sigh..."
"Zen...could you use your golden claw to free them?".
He crushed and destroyed the steel cages without any other word. Though he could still feel Mai's cold stare from behind. On a side note, the children were now able to go out of their hellish cages, yet none of them seem interested, instead they were frozen in fear if they ever take a step outside of their cages. It's as if the children were devoid of grabbing the opportunity of going to the outside world and thorns of darkness were clinged down to their shadows. Zeran looked dumbfounded since the kids didn't show any sign of rejoice nor gratitude. As for Mai, she went to one of the kids in their cages. Her look wasn't filled with intimidation, instead it was a very soothing angel's image giving out her left hand and said,
"You are all free now...free from living this wretched life...".
Suddenly, the colorful ringmaster of the whole circus emerged from the center of the place and said,
"I think that won't be necessary lady MAI...".
Mai noticed and turned to look at him, yet the offer that she was given was a swung of a naginata seeped in vile green liquid. Thankfully, Zeran was able to deflect the oncoming attack with his golden claw. Thereon, Zeran and Mai noticed two strange-looking rugged male mercenaries wielding naginatas and the ringmaster behind the two. As Zeran saw the silly looking ringmaster hidden in a masquerade mask, Zeran gritted his teeth with seething anger in his face and exclaimed, since he was seeing a familiar ally,
"Oi! Could you tell me on why...are you abducting kids?".
The ringmaster responds back,
"Lord Zeran...Circus business is slow these days so we had to resort to other desperate measures..."
"Even though we're one of the best...".
As Mai turned to them, her angelic aura had ceased and instead it was shrouded by a deaf-defying aura of death. Wrathful grudge was worn on her gorgeous face. She unsheathed and loaded her crossbow. The chilling presence of Mai made Zeran to feel a sudden surprise in silence, since he was no longer seeing the valkyrie-like maiden yet, it was much something worse, a white reaper of death. Sooner or later, Mai asks them a trivial question filled with cold hatred in her eyes,
"So you're selling them as PURE slaves in auctions, yes?".
As the ringmaster heard that from her, he grinned a maniacal smile on his face. He closed his eyes and walked in front of the two mercenaries. The kids cowered in fear as they saw his scary and monstrous face. Thereon, the ringmaster said as if threating the kids,
"What do you think?".
Zeran felt more infuriated, as he heard that from the wretched ringmaster. His veins from his whole body were revealing from the heat of rage. His burning anger shrouded in his face reached its peak and burst out by lashing out his claw at the ringmaster with full force recklessly. Sadly, one of the mercenaries blocked and held down his strike. Though, Zeran still tried to whip his mouth filled with burning anger right into the ringmaster's sarcastic face,
"YOU F*CKIN' BASTARD!"
"I thought you wanted to live an honest and humble life of entertaining people?"
"After our Goddess's savior party disbanded!"
"Consisting of Mai, Gav, Cyron, Sheena, me and YOU!".
The ringmaster's face turned cold. His snake eyes hidden in the mask was seen by the enraged Zeran in a glimpse. The ringmaster cracked out a menacing smile and said in brief,
"Before I had that dream...but reality is a cruel mistress Lord Zeran..."
"The funds aren't enough to run a business such as this..."
"Enough talk...time for both of you to die!".
The kids mumbled and trembled in fear for what they shall witness if ever Zeran and Mai die with their bloodied corpses down on the ground. Mai felt their fears were eating their ruptured souls again so, she went to one them and embraced their bodies. Not only that, she tells them with an evangelizing smile,
"Don't worry...we'll all get out here...just believe in us...".
The kids felt her empathy and passion for them. Thereon, the kids looked determined cheering for Mai and Zeran's victory. Zeran had stopped pursuing his strike and leapt backwards. He shifted his look to the caring Mai to the children, turning Zeran to be in his own thoughts,
("Wow...I can't believe there is still an ounce of her previous self...").
He looked back at the mercenaries and saw them brandishing their weapons. As she was done giving out a motivational boost to the children, she went beside Zeran and held her crossbow with her hands in a graceful and slick pose, taunting the two distant mercenaries and the ringmaster. A little while later, she says to Zeran,
"Now Zen...time to take out the trash...".
He nodded with a determined smile. His expression was eager for the battle that shall commence. Thereon, the atmosphere around the place were clashing flames of destruction and dense coldness of death. The four of them weren't taking any initiative as if they were anticipating each others movements by slowly moving in a sneaky pace. Their eyes were glued to each other. Though, soon enough, One of the mercenaries lunged at Mai and tried to slice Mai's neck, since she was the most disadvantageous with a ranged weapon in close combat yet, Mai was able to deflect the attack by a hidden dagger that emerged from her hand. Not only that, she was able to cut the mercenary's face, leaving out blood to leak out. Little did he know Mai came-in prepared for the melee onslaught. Soon, the other one tried to swing it's naginata's blade at Zeran's eyes but, Zeran was able to dodge it fast with his slick movement of body-bending, proving a cool manner of dodging. As the mercenary was open for attacks, Zeran seized the opportunity and grazed at the mercenary with his sharp claw in a flash. The mercenary wasn't able to block Zeran's attack so the mercenary took severe damage on his chest, leaving out a fresh slash mark that cuts deep. The mercenary panted and looked badly wounded. Though, the two mercenaries looked at each other and nodded. The ringmaster grinned. That sudden moment, the two mercenaries vanished into thin air and brought out lots of quick furies at Zeran and Mai. Mai was able to block and parry all of the deadly attempts at her. Not only that, she was able to wound the gale imbued mercenary. As for Zeran, he was kinda overwhelmed by the other mercenary's oncoming strikes but, he was still able to block most of the strikes leading to his demise. Clashings of hardened steel and crimson blood were witnessed by the children. Clinkings and bashings of steel were reverberating around the very place. Burning passion of the fight was in the air. Suddenly, Mai was able to deflect the mercenary's next attack with great precision and force, throwing-off the mercenary's flow of strikes. She noticed the sudden glimpse of opportunity. Thereon, she stabbed his heart with immense force, crushing the mercenary's life and let out crimson blood dripping down on the ground. Soon, she noticed that Zeran was losing pace of his situation, so she aimed and shot a quick arrow at the mercenary's arm holding the naginata despite it's flashing movements. The arrow took a direct hit and made the mercenary to feel a sudden pain, making him to stop his furies at Zeran for a moment. Zeran took the opportunity and thrusted his claw at the very heart of the mercenary. As it penetrated gruesomely at the mercenary's chest, Zeran's claw was seeped in immense blood, turning the mercenary's lights off. Soon, Zeran and Mai flung the two corpses to the shaking Ringmaster afraid for his pathetic life to go out. The ringmaster still tried to mutter out a few words in fear, while he was knelt hopelessly on the ground,
"I-impossible! how could one of the best mercenaries be bested by the two of you?".
Suddenly, Mai went close at him at a speed of light and she pointed her crossbow at the head of the pitiful ringmaster. She was ready to pull the trigger ending the ringmaster's vile ways. Her eyes were cold and terrifying to the ringmaster and she says filled with terror,
"Any last words...".
The ringmaster brought out his last words,
"Tsk..."
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE—".
Soon, Mai pulled the death trigger and a silent silver arrow impaled the poor ringmaster's head, muting down his life of wretched slavery on children alike. The corpse fell on the ground with a clean hole in its head and a blood puddle emerged below its head. She sheathed her crossbow on her back. Zeran transferred his claw in his dimension inventory and stretched out his arms to freshen up. He noticed that he had some minor cuts and wounds, but he didn't mind it that much. A little while later, Mai's grudge-filled face was gone and she showed her angelic goddess-like smile to the kids. The kids frozen faces melted and their faces were filled with gratefulness. All of the children hugged Mai and crying tears of joy were their only expression, since their life of misery came to an end. Mai told Zeran that there's an artifact of the dark Goddess Ruhime around the area. He looked around, searched far and wide yet, to no avail there were none that seemed like an artifact of such a relic. Mai was patting the heads of the crying children. Though, she was getting pissed-off again for Zeran's stupid attempt of not finding the artifact, so she told Zeran that the female kid hugging the plushie doll in which it almost looked-like him but, with cute buttons in its eyes instead. Zeran had second thoughts if he should just take it away from the crying girl. So he consulted with Mai yet, Mai's enraged self can't hold itself any longer for his pathetic attempt. Thereon, she speaks out loud calling unto someone,
"Ru...I know you're there..."
"So come on out!".
That sudden moment, There were purple glistening butterflies shrouding and flutterring around at the center. The kids were seeing a magnificent scene of dancing lights and floating gemstones. Soon upon, Ru emerged in a dazzling fashion from the butterflies. She was floating and her hair was flowing in starlight. The kids were awestrucked by the very Goddess that appeared before them. Zeran was also surprised with immense shock but, he felt a sudden impulse in his heart as he was mesmerized by the beauty of Ru. There were unusual sensations that he felt. His face blushed unknowingly and he saw an ever beautiful maiden has descended before him, more than the others saw. There were butterflies in his stomach blended with a mix of sweet happiness. His smile was very pleasing to see as he set his eyes unto the dark Goddess Ruhime. As soon as her feet touched the ground, her glamorous appearance went down the drain as she tells with a cute irritated look to Mai,
"Really Mai...I was trying to surprise Zera here but, you ruined it...".
The radiant purple butterflies had dispersed after. Zeran's mesmerized look on Ru had snapped out. Moreover, he had stopped fantasizing about her and instead he was shocked in his thoughts,
("Eh?!")
("Ru followed us?!").
Mai didn't care about Ru's unusual way of surprising Zeran so she blurts out straight like an irritated friend to Ru,
"Shut up...you want your artifact right?".
Ru responds,
"Well yeah...".
Afterwards, Ru went to the little girl hugging the Zeran plush doll. Ru wore a very sinister smile on her face. The little girl felt kinda frozen and terrified as she saw Ru's menacing presence. Zeran's eyes looked as if he was expecting that the dark Goddess Ruhime will scare and torment the lights of the poor girl to get the plush doll back, in which it wasn't noble for a hero of high-esteem to think like that. Soon enough, Ru leaned near to the little girl. Then, Ru said in a very playful manner,
"Say...do you like your doll?".
In response, the little girl nodded with a happiness filled expression. As Ru saw the smiling little girl, Ru had stopped leaning. She changed her look to a sorrowful one and told the girl that the plush doll she was hugging belonged to someone else, as it was very important to her too. The little girl looked very down feeling a sense of guilt. Ru and the little girl were looking so very sorrowful yet, none of them want to give-in. There was a sudden silence between the two. Zeran looked sad aswell feeling the tension and pity for the two. Though, Ru hatched an idea and proved a confident optimistic look upon her dazzling face suddenly. Soon, she held-out her hands such as she was forming some kind of material in-between the gap of her slim hands. A radiant violet glowing sphere of compressed energy floating in-between her hands emerged. A little while later, the bright light dispersed and another copy of a Zeran plush doll came out. The little girl look amazed with Ru's sudden simple performance. Ru tried to offer the plush doll to the little girl but, she had second thoughts and said filled with uncertainty,
"Hmmm...I know it's not the same doll as yours but...this doesn't belong to anyone yet...So—".
Though, the little girl was smiling and she was offering out her Zeran plush doll, as if she was agreeing to exchange with the Ru's newer Zeran plush doll. Even though, the little girl doesn't know that in front of her was the dark Goddess Ruhime in the flesh. Ru let out a grateful smile. Soon, the two of them exchanged Zeran plush dolls. The girl was filled with happiness again and hugged her newer plush doll to her heart's content. Ru felt glad and hugged her retrieved doll although, it didn't look that much heartwarming, yet instead it was very lewd to see since the Zeran plush doll was being sandwiched by her squishy melons of her feminine chest. If it were a voodoo doll of Zeran, he would feel the utter sensation of being suffocated by her breasts directly, a mix of heavenly sensation and locking death. As for Zeran, he wasn't suffocated from her breasts, instead he was somehow surprised and dumbstrucked on what Ru had done since, the outcome was very different from what he expected, turning him to be shocked in his thoughts,
("...I just can't believe my eyes...")
("Is this really the dark Goddess Ruhime?!").
Ru turned to face at Mai, while the Zeran plush doll was on Ru's arms, feeling the sudden press and touch of her melons above its head. Thereon, Ru called unto Mai and asks,
"Say Mai...how long are your kingdom's knights will come with these children's parents?".
Mai replies back,
"It won't be long...soon—".
Suddenly, she took a sudden stop as she noticed that Zeran coughed out a gush of deep red blood. Her eyes were filled with immense shock as she saw him. Not only Zeran coughed out blood, he was feeling dizzy and numbed of his senses. Thereon, he tries to recall inside his thoughts on why that happened to him,
("D*mn...I forgot...I got cut by those Naginatas...")
("I can't believe they're poisoned!")
("I was so strong and wise before...")
("How did I become so weak and foolish...").
Afterwards, he fell down on the ground unconscious and saw the two Goddesses with deep concerned looks near in front of him. Though, Ru's face was more expressive and she was feeling like her heart had been broken into tiny fragments, as she saw her hero flashing out his lights. Her chest felt heavy with grave tension. Her body was feeling nervous and thorns of pain were wreathed around her. Though, she still tried to call unto Zeran yet, her tears were leaking out endlessly,
"Please don't die Zera...".
Suddenly, Mai hatched an idea in a crucial situation and suggested to the pleading Ru,
"Ru...let's bring him to THAT PLACE fast!".