(Ken POV)
The three of us stared in complete bewilderment at the two newcomers who made themselves known right in front of us.
"Alex? Didn't you tell him to remain on standby and only act if Miabi did something to hurt us?"
When Philip asked me, I nodded in response and gritted my teeth in frustration at this rambling predicament that we were in.
My thoughts drifted during the afternoon a while ago about the time when I had some business to take care of, it was meeting up with Alex and Ana. Unfortunately, the latter was unavailable at that moment, so it was Alex only who heeded my request. My request was what Philip said; to remain on the lookout from a good distance and intervene should Miabi used one of her dark magic tricks to subdue the both of us.
Thus, my reason for the utter confusion that I'm feeling this instant.
"I did. I also fucking wonder why he would attack us like this. Wait… fuck, not this shit again."
While it was not that clear due to the darkness of the night, if I focused on Alex closely, then I could see a violet aura surrounding the entirety of his body.
Thankfully, my Mana Sense also helped in discerning the aura as well.
It was not just any aura though.
It was the same aura that was used to control Ana and forced her to transform into her Ancient Dragon Mode.
And it seemed that it was now employed on Alex instead.
Damn it!! My plan has bitten me back in the ass!! I should have placed my complete faith in Miabi. Now Alex had to pay the price for our suspicion and was forced to submit himself against the dark tormenting side of magic by this unknown lady.
Being a Dragon as well, I knew how it was going to be brutal for him since his will and pride were dictated by anyone but himself.
That's simply how Aldous's beloved children were made, creatures of pride and freedom that they… well… we were.
Damn, so that woman beside him appeared to be the culprit who was responsible for the manipulation of the Dragon siblings' minds.
And said woman looked suspiciously like an older version of Miabi. The physical resemblance was quite uncanny. The lady was dressed in a black conservative kimono with a red garter belt that hugged her figure nicely.
While I appreciate any beauty like her as any other man naturally would, now is not the right time for me to do so, especially when this lady resonated danger in every angle. Call me paranoid, but she gave me some bad vibes and I should tread lightly around her.
That, and Miabi was feeling kind of distressing right beside me. Her conflicted expression and Alex being controlled were all it took for me to not trust the older woman who presented before us.
Oh right, the lady did mention that Miabi was her little sister. This was a rather troublesome family affair that Phil and I found ourselves at.
But wait, what about the Lunar Agents who guarded us during the duration of the ritual? The invisible guards that Miabi and Phil mentioned. Should they not do something about this dubious individual barging in right at their very doorsteps? Like protecting us students from any harm?
My answer quickly came as our eyes widened with uneasy shock when we saw the six Lunar guards that were nearby suddenly appearing out of nowhere.
While we were supposed to be relieved by their presence, it was quite the contrary, however.
It was because, upon their manifestation, all of them instantly fainted on the spot. Then the same aura of darkness also appeared and surrounded their bodies.
While I expected the six of them to be manipulated in the same way as Alex, it looked like that it was not going to be the case since they remained deathly still lying on the ground. Hopefully, my assessment was correct and they were still alive and breathing.
I don't want anyone dying under my watch. Simple as that.
In short, this was not good for the four of us, if you count Alex among our ranks.
I proceeded to inquire the lady about this troubling predicament.
"What did you do!?"
Anger was evident in my tone as I asked the question. If this fucking lady murdered the guards, then there will be retribution for her to experience.
I could also feel my draconic blood boiling once more like the Dragon Fire within me let out to be witnessed again.
Rather than be turned off by my rage, the lady simply chuckled in response, as if she was amused by the reaction that I currently donned.
Tsk, what an arrogant old bitch. It would be a pleasure indeed to wipe that cocky smirk off her face.
"Fufufu, what's with the hate, Ken Bruce, if I'm not mistaken? The great Magus of Infinity. What I did was merely to remove some… distractions so you and I can talk to our heart's content."
Tsk, so this mysterious lady knew of my status. I should have figured as much. I supposed I better not be surprised as well if people started to learn of my legendary moniker. The Magicka during the entrance exam was witnessed by many, so it would only be natural if people were going to gossip and the resulting rumors would speculate around town and even the other settlements afar.
Grandpa always told me that being well-known had its pros and cons. The pros included having the recognition of the populace, fame, or perhaps garnering some privileges like having the royal family backing you up or something like that.
The cons, however, consisted of attracting unsavory individuals who wished to take advantage of you.
Unsavory individuals like the lady over here.
"Hmm, well, she wanted to talk. Let's hear first what she has to say before making our verdict. While I know that she's 99% up to no good, it won't hurt to get the feel of our dark girlie. This may also be a chance for us to bide some precious time for hopeful reinforcements. The Headmaster would be a complete fool to not recognize an aberration within his precious academy. Since the Lunar brat or any of the faculty for instance are not here, then they most probably are preoccupied with something that needed their undivided attention."
Vivian said with a serious look as I considered her suggestion. With her statement, I temporarily retreated my attention back inside my mind to have a chat with her about this.
Regarding what Master said about the chibi, she's presumably right in her deduction. That, or the Headmaster was sound asleep that he did not even hear the explosion caused by Alex's flame attack earlier.
"Yeah, I get your point, but I'm still concern with the guards being out of commission. For all we know, they could be dead."
Master shook her head in response and implore me with assurance in her voice.
"Calm down, brat. A short and quick recap lesson for you: Every living being possessed Mana as you already know. Mana is also considered our life energy and putting them at dangerously low levels would get you a step closer to death's door. That's the reason why you coughed blood with the undeniable pain that accompanied it during your last Magicka when you exerted your body to the limits by casting your powerful spells, in which one of them is S-rank by the way."
My eyes widened with realization at this.
"Wait… I see!! Now I get it."
Vivian nodded with a proud smile on her face, like how a Master should feel when a student would get their lesson right.
"Good, you're quick to catch up. I expect nothing less from my student, tehee."
With Vivian's information, I returned my senses to the living plane and set my sights on the bodies of the Lunar Agents.
With Mana Sense on both eyes, I scanned for their Mana levels and found that it was currently stable, numbering on the average at 4,000.
Since they still retained their Mana, then they were still alive. Thank Arkadia that no one died tonight.
Of course, I'm not so sure if such was going to be the case any longer, with the lady still being a clear threat to us all.
As I'm now somewhat assured of the guards' safety, I mustered a completely serious look and said to her-
"If you want to talk, then talk. Make it quick or I'll take your breath away."
By taking her breath, I meant the spell of Breathless Water. During the past week, I had some short conversations with Rain and he commended me for learning a difficult spell that only he was capable of using, even if it was by the unorthodox yet simple means of the Infinity Magic that I wielded.
The lady's grin grew wider, ignoring my threatening statement about breath as she was pleased with my response.
"Fufufu, I'm so delighted that you're a man of reason. But first things first, allow me to introduce myself."
She gave us a princess-like curtsy and told us her name.
"My name is Erika Aventus, formerly of House Aventus and one of the Father's beloved children. It's a great honor to meet you, Magus of Infinity. Oh, and you as well dear sister. It's been so long, fufufu."
Her politeness did not even ease Miabi, not even one bit. It only served to heighten the anxiety that she was still feeling.
Somehow, even Phil and I shared the little sister's sentiment as well.
And a good part of it was because of the mention of her vile name.