'WAKE UP!'
"Oh, it's just you, Kilauea. What is so important that you are waking me up in the middle of the night?"
'You have a visitor."
The window is open and the wind blew some leaves in the room, the moonlight reaches the room after the clouds passed.
And in the window appeared the image of a man that I would never forget.
Jet-black hair that extends to his shoulders, a fierce and fiery-lit scarlet eyes, with a bewitching smile that could hook people's hearts whether it be man or a woman.
"It has been a long time Arnold, are you doing well?"
Tears burst from my eyes like a river as I ran to him and give him a hug.
But when I was about to touch him, I suddenly felt chill, it is not because of the coldness of the night but the aura Teivel has is very cold and dark, it is just like when I first met the emperor.
"Heh, you must have missed me worse than I thought huh. To think that what you want to do after seeing your friend again is giving him your snot, you have not changed a little."
"You! You are not Teivel."
With a wide and evil grin in his face he confirmed my statement.
His whole body then turned black reverting into a black shadow form he used to have.
The man in front of me is the man who claimed that he is the emperor and the savior of this world.
"Isn't this quite a welcome?"
"What is your purpose in coming here?"
His form has no eyes nor face even but somehow, I can feel an evil smile directed at me.
"Let's trade. Give me Kilauea and I will free your friend."
What is the meaning of this?
Give him Kilauea in exchange for saving Orion.
While it might be true that Orion is being held captive by the Stofford family but he is not in an imminent danger.
Also, there is no way to pass an ability to another person, even of there is, I would not give Kilauea to others.
"What do you mean? Explain so I could understand."
"Well, to put it simply, your dear friend will die exactly in a week from now.
And you…
chuckle…
have no power to save him.
Would you want to watch your friend to die again without being able to do anything?"
Orion will die?
"Well, since I am very generous just call me when you have decided on what would you do.
I WILL DEFINITELY COME…"
The emperor vanishes into the air like black dust being swayed by the wind.
He left me with my thoughts disorganized.
I could not get to sleep after that encounter and just wait for the sunrise.
I sneaked out the hospital and go to the villa of the Stofford family.
The air covering the villa is just normal, there is nothing that changed from yesterday before I left home and now that I get back.
Normally, they would feel more alerted because of what happened in the Albert family but I can't see anything like that.
How could this be?
Finding my way to the prison underground, there is no guard at all.
The Stofford family's prison is a white underground facility.
Every room would only have a single prisoner with their ability and movements sealed as all of the prisoners here are high-ranking ability users that abused their power to oppress the weak. At the very least they are B-rank.
Every corner of this place has an assigned guard, not to mention being strong, they are all B-rank battle-ability users and equipped with weapons made by B-rank technology-ability users. Every one of them is trained to win against an A-rank battle-ability user.
If the information the emperor gave me is correct, Orion will be here but there is simply not a single person.
Not even a single prisoner remains.
I then hurried outside and the place that seems normal before has been enveloped by silence.
"Is it you?"
A tremendous pressure and killing intent appeared behind me.
The next thing I know is that a sword has been thrusted to my heart.
Damn! I can't save Orion with this. Ugh! Emperor, I will leave the rest to you.
Please save Orion.
My body fell to the ground.
I can see my blood rushing out of my chest.
In the end the emperor did not come.
Ah, I still can't do anything in the end.
I am so pathetic I can even laugh at myself.
***
"You did a great job Lena. I'm sure he will definitely give you the praise you deserve."
I said to the young lady in front of me.
Her name is Lena Grace, an A-rank Battle-ability user that has an assassination record of a hundred percent kills.
She is also called 'The swordswoman of Death' because there is no one that can escape from her sword.
"Eh, is that true? Ahh, I want hurry and report to him."
Lena owes a great favor to the lord we serve; it is the same for me.
The Lord resurrect Lena from being dead and saved me in the same way.
I would not be able to repay him even if I give him my life.
"Lindon, would you hurry up?
And you carry that baggage too,
staining my sword with his gross blood is more than enough for me."
"Yes, yes. I'll do it now."
The lord saved me and the girl that I love.
He gave us home, a safe place to return.
He gave us warmth that our parents did not give us.
He gave us knowledge about the world we know nothing about.
If it is for his cause, even if I need to be a hero or a devil, I will do it without any hesitation.