A Few Hours Ago.
"…Are they gone?"
"…Yes."
Lyria and Lisa appeared from behind an illusion.
"As suspected, Apo can indeed talk. But him being Demon is unexpected, but this confirms that Floofs can indeed become demonic creatures."
"Hmm, did Older Brother just say they are going to blackmail someone?"
They looked at each other and then unhesitatingly followed their Older Brother.
They even carried with them their pen and paper.
They followed through the alleyways and the rooftops, and they lost sight of him many times. Only by applying illusion very close to Theo could they stick to him.
With Theo, they adapted quickly and learned how to blend in the shadows, further increasing their stealthiness.
With Apophis, they learned a plethora of curses.
After a grueling wasted hour, Theo finally arrived at his destination.
It was a place the two girls hadn't heard before.
[Ehtereal Scent]
The rooftop sign read.
While Theo entered Apo for the rooftop, the two girls quietly set up their illusion and sat on the balcony, waiting for the show to unfold.
They were excited.
Then, in the following scenes, the two girls lose the colors on their faces.
They saw their brother freeze and how the beautiful lady's nails extended to sharp weapons. Theo's neck was cut and bled, and the lady said about sending their Older Brother's head to their home.
Now, they were in front of such a dangerous person that Lyria and Lisa froze in fear.
Splash!
And then, the woman buried her nails on Theo's shoulders.
The two girls lost the light in their eyes.
"Older Brother? (Older Brother?)."
Lyria and Lisa's curiosity had always been their greatest strengths and weakness. It led them to uncover knowledge, learning more than a child their age.
At the age of seven, there was nothing Lyria and Lisa could not answer.
They were praised as prodigies and would be exemplar scholars in the future.
The praises brought great and joy pride to their parents, and in the same sense to them as well. They continued studying to make everyone around them happy, but the two girls' appetite for knowledge led them to trouble as time went on.
At the age of eight, they already read almost every book in the Sigurd Manor.
At the age of nine, they lost interest in words and turned their attention to "investigating" the real world observe the people.
At this time, they would often pick an exciting target and observe them that fascinated them. It could be anyone, a cook, a maid, or even a mage.
It didn't matter.
At first, the "target" would find Lyria and Lisa amusing. Being followed and observed was a little gratifying.
However, as their questions became deeper and deeper, the more the person of interest would realize their inadequacies. Slowly, Lyria and Lisa would find faults and asks questions even they could not answer, and after seven days of being observed, their targets would break and beg Lyria and Lisa to leave.
It got so bad that everyone they took an interest in would escape before their "investigations" could begin.
Soon, even their families began to have concerns of their own. Their Older Sister started her rise in the world of Swords. Titus awakened his Gift and started training to keep it at bay. Their Older Brother was a lost cause, and their parents became busy taking care of the Region.
Both Lyria and Lisa were the only ones stuck in a vortex, without anything to do. Unlike Titus, they weren't shining and couldn't make friends. Taking lessons was all just a front to make the time move faster.
At the age of ten, the manor felt stifling.
At the age of eleven, they just stayed quiet and observed from a distance.
Everything became dull for them.
That was until their Older Brother suddenly changed when everyone couldn't handle them, Theo. Lyria and Lisa found someone to play with them, always smiling, never irritated.
He was more intelligent and digested knowledge faster than anyone they knew. He would surprise them with strange actions, unfamiliar words, and even spectacles they never thought they'd see.
By his side, the two girls started enjoying learning again and got attached to him in such a short amount of time.
But, now, they see that very person hurt and bloodied. They were afraid, frozen in fact, but Lyria and Lisa abandoned their illusion and charged ahead to save Theo without thinking of the consequences.
The two girls bravely charged to save Theo. They were pushing their fatigued bodies to the limit to "fight" so they could protect their Older Brother.
"Ge-get away from Older Brother!"
"W-we are strong! We-We're the daughter of the Dragon Slayer!"
Lyria and Lisa let out a war cry on the verge of tears while giving Ambrosia what they call a slap.
Patta — Patta — Patta — Patta — Patta — Patta — Patta — Patta — Patta — Patta
The two girls continued their valiant attempts even when they were too weak to do anything.
Ambrosia already had her right arm and spirit broken, yet these slaps weren't doing anything. The two girls were so pitifully weak and desperate that Ambrosia couldn't think straight what it was that she needed to do.
What's more, was that the Queen of the Night had long frozen listening to their words, not from the poison and especially not from fear — more of shock.
Two girls with soft palms were both trying their best to "hurt" Ambrosia so they could protect their Older Brother.
"W-we were taught the Heaven Rendering Form!"
"Th-that's right! We can split the earth, so please run away!"
The two girls meekly roared but were cut short.
Picked up by their collars, Lyria and Lisa slowly turned around and saw Theo still breathing.
"Tell me, what are the two of you doing here?" Theo demanded.
"Older Brother!"
"Yo-You're oka-"
Their eyes momentarily lit up, but as their attention gravitated to his left shoulder, their eyes watered and-
"WAAAAAAAAAAH! (WAAAAAAAAAAH!)."
Lyria and Lisa latched on Theo's face, sobbing.
Of course, he made a futile attempt of having them off him, but Theo just gave up, "Come on, now. Really, what are the two of you doing here?"
Again, he asked.
"Fo-following… you — hic* – observing…." Lyria gave an almost incomprehensible answer.
"Bu-Bura-Bra — hic* —-Brackmare — waaaaaaahh!" Lisa almost created a new language.
'Brackmare? Do they mean blackmail? Dammit, they must have been eavesdropping using illusions again. Me and my loudmouth.' Theo cursed another inherited trait, 'I really need to stop talking out loud. And if they could follow me, is it possible that there are others? Nah, they would've saved me or stopped these two.'
It took a while before the two girls cried it out, and by the time their tears dried, the both of them were already out cold. Laying their heads on his thigh, Theo allowed them to sleep in peace, 'They are talented, but is a little hard to control. They need discipline.'
Theo let out an exasperated sigh as he fell on his butt on the ground.
He could see that Ambrosia was already piecing things together while her back was on the ground, 'Wa-wait, Older Brother… daughter of the Dragon Slayer? Then, does that mean—'
With a knowing sigh that his cover's blown, Theo uncovered himself and lifted the demonic light in his eyes.
"No use acting as a mysterious figure now. Yes, it's me, Theo, the Saint. I'm really sorry about this; I didn't think my sisters of all people managed to follow me. This is so embarrassing and unprofessional…."
Theo revealed himself to Ambrosia, "But hey, I didn't notice them following me, that means they have the talent, right?"
He let out a proud laugh!
Ambrosia was at a loss for words listening to the psychopath before her.
"Anyway, I don't need to torture you now, so, here." Theo offered her his hand.
She was confused while Theo waited.
"Come on, let's get this over with already. You can't beat me anyway, so if you're worried I'll do anything, I would've done it already. You have no hidden forces standing by, so that means you wanted to keep this incident isolated, right? So just get on with it already."
'What does he… oh… this bastard, does he want me to—' Ambrosia bit her lips in frustration. Her brows crossed, and then, she leaned forward with puckered lips, "I accept you as my ma—"
Flick!
"Ouch!" Ambrosia retreated as Theo flicked on her forehead, "What was that for, Saint? I was already pledging you, my fealty. Didn't you want me to be your slave!?"
"What the hell are you talking about? No, I'm not asking for your fealty, well, not now when I'm in this situation. Just— look, give me your right arm, I'm going to pop your joints back, or else you allow a complete amateur to do it and mess it up."
Ambrosia was hesitant.
She just said she would kill him and send his head to his own house, so how can he act this casually with her?
Not only that, but she also mocked him, laughed at his face, and almost severed an artery. Though not directly, it was also her fault that his left shoulder was bleeding.
If she wasn't so careful, she could've killed him, yet he's offering her help?
With an innocent smile on his face, no less.
'I-is this a trap?'
"It's not a trap."
'Wait… did he just—'
"No, I can't read mind; everything is written all over your face, that's all."
'Th-that's too accurate to be—'
"I can't read minds. It would be better if I had it, though. I detest lies, so don't even think about me hiding anything."
Can she refuse in front of Theo, the son of the Dragon Slayer and the new Fate Saint?
No.
"Ple-please be gentle." she hesitatingly offered her arm.
"Yeah, yeah…." Theo grabbed her arm and then popped her joints to where they should belong without any warning.
"Hiiiiiiiiiiiii!" Ambrosia let out a yelp of pain but nothing more. She realized that it only lasted for only a few seconds.
"How does that feel?" asked Theo.
"Um, it hurts… but fine. A little uncomfortable, but nothing major."
"I see, that discomfort is more on your muscles and joints, but that's only temporary. Your Race has accelerated healing when you sleep; I suggest going to sleep immediately."
"Ok-okay?"
"But not now. I may be in this humiliating position, but I don't particularly appreciate wasting time. Bear the pain for now. We need to talk."
A surprising shift in Theo's expression appeared.
Once a carefree brother, who now appeared to be a cutthroat businessman. Theo's eyes no longer resemble how he did before.
The jarring change caused Ambrosia to put her guard up, 'This man is weird.'
She slowly realized the actual dangers of Theo.
"Originally, I planned on using you to take over the Underworld and become its shadow boss, but now that you know who I am, that's no longer possible."
Others may find what Theo just said as a tasteless joke, but to Ambrosia, it was anything but. That was not just a passing thought but a statement that almost came true.
'If his sisters hadn't arrived, then, what would've happened?' The thought alone gave her chills.
'If this were any normal day, I would make a new plan. However, I'm pressed for time, so I'm going to do this differently than I would like.'
Theo must do this today, else risk the drawbacks of his mother's poison.
"How about this, I abandon my desire to take over the Underworld, and you make a deal with me. Don't worry, I collected enough information to know what you want, so you don't have to fear losing out. Now, let's get this over with; I want to sleep."
Theo yawned while Ambrosia only grew more and more confused, 'Collected information of what I want? When did he do that?'
When Theo was acting to be affected by the poison, he was as ignorant as one can be. However, now he speaks as though he understands everything, 'Impossible.'
Ambrosia did believe him even in the slightest. But, she didn't risk raising an opinion.
"Okay, let me get the facts first; you refuse to let go of the Underworld, or to be precise, the nightlife business, correct? You wouldn't want to make any deal with me because the Follower of the Gods looks down on this job, so if I, a Saint, takes over the Underworld, you fear change and persecution or yourself and your girls stripping them off their living — did I miss anything so far?"
"...no."
"Good, that means I'm on the money for now, and if that's the case, we don't have a conflict of interest. You hate the holy followers, and I hate Gods, so you don't have to fear me going over their camp. I'm on my own camp."
'!!!!!!!!!!' Ambrosia almost snapped her neck from whiplash by how quickly she looked at Theo's deadpan expression, 'Did a Saint just say he hates Gods?'
"Anyway, we can move forward easier if we don't have any reason to kill each other. Long story short, I want you to become my backer, or more specifically, my financier. Help me get a few ingredients, pieces of equipment, and materials, and although most of them would be quite pricy, I'd be able to turn some of them into potent virility potions that we can sell in your store after the processing period. This potion is strong and can even cure someone's 'problems,' and even old perverts would be able to take it without fearing for their hearts exploding or any organ for that matter. But it does have a minor side-effect of a headache like hungover, but we don't really have to tell them that and just said that the headache is the result of a rough night. After that, we can—"
"Wa-wait, wait, wait, wait a goddamn minute!"
"…what?"
Why was she stopping him? For all Theo's concern, he's giving her all the benefits, 'If she demands more, I might really snap her neck.'
"What do you mean what!? Aren't you finding all of this weird?" for a good minute now, Ambrosia was failing to follow any of his words, "I was just about to kill a few minutes ago where you dislocated my elbow and then got attacked softly by your sisters. Then, you revealed you're the Saint here to blackmail me for my identity, who happens to be a Saint hates the Gods… I mean… why is a Saint hating Gods!? Is that even possible!? Why are you acting like I already agreed to help you? I have no reason to trust you, I don't know you, but I feel like you haven't lied to me…what is happening here? Wha… why is a Saint hating Gods!?"
'She's really hung up about me hating Gods. Yeah… I slip up another important thing without me noticing.'
Theo was beginning to hate his loose mouth even more.
She asked a lot of things, but that's to be expected. Theo said some stuff without any initial setup, but he expected her to fill in the blanks, "About why I hate Gods despite being a Saint, that's something I don't want to talk about. Seeing how you can't even fill in the blanks of what I was talking about, You won't be able to comprehend it anyway—no offense."
Ambrosia took offense.
"To make it simple, I'm giving you the chance to dominate the Underworld completely and beyond. Do you think you have power now? That would be nothing if you did what you should've done in the first place. You could be controlling governments and manipulating the rich while simultaneously transforming people's views. If you help me, no longer will they be called prostitutes. Do you want your girls to be more than tools? To be cared for?"
Ambrosia's eyes shone as she listened more to Theo's words.
"I will help you help them, give you more chances to change their lives. Give you the power to give them a chance to achieve their dreams! The people will accept them; no longer be looked down upon; they will be respected, worshiped, and sought after without even needing to spend a night with a person! They will be free! And if you help me, if you stand with me and start this change, gain the power to move armies with a look, then you will also open the path for your Race to walk out of the darkness."
"Really?"
Theo's latter announcement further aroused Ambrosia's attention.
'Got her!' Theo could see it in her eyes.
"I do not lie, Ambrosia. I only speak of the truth. Think about it, what will happen if a Saint supports your cause? Support your people?"
"We'd be able to walk under the Sun again." Ambrosia had already abandoned the thought, yet here she was, dreaming for such a future.
"What makes you think I'll trust you? There's a reason why they drove us into the shadows. You Day Walkers once betrayed our trust. What makes you any different?"
Theo did not answer and just listened.
The pain behind her eyes, the fear, and the hatred started surfacing with her memories of the distant past.
Blood, scream, tears, the fear, all is still fresh at the back of her mind.
However, soon, her eyes transformed a deep blue to a blood red. Her face contorted and warped, filled with vengeful wrath of deep-rooted pain.
She oozed blood and killing intent, her anger soaring by the second.
"My Ancestors were hunted by people they saw as close friends and family. Why!? Because you were afraid of our powers!? Stop fucking with me! You took our freedom, our pride, our future. Our lives were spent in the shadows, hiding and cowering lest we face the end of an executioner's ax! What say you that makes you any different from them!? From all the liars and that bastard that betrayed us!?"
"It's because I don't care who you are; I am who I choose to be."
Spreading his arms, Theo did not frown nor scowl. He did not fake any seriousness; he only showed her an unrestrained smile.
"I am the Saint the Gods cannot touch! I am the Saint the Gods cannot bound! I am the Saint who hates the Gods! I am the Saint who made a Pact with a Demon! I follow my desires and will! I care not what others say; I care not what they fear. I don't care if it is illegal, I don't care if it is wrong, if I believe it is correct, it must be so! Rules do not bind me. If I deem you worthy, I will accept you for who you are! Help me, and I will embrace you. Worship me, and I will lead you. And if you ask me to help you get revenge, I will burn the world for you.
"I am who I am, and I swear in my Family's Name that I, Theo Sigurd, shall allow the Kins of Blood — The Monarchs of the Night — The Noble Race of Vampyre to again walk with their head held high!"
Hearing his words was enough for a tear to escape Ambrosia's eyes.
Her ears were sensitive to heartbeats, to lies.
Theo had not uttered a single one since they spoke.
Since their first meeting, Ambrosia had already seen Theo as someone an enigma. Someone who follows no convention.
Nothing can penetrate his mind.
He's a Saint that would resort to blackmail.
He is a man who offers his hands to those abandoned in the dark.
But most of all, he's a man that never lies.
The wind inside the room changed. Ambrosia's eyes began shining with untold luster.
His promise, none of them were empty, or so Ambrosia wanted to believe.
Theo offered her his hand with a smile brighter than the sun.
'Maybe, he's the person the Elders foretold.'
"Take my hands, and I will help you retake the freedom they stole! The Pride you conceded! The Life you all lost! Take my hands, Ambrosia, and I will give all of that to you!"
She was amused, but more importantly, she was taken aback by his words.
By his promise
Nevertheless, at the crossroad of fate, she decided to bet everything to the man who almost took her life.
[Requirements Met: Devil's Contract has been activated]
Thus, Theo created his second Contract.