WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!
"WHY IS THERE A WAR BREAKING OUT HERE?!?!"
*Two hours before*
"What are we gonna do today, human?" Asked Nadia on the dining table.
We are eating our breakfast peacefully and quietly for a few minutes until Nadia decides to ask me a question.
"Well, if you ask me, I will say I wanna lay down on my bed and think about nothing but my sweet dream." How delightful to lay down on my bed early in the morning.
What? You guys are calling me lazy? Suits yourself!
"Always lazying around... What a sloth you are~" Nadia grinned devilishly at me, for a moment I shiver down my spine.
I turn towards Frienna and Nito who was only listening to us in silence.
"What about you guys? What do you have in mind?"
Nito puts down his utensils at the side. "I would like to train for the whole day, if you don't mind."
Ughhh... I was hoping to lay down and slumber all day long before we proceed to the City of Technossia. "Finee... I will train with you."
"Uhmm... Sorry to break it to you, Master, but I would like to train with Miss Nadia today." Nito look at Nadia.
Yesss!! Thank youuu Nitooo!! Finally I can rest for one day!
"Oh, alright then. If you need anything I'll be in my room."
"Master. I wish to speak to you about something." Frienna looked at me with a smile.
Is Frienna livelier today, or am I just seeing things? Her smile is broader than usual, and her skin tone is more human than before. Is it because of her contract with me or something? Ughh whatever...
"Sure. See me in the library later." I said while finishing my breakfast.
Frienna nodded in response.
"May I propose a battle against you, Miss Nadia?" Nito asked with respect.
"Oh, come on, Nito. No need to be so formal. We are all servants after all." Nadia flips her hair.
"But you are royalty, Miss Nadia. I couldn't possibly be so casual with you."
"Oh no. I insist~" Said the Queen of the Illusion Forest.
"Well then, please allow me to address you formally, at least?" Asked Nito.
"If you insist." Nadia responded.
"Then, what about my proposal?" Nito looks concerned, hoping that Nadia agree to be his training partner. Come on Nadia! Don't let our dear boy down!
Nadia turn her gaze towards Nito. "I will be your training partner of course but remember, I won't show you mercy~" She grinned devilishly. Don't kill him, Dumb-Dumb!
After breakfast, we made our way straight to our destinations. Nito and Nadia are going straight to the training area, while Frienna and I are going to the library.
Frienna opened the library door, allowing me to enter first. We sat at a long wooden table in the middle of the library, where Nadia and I did our research about Frienna's where about.
"So, what do you wanna talk about?" I asked Frienna while settling myself on the chair.
She does the same. "Have you heard about Demon King Belial?" She look at my face with a mild smiley expression as always. The only difference is that her skin tone is more similar to a human's.
She seems like she wants to have a serious conversation despite her expressions. So I can't joke around in this matter.
"Belial? The Demon King? Only the rumours, why?" It's very hard to find information about the Demon King these days. It's like no one knows about him anymore.
Oh, forgot to tell you guys. The Demon's Territory has been very quiet ever since Llyris was born. This is because Llyris Eagor is a child prodigy, born as a noble, and has been blessed by the gods and spirits ever since he was in the womb.
"I see... I can't tell you much about the Demon King because I'm only a weapon, but I can tell you this..." Frienna looks very serious, her tone is very firm. I'm listening to her nervously.
She look down at her hands and say. "It's best if I just show you..." Suddenly her eyes turn all black as well as the room.
I don't know what's happening but this made me nervous! Panicking, I look around and everything turned shadowy dark. Like there's nothing here, the tea, chairs, books, everything is gone!
"Frienna!!" I yelled out her name.
"Don't be scared, Master. Trust me." Only her voice is heard but no sign of the source.
"Wher-" Before I could say anything, all of a sudden, I'm falling down into the darkness.
"AGHHHH!!!"
Without any signs, I fell on my back with a loud thud.
"Arghh... Where the heck am I?" I touch the ground beside me and it feels sandy. I look around, and holy mother of toaster... I'm in the Forbidden Forest!!
"Frienna! Where you at?" I raised myself up and shouted my query.
"I'm here, Master." She replied from behind me. I was shocked for a moment but I keep it cool.
"Why did you bring me here??" There's no reason to bring me to the place that gave me so much trauma!
She look at me with a mild smiling expression. "Well, didn't I tell you that I was going to show you something, Master?"
Uhmm... She was right about that. "Ahem- Right. Then, what did you wanna show me?"
She turn around; walking toward something. Possibly a weapon... wait, it's a scythe!! Well, HER!! Why is there another Frienna?! Am I dreaming or something??
"Uhmm... Frienna, why in the world there's another you over there?" I stopped my motion and asked her the question while pointing at her 'clone'.
"Oh, I forgot to mention. We are not exactly 'in' the Forbidden Forest. This place is my memory that I'm sharing with you right now." She said it with a cool expression.
"So you're saying that we are not physically 'in' this forest?"
She nodded in agreement.
"Then, where is our body right now?" I look very worried. Of course I am! Who doesn't??
"Oh, our bodies are still in the library, currently being put in a trance by my magic."
Say what??
Meanwhile back in the Illusion Forest castle, a maid enters the library, trying to deliver some cookies and tea. She look at us, who's sitting on our chair, looking up to the ceiling in silence.
She didn't do anything except deliver the goodies and leave us be. Such a good maid, but I'm sure they will talk about this with the other workers in the castle.
Back to the Forbidden Forest, Frienna asked me to stay a bit further away from herself, I mean the scythe in this memory plane. I wanted to ask her a question, then, an army in black came rushing towards the scythe and started to break the chains.
They are trying sooo hard to break the chains but it won't budge. Then, a woman with a figure of an hourglass, walks in front, passing all the soldiers. She's saying something about how they have to retrieve Frienna at all means. Hence, they all still trying to break those chains.
"Uhm, Frienna. Why didn't you chase them away like you did with Kaius- I mean Nito?" I am very confused...
"Oh, simply because Master wasn't there." This girl- but it was a good thing because if not, who knows what they will do to Frienna once they know she can conjure herself as a human.
"But why are you showing me this? No offense, but lots of people tried to retrieve you before I came... What's the connection with Belial, though?" Seriously, I don't get it.
She's looking at the soldiers and say. "They are Demon King Belial's army."
Say what now?!?!
"Yeah. He sent his army to the Forbidden Forest to retrieve me and use me against The Hero." As she finishes her sentences, the soldiers are leaving her and our mind is brought back into our respective bodies.
Fuhhh- That was a terrible experience that I won't experience again...
I look at Frienna who's drinking her tea peacefully. "Frienna. Why would Demon King Belial wanna use you against The Hero??"
"Master, you must've forgotten that I'm a
"When did this event happen?"
"Not long before you came to rescue me?" She said while drinking her tea.
Rescue? I wouldn't say rescue. More like, a recruitment. Anyways...
"Why did he choose to find you recently? He out of all people in different races should be able to find any information as fast a lightning." That is true, though.
"That, I don't know. What I know is that we have to find the other Legendary weapon that you've created, Master." She said while looking at me, determine to find the other weapons.
"Uhm... I don't think we should because I have you, Nadia, and Nito. So I think I'm good. I can't handle another interaction anymore." I am such an introvert person. I used to live in my lab and workshop, where no one has ever gone to except my ex best bud, The Hero.
"I know, but imagine how convenient it can be for you to have one more Legendary weapon in possession~" Her eyes lit with fiery passion.
It's not like I don't want to find the other weapons, it just that I don't feel the need to be using more than I have right now. Besides, what if they can turn into a human like Frienna here? I'm cooked man-
"If you're worried about their human transformations, don't be. Since I have a human soul combined in me, only I can change into a human form. After all, only one weapon of yours is here in this world aside from me and Orion." Damn it! She's right...
Let me make it clear for you, out of all the weapons that I've created, only Frienna, Orion and one more weapon are in this world. The others are all stuck between realities and time.
Oh, you don't know who Orion is? Well, Orion, or his full name, [The Axe of Constellation, Orion], is the golden battle axe that Nito is using in all of his fights. Only Orion was in The Hero's palace, since he is not so "corrupted".
"So, who is the other one?" I asked her while eating the cookies that was left here by the maid.
"Chrono." She smile devilishly.
"The Everlasting Hourglass?? What the heck?? Out of all, Chrono is the most trickiest and "corrupted" from my creations. Why is he here??" This is getting suspicious.
"I don't know. I'm guessing we have to find him in order to get the answer for that." She take a sip from her cup.
"Where can we find him?" I bet she knows where.
She smile with her black obsidian eyes are staring straight at me. "Of course, Master. He is in Mecanum, The City of Clockwork." She pour another glass of tea.
"Mecanum is all the way deep in the G'ar Land. Fine, we go look for Chrono after we visit Technossia, okay?" I drink the tea that she poured for me too.
"Yes, Master." She smiled mildly then proceed to drink her tea.
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(Nadia's POV)
We finished our delicious breakfast and headed to our destinations. Nito is surprisingly determined today. Normally, he would do anything to avoid battling with me alone on the training area. I'm guessing he's ready now~
We've arrived at the training area and standing at the opposite side of each other. He takes out his battle axe and get into his fighting stance.
"Let's do this, Miss Nadia!" He shouted at the other side of the arena. I like his determination~
"Don't come crying to Kevin if you lose, sweetie~" I flip my hair, conjuring my wings. Oh, I'm in my demoness form by the way. Can't fight him seriously if I'm in my demon-fairy form.
Nito just smile at me and without any hesitations, he speeds off towards me, making me lose him from my sight. I use my demon senses and I block his attacks from behind me.
"Not bad, you've grown quite fast, and strong too~"
"This is just the beginning~" He lift his axe and kick me in the stomach.
"Ack-" He really knows my weakness, which is...
Being hit by someone handsome~! But he is just like a little brother to me, no more than that.
"You really learned a lot from Frienna, don't you~?" I flip my hair. He really learned a lot from his training with Frienna. That girl may seem young, but her powers are nothing like her appearance. With that level of power she can even become a Ruler herself.
"I owe my gratitude to her. Now, shall we continue?" He smiled at me.
I grinned and teleported behind him, punching his back without him noticing. But to my surprise, my punch didn't even hurt him, in fact, it hurt mine. His body is covered in a beetle armour, so hard that it hurt my hand from punching it.
"What the-?" I am so shocked by this.
He turned around and swing his punches at me with each punches are heavy yet fast. I don't think this is the same person I once fought in the forest.
I, of course, counter his attacks with ease but I'm shocked that he has grown this much.
We spent a while exchanging kicks and punches together.
"You're stronger than before, but how long will you last?" I complimented him as we're exchanging blows.
"Thank you, but I'm not done yet~" He pushes my hands upwards and hit my chest with his elbow, causing me to stumble backwards.
He doesn't let me rest, instead he is swinging his punches, aiming at me and I noticed that his fist is glowing bright yellow. I need to do something before his attack lands on me... wait, where is his axe?
I don't have time to look for it, I will not let his punches land on me. With my fist glowing purple in colour, I swing it at him, causing both of our fists to meet.
With that, the whole arena shook like crazy. This is getting exciting!! Hahaha!! Gimme more!!!
"Ack-" What the- I thought I stopped him from moving when our fists collides...
My back was slashed by him using his golden axe. I look in front of me, where our fists are and I saw that I'm punching a rubble instead. What is this trick-? I...
I fall to the ground...
Nito is looking at me from behind with a curious expression. "Have I won?"
Suddenly the sky above us starting to crack open, showing a bright star on the other side. I rise from the ground and fly to the sky, leaving Nito on the ground looking at me with a nervous gaze.
I fly to the middle of the cracks with a devil smile. "We are just getting started, sweetie~"
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(Kevin's POV)
"What else do you wanna talk about?" I asked Frienna who is sipping her tea from the cup.
She put her cup down on the table and look at me. "About the gods who watches over this world."
"The gods? What about th-" Before I could finish my sentences, I heard a loud explosion coming from outside.
"What was that??" I rise from my chair.
Frienna stand up from her chair as well and walk straight towards the door. "I believe we know where that came from." She said with a mild smile.
I rushed to the arena outside of the castle with Frienna's tailing behind me but to our surprise, this whole place has turned into a world war zone.
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!
"WHY IS THERE A WAR BREAKING OUT HERE?!?!" I turn to look at one of the three maids who's hiding behind the boulder.
They are too scared to even open their mouths so I just leave them be. Because of that, I shift my gaze towards the demon and the beetle. They are not training anymore!! This is war!!!
Nito is moving like a wind, too fast for the naked eye to catch his movements. He is desperately dodging and blocking all of the attacks coming from Nadia. I can see that he is becoming stronger but this is too much for a training don't you think? And why the hell there's a hole in the sky?? Is this some kind of apocalypse of something??
I have to stop them before they destroy everything, including the castle! I look at Nadia, who's shooting something from the hole in the sky, and is that a star?? Why the hell there's a star near us?! Ughhh! They have to stop this quick!
"Frienna!" I turn around to look at Frienna for her help but she's just enjoying her tea while sitting on a bench. Not helping, Scythe!
Fine- Guess I have to do this on my own!
How am I going to enter the arena when everything is a mess right now?? Even if I use Nito's techniques, I won't be able to execute it properly. Damn it! I'm so useless in combat!!
I look at them both and touch Nadia's necklace around my neck. "STOP IT, YOU FOOLS!!" I yelled at her, the gem of the necklace is glowing brighter in purple. Then, all of a sudden, both Nadia and Nito has been turned into their weakest form; Nadia is transported into the necklace and Nito changed into his beetle form.
"You did it again, Master. I knew you could do it." Frienna said with a mild smiling expression, while walking towards me.
I look down on the necklace where Nadia is banging in it to be set free. I told her to stay in there for a few hours then she flipped her hair in response.
"Nito." I call his name and he fly to me then landed on my palm.
"You stay in that from for a few hours as well." I can see that Nito's beetle face pouted.
I don't need to worry much about the training area since it will be fixed by itself. Like I said previously, this forest is alive, including the castle.
"Let's get inside and reflect on your behaviours." I passed Nito to Frienna. She then walk beside me into the castle.
"By the way, Frienna. I think we should continue our talk when things have settled down. What do you say?" I said as we enter the castle.
"Anything for you, Master." She said with her same expression.
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In The Hero's palace, Llyris is having a mental breakdown, when the news about his whole battalion have been wiped out in the Forbidden Forest. He couldn't accept that because he told Siegfried about the Forbidden Forest and how dangerous it is.
"This is all your fault!! I've told you about the forest! I refused to let my battalion enter the forest, but you convinced me otherwise with your stupid reasons!!" Llyris raised his voice towards his advisor. He can't help it anymore.
But Siegfried showed no remorse, in fact, he said. "This must be the work of a demon. We all know that demons are unpredictable and dangerous-" Before he could finish his sentence, Llyris interfere.
"Demons have stayed silent for a while now, Siegfried. There are no signs of demon's schemes anywhere around the world. You're simply making things up to deceive me, aren't you?" Llyris have suspected something.
Without any sense of fear, Siegfried denied the statement made by Llyris. "But the Demon's Territory still exist, right?~" Siegfried is so confident making Llyris believed him.
All of a sudden, he suggest something to Llyris. "I have an idea, how about you take the power of the devil and learn the Dark Arts? It will be an easy win against the demons."
Llyris look at Siegfried in disbelief. He cannot believe that those words came from his advisor, who's supposed to be a priest from the church. Because of that, Llyris stick to his beliefs and reject Siegfried's suggestion.
"I am The Hero of this world. The one who has been blessed by the gods and spirits of this world. I can't turn my back on them and join the devil! I must stay true to myself! Just like The True Mage once was!"
Gods are Llyris's beliefs ever since he was a kid. He believes that gods grant him these powers to save the world from any danger; Belial. He is aware of the hero who was before him; The True Mage. He was the first hero of this world and the first saviour of mankind. Llyris look up to The True Mage as his idol, wanting to be like him someday.
"Even though The True Mage possessed a great amount of power and knowledge, he is still a human with a limited lifespan. He didn't use any Dark Arts to achieve victory in his life, that's why he is the true hero." He said to Siegfried.
Siegfried looks a bit disappointed and angry but he keep it cool. "Well, then, My Lord. How about you go to the Celestial Temple, upgrade your power to the next level with the help from the gods?"
Llyris calm down a bit and obey Siegfried like he always does.
----------------------
We're sitting in the living room, near the fireplace. The fire is lit up to warm us from the cold.
Nadia tapped the necklace elegantly. "Hey, human. How long do I have to be in this necklace? It has been hours since the fight happened, just set me free already~!"
I look down on her. "No can't do. You both need another couple of hours more."
Nadia flip her hair from inside the necklace.
Frienna is sitting on the floor, while resting her chin on the table and patting Nito's beetle form. She is mumbling something to Nito.
"What are you mumbling about, Frienna." I asked her with a smile.
"Oh, I was just telling Nito that the gods of this world blessed the Hero too much and made him nearly unstoppable. The question is, how are we going to defeat him, Master?" She turn to look at me.
"Oh, is this the other thing you wanted to talk about? Well, I'm not sure... But I know we will figure this out together."
Nadia is flipping her hair from inside of the necklace. "We better do. If not, then everything will be a waste, right sugar~?"
"Dumb-Dumb is right. We have to, in fact, I have a plan already!" Everyone is shocked and tries to listen carefully.
"Okay, here's how it goes. Frienna and I will go to the City of Technossia in the G'ar Land for a few days to find a technology that can get Nadia out of this place. It will be a bit of a struggle to find what we are looking for, but I will make sure to get it within the nearest time period. Then, I will go directly to the City of Clockwork, Mecanum with Frienna, regardless whether we get the item from Technossia or not. So, how's the plan so far?" I look at every single one of them.
Everyone nod at the same time, which makes me relief.
"Well then, shall we get some rest? It has been a long day today." I walk toward my room.
Frienna brings Nito to her room. "Good night, Master~"
I wave her good night.
I got into my room and dive on the bed. It really was a long day...
"Well, it has been a while since we've slept together, don't you think~?" Nadia flirted.
I cover the necklace with my pillow on my chest. "Don't think about it, Dumb-Dumb, and get some sleep. Tomorrow I'll set you free." I yawned.
"Whatever..." Nadia flip her hair inside of the necklace and go to sleep.
I just hope that everything will go well tomorrow...