The man's body now dried up into an empty husk as red energy spilled out of it into Mitsuki. Ein still watched the masked person in front of her, afraid to move, not because she feared what he had done, but because of the insignia on the back of his cloak.
"If he has the divine pact on his cloak, it mean that he is under Celestior." She thought.
"Are you okay?" Mitsuki asked her, offering her a hand to stand up.
"Y-Yes, thank you for helping me," She said, slightly bowing down.
"No you are not. Your mana and spiritual energy has been depleted, all that is left if the sealed divine energy in you." He replied, placing his hand on her head.
"He noticed all that?" She wondered. She suddenly felt her energy being restored up to the full amount. She also felt the pain in her guts disappear.
"Now, do you feel better?" Mitsuki asked.
"Yes, thank you very much." She said. She looked worriedly at the kingdom behind that was still being engulfed by the white flame that covered the whole of it.
"The kingdom had entered into a deal with some demons, trading human souls with power. There was no one in there, there was no human being, that is. The only people were around 50 and they were all in the inner circle of the kingdom and they were all guilty. The only person there who is clean is a young child who seems to have a large mana capacity." Mitsuki said.
"Is she..."
"No, she is safe and she will remain unscathed. The people who saw and felt the threat in the other kingdoms are the only guilty ones, not everyone, so do not worry. Now, when you go back to your kingdom, notify your king what happened and explain to him that there are some people who have started forming contracts with demons." Mitsuki said, opening a portal.
"Once the fire subsides, take care of the child," He said as he vanished right in front of her.
Immediately he left, the fire subsided, leaving the ground flat and bare. There was not even a single trace of the kingdom that once existed there. Ein rushed there and looked around, until she saw the unconscious child. She picked the young girl and checked her pulse.
"She is alive... As he said.. Who was he? He even saw the sealed energy within me. Peria, do you have any idea?"
The elf spirit appeared.
"Next time, do not be formal with him, that is if we ever meet up again." Peria said.
"Why?"
"He disliked it, and we do not want to make him angry in any way."
"Peria, what happened to you? Why are you this shaken? You are more shaken than I am.. You are more powerful than me you know.. You are also more powerful than that person...I think... So, what did you see or sense?" Ein asked. For a brief second, she saw dread and fear in Peria's eyes.
"Just, please..." Peria said.
"She definitely saw something that I didn't. But, she is also overthinking it.. From the way he tried to soften his tone the more he spoke.. He even left a portal open for me.. He actually is some kind person.. Right? Wait... Is he a person or a minor deity.. I don't know. Anyway, I shall first report everything he said to the king." She thought as she walked towards the portal.
"I shall remain here to do additional investigation." Peria said,
"Okay, I bet you will be fine anyway, you are a Superior spirit after all."
Mitsuki reappeared back in his former location, sighing.
"I guess I am now some errand boy for them... Well, I hope what I did will make them to halt their plans.. But, something does not add up." He said, remembering what Realos had told him.
"The kingdom has a population of around two hundred people now, the rest were sacrificed. To the demons."
[76 human souls were burned]
"Hmm-" Suddenly, he stopped suddenly as an idea struck his mind. He walked towards the two sleeping girls, tapping them gently.
"Wake up, you two. It is time to continue our small trip to the village." He said.
The two woke up and looked around, their eyes still sleepy.
"Oh.. already? Has the realm been completed?"
[Time left: 4 days]
[17:59:00]
"No, not yet." He said, smiling as he opened a portal behind him.
"At least Realos gave me this in return."
[Realos' temporary blessing of portals has been used.]
[Number of portals left: 38]
"Off we go, Archius." Mitsuki said telepathically to her.
"I wish you the very best," She replied.
The three appeared in the crater, back where they were before.
"There is someone here.." Poki said.
"Yeah.. Let's get out of here." Valeria said.
Once they got to the ground level, Mitsuki removed the dragon scales he had collected.
"So.. Will these be helpful?" He asked.
"Yes, they will be very helpful. It is able to make high level equipment, more so if you go to the blessed blacksmith in the kingdom of blacksmiths." Poki said.
"We will do so after all of this is done." He said, looking at the evening sunset.
He looked up at the sky, adoring the beauty of it. The sky was now a deep amber color, making the partial clouds to glisten in the sunset. The wind blew slowly and gently, making a slight whistle like sound above the massive crater. The whistle echoed in the vast empty area, reverbing back onto their ears as several different sounds that rhymed in symphony with the wind, creating a calming sound. This helped Mitsuki's mind to jog a bit as some memories flashed in his head.
"This world.. This universe and even more than that, is in danger"
"Demons..."
"The summoned...."
"Destruction will happen, it is inevitable,"
"My name is Poki Itsuo..."
"Mitsuki!"
"Ah, what a beautiful sunset." He thought as he looked at Poki and Valeria, who smiled at him. Their smile was genuine and was full of feelings.
"I have grown to like this place, more than ever. Even though I lived quite a challenging life before, here I am," He said, removing his mask. "I was given a second chance.."
" We believe that you deserve this, Mitsuki." The two said, hugging him. With the lonely whisper from the crater still reverbing in the air, Mitsuki felt tears accumulate in his eyes, but he bravely fought it.
"We believe that you will be able to succeed through all the troubles that will arise." Valeria said.
"Trouble, huh..." He said as Aurendor's voice echoed in his mind.
"...the trouble that is to come.."
"I will do all I can to fight what is coming, and I will make sure to protect the world and beyond, all I need to do is to grow stronger." He said, bringing out his resolve.
"And we will always be there with you, no matter what will happen," Valeria said.
"We are powerful too, both our families are prestigious enough," Poki said as they continued walking at their own pace, towards the village.
*******
EURELA, THE REALM OF THOSE WHO SEEK BLOOD.
The realm was silent and bare. A mixture of dark and red clouds swirled violently above, but they were still silent. The ground seemed to have dark blood flowing all over it. Human like dark purple figures; souls of people, crawled all over the ground. Chains had sprouted from the ground, holding them down like dogs. Suddenly, seven thrones started appearing from the blood. As if to pay respect the beings who were coming, the clouds halted and the souls ran away from the thrones. The thrones moved around, forming a circular arrangement. In the circle, a spell cast circle in the shape of a pentagram lit up in a bright red color, making the realm glow a bright red. Suddenly, as if light itself was shunning away from what was to come, darkness spread all over as seven beings appeared, seated at the thrones. The blood below started glowing, rippling away from the thrones. Dark energy was spilling out of them as they all looked at each other in silence. One of them stood up. He adorned a crimson red cloak and his eyes were a dark red, although they were lighter compared to the others, to the point that his eyes seemed to be glowing. Four long bloody red horns were one of his prominent features, and the other was the amount of dark aura that was around him. The presence the person had, made the souls to cower away in fear to lose their lives a second time. Same as his eyes, his aura had the lightest shade of dark red. The other six bowed down at him, the greatest Greater demon that they had.
"Now then, shall we start?"
His voice was heavy and with each syllable he muttered, energy exploded along with it. Without uttering a word, the others nodded.
"Our plans worked out in the end. We have now confirmed that there is one summoned who is more powerful than the rest and is potentially dangerous. Using that stupid kingdom as pawn has worked out well," He said as an image of masked Mitsuki appeared.
"So? we can deal with that puny insect in the next set of plans, can't we?" One Voice asked.
The greater demon stared at the other greater demon for a while, his eyes drilling into his soul.
"That summoned that you talk of with an uncaring voice, noticed that there were some demons looking at him, yet he did nothing. He most likely knows something is off,"
"Yes, although that was my plan in the first place," A one horned greater demon said as he stood.
"Since you are the one doing the plans and carrying out this mission, I shall forgive you for standing and interrupting me while I am talking, Allon."
"My, my, I am flattered," Allon replied as a soul came running towards him with a glass of wine.
"I needed to know whether there is some other chosen summoned, and it seems that I was correct. Realos is hiding his most powerful summoned one." Allon said, twirling the contents in the glass. He sipped it and licked his lips passionately. The other greater demons looked at him with a scornful look on their faces.
"Allon, restraint yourself from your normal manners, we do not wish to see them," A three horned female greater demon said, exposing all her aura. The blood below them rippled violently as it turned into explosive waves moving away from them. The glass on his hand cracked and burst into pieces, yet Allon stood there, unfazed by his superiors.
"Let me remind you something," Allon said as another glass full of wine appeared on his hand. "You need to remember that you are in my realm, aren't you?"
The female greater demon sighed as she calmed herself down.
"Very well then, you do have a point. Now, what do you plan to do?" She asked.
"I shall first explain everything. After deceiving the kingdom, I was able to lay the foundation for the princess of the kingdom of Lugunica to be sent there. The attack on her was never meant to kill her, but to make her report the issue to her father. Through that 'betrayal' she faced with the 'vampire knights', we saw the summoned that might give us trouble, even though he proved to be quite sly.. Anyway, all that will make her father, King Azrael along with the other kings of the vampire and elf kingdom to get very cautious. This will make them to send over the summoned earlier than they wanted to Brook Village along with the three generals of the kingdoms as protection. The powerful summoned one will also be sent by Realos there, so we shall deal with everyone at the same time. The other plans will also be played out effectively to cover everything as I planned.
"I see, but what will you do to the stronger summoned?"
"Do not worry. I shall explain it to you right now.. But that summoned.. I am quite intrigued by him.." Allon said, remembering what Mitsuki had done.
"One of my servants also told me.. When he was burning up the kingdom, he sensed the demons spying at him and he locked his abilities, such that we could not see his name, level or even abilities and weapons. The cloak he wore also changed and became blurry, that they couldn't see anything on it such as the god that has chosen him. After he went through the portal, the spies used my magic to follow him onto the place he was going, but it turns out he had noticed that too beforehand and he blocked them out, sending them into a far away place. Then, things went haywire from there."
"What happened?" Another demon asked.
"That sly kid.. Used a skill that crept into the demons we sent over. The skill used the connections they have with us to attack our realms. Because of his little mana, he has only used the skill to alert him when any of us open a portal to a location that is close to him. So, he will know when we open one to the Village." The female demon said.
"That is why you are in my realm, just in case he did anything to the main realm," Allon said as he smiled, staring at his now empty glass. The pentagram crest glowed even more.
"Although I had already anticipated that,"