Kaito materialized in his room at the B&B, the magic circle fading beneath his feet as he quickly moved to his backpack, beginning to pack his things.
"No more wasting time in this damn city," he muttered to himself as he forcefully zipped up the backpack. "Either I go back to Japan or head to New York."
With those words, he extended his hand, and a glowing magic circle appeared once again beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, Kaito vanished from the room, leaving behind only silence.
...
"I came here to warn you about Jason and the werewolves, and now I find out you've turned into a Devil!" Emily exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief, as she stared at Thalia in the living room.
"Yes, I've become a Devil," Thalia responded, a slight smile of satisfaction on her face. "I'm sorry Jason caused trouble for you because of me, but my life is my own, and I decide what I do with it."
Before Emily could respond, a magic circle glowed on the floor, and Kaito materialized in the middle of the room. His sudden appearance made Emily step back, clearly startled.
"Since when do you just barge into people's homes without knocking?" Emily shouted, trying to catch her breath as she stared at Kaito.
"I don't need to justify myself when I come to my servant's house," Kaito said coldly, glancing briefly at Thalia.
"Servant?"
Emily screamed again, her expression full of disbelief and anger. "What have you done to her?"
"She joined my Peerage of her own free will," Kaito replied, without breaking his gaze. "Thalia is my Queen now."
"That doesn't change the fact that you can't just appear here!" Emily retorted, her voice full of frustration as she pointed at Kaito.
"He could," Thalia said calmly.
Emily looked at Thalia with surprise, her anger evident in every line of her face. "You're going to take his side? Thalia, what's happening to you?"
"Yes, I will," Thalia replied firmly. "Kaito is my king now, and I am his Queen. It was my choice, Emily."
Unable to believe what she was hearing, Emily let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't believe this... Thalia, this is a mistake."
Emily turned abruptly, her footsteps echoing through the room as she walked toward the door. "I'm leaving before I do something I'll regret."
CLACK!
The door slammed shut as Emily left the house, clearly upset and disappointed with Thalia.
Kaito watched the scene in silence, showing no reaction. He walked over to the sofa and sat down, relaxing.
"I killed some guy named Jason who was looking for trouble with me," Kaito said casually, as if mentioning something trivial.
"That won't be a problem for me, but for others in the city, it will be. Jason was pretty well-known around here."
"I don't care," Kaito replied coldly. "If anyone picks a fight with me, they'll meet the same fate."
Before Thalia could respond, they heard soft knocks on the door.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"I'll see who it is," Thalia said, getting up from the sofa and walking toward the door.
She opened the door cautiously, but as soon as her eyes fell on the man on the other side, her expression changed to one of surprise.
"You... what are you doing here?"
The mysterious man, tall and with an imposing presence, smiled slightly. "I've come to help you with the plan to kill Ares."
'He knows about the plan?' Thalia thought, surprised by his sudden appearance.
Kaito, hearing the conversation, slowly stood up, his gaze fixed on the man at the door.
'Who is he?' Kaito thought, already preparing for any eventuality.
"This man... he's a god," Ddraig said, his tone full of warning.
Immediately, Thalia jumped close to Kaito, instinctively seeking protection.
Kaito, without hesitation, transformed the ring on his finger into the spiritual spear Vendetta, gripping it firmly as he positioned himself for any potential confrontation.
"Calm down," the man said, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "I come in peace."
"Who are you?" Kaito asked.
"My name is Hephaestus," the man replied calmly. "I'm the god of blacksmiths from Greek mythology."
Thalia and Kaito exchanged glances, processing the information.
'Hephaestus... a god,' Thalia thought, still surprised.
"Why do you want to help us kill Ares?" Thalia asked.
"This is a personal vendetta," Hephaestus said.
"If you won't tell us your reasons, how do you expect us to trust you?" Thalia retorted, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the god standing before them.
"I'm not here to be your friend," Hephaestus replied. "I just want to make Ares' death easier for you."
"How?" Kaito asked, remaining alert for any sign of danger.
"You can't detect divine power, but gods can sense the presence of beings like you from miles away," Hephaestus explained, stepping forward. "That puts you at a disadvantage."
A green light lit up on Thalia's gauntlet, indicating Ddraig was about to speak.
"He's right."
Hephaestus, noticing the group's attention, pulled out two bracelets and a compass from his robes. "These are the items that will help. The bracelets hide your supernatural presence, and the compass points directly to a divine presence."
Kaito watched the items closely.
"How do we know these items aren't harmful to us?" Thalia said, narrowing her eyes as she eyed the bracelets and compass in Hephaestus' hands.
A green light flickered on Thalia's gauntlet, and Ddraig's powerful voice echoed through the room. "Swear by the River Styx that these items can't harm us or be used to track us later."
Hephaestus, without hesitation, raised his right hand, a solemn expression on his face. "I, Hephaestus, god of fire and the forge, swear by the River Styx that these items are only to conceal your presence and locate divinities. They will not harm you."
CRACK-BOOM!
The sound of thunder reverberated through the house, confirming that Hephaestus had made the most sacred oath a god could make.
Kaito frowned as he heard the loud thunder. He turned to Thalia, who looked at him with a mixture of surprise and relief.
"Now we can trust him," Ddraig said, his voice still resonating in the room as the light on the gauntlet dimmed.
Hephaestus extended his hands, handing the bracelets to Thalia and the compass to Kaito. "Make good use of them. Now you can approach Ares without being detected."
"Thank you," Kaito said, taking the compass, still remaining cautious. Thalia put the bracelets on her wrists, feeling the magical energy surrounding the items.
Hephaestus nodded and took a step back. "I've done my part. Good luck with killing Ares. I'll take my leave."
Without waiting for a response, Hephaestus turned around and walked out the door, disappearing into the night without making another sound.
Thalia closed the door, her heart still racing from the unexpected visit. She looked at Kaito, who held the compass firmly.
"That was... unexpected," Thalia said, trying to process what had just happened.
"Yes, but now we have what we need," Kaito replied.
"After the fight, I plan to return to Japan. What about you?" Kaito asked, lifting his gaze to Thalia.
"I'll follow you to Japan," Thalia replied without hesitation. "There's nothing holding me here."
A green light flickered on the gauntlet.
"Thalia, as Queen, your duty is to support your King in all his battles."
Thalia nodded, understanding the seriousness of her new position. "I understand. I'm ready for this."
"Good, I didn't want to have to force my authority over her..." Kaito thought as he grabbed his phone and began searching for images of New York. He needed a specific location to teleport to.
"Do you want to say goodbye to your friends before we leave?" Kaito asked, without taking his eyes off the phone.
"No," Thalia replied with a slight sigh. "I came to this city without telling anyone, and I plan to leave the same way."
She went to the fridge, opening it while Kaito remained focused on the images of New York.
Kaito, now alone in the living room, reflected while the images of New York flashed on his phone's screen.
'You're just the first, Ares. I'm sure someone with the title of God of War had a direct hand in the extermination of the fairies.'
A few minutes later, Thalia returned to the living room with two cans of soda. "Want one?" she offered, extending a can to Kaito.
"Thanks," Kaito said, taking the can and popping it open with a hiss.
He took a sip.
Thalia quickly went upstairs, leaving Kaito in the living room while he remained focused on his phone.
'This looks like the ideal place,' Kaito thought, finally finding the exact spot where they should materialize in the city.
With a swift gesture, he closed the phone and stood up. Concentrating his energy, he made a magic circle briefly appear around him. In seconds, his backpack disappeared, teleported directly to Japan.
Thalia came down the stairs, carrying two suitcases and looking at Kaito with curiosity.
"Where's your stuff? Aren't you bringing anything?" she asked, surprised to see Kaito without any luggage.
"I don't plan to take a vacation in New York," Kaito replied with a calm smile. "I sent my things straight to Japan."
He then extended his hand, and Thalia's suitcases vanished in an instant, teleported to the same place where he had sent his own belongings.
Thalia looked at him, impressed by the ease with which he performed the spell.
"Are you ready, Thalia?" Kaito asked, checking the bracelets on his arm and Thalia's, making sure they were properly activated to conceal their supernatural presences.
"I was born ready," Thalia replied with a confident smile.
Kaito pocketed the compass, making sure everything was in order. He glanced once more at Thalia, who seemed determined and prepared for whatever lay ahead.
Then, Kaito focused his energy, and a glowing magic circle appeared beneath his feet, also enveloping Thalia. The intense light surrounded them, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished from the house.
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