Demon Sword Master of the Holy Sword Academy - Volume 5 - Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

DEMON SWORD RAMPAGE

Leonis swiftly donned swim trunks in a changing room adjacent to the pool. He’d summoned the pair of black shorts from the Realm of Shadows. These were the ones Riselia had bought when she was teaching Leonis how to swim on the Hyperion.

There were already many spectators watching the water gun match underway in the pool. Young boys, albeit older than Leonis, freely jumped along the floating boards like stepping-stones as they squirted one another. They were all very athletic; probably Excalibur Academy students.

As Leonis observed the heated contest, a strange thought crossed his mind.

There was such a big catastrophe, but they’re so peaceful.

He didn’t just mean the recent chaos with Veira. Just two months ago, Arakael Degradios had led a Void Stampede, and damage from the attack was still obvious. Yet the people of the Seventh Assault Garden still managed to indulge in fun.

Maybe it’s just humanity’s stubborn sense of pride at work.

Most of their habitable land had been taken by the Voids, and they were facing extinction. Still, they refused to yield to despair, adapting to form a superior culture and technology where they could distract themselves with this kind of entertainment.

Perhaps that was humankind’s obstinance; its pride.

I suppose that’s one thing that hasn’t changed in the last thousand years.

They may have been the weakest species, incapable of breathing fire or soaring through the sky, but they had the resolve and determination to survive even in the face of ruination. And it’s because the Dark Lords’ Armies underestimated those qualities that they ultimately lost to humans.

Leonis sank deep into thought while leaning against a transplanted palm tree.

“Kept you waiting, huh, Leo?”

Veira finally appeared, clad in a swimsuit.

“…!”

Leonis couldn’t help but swallow hard. Veira had rented a black bikini. Her crimson hair wavered in the breeze like flickering flames. Her bust was moderately sized, the curvature of her stomach was elegant and attractive, and her white legs were long and shapely.

Those nearby snuck glances at the Dragon Lord’s perfect form.

“What? Entranced by the sight of me?” Veira asked, a roguish smile on her lips.

Leonis looked away and muttered over his shoulder, “Hmph, you’re a fool to think I ever would.”

“Oh. Cheeky, aren’t you?” Veira said, catching Leonis’s neck under her arm.

“Wh-what are you doing?!” Leonis croaked, feeling her breasts press softly against him. “Ugh, nnng, s-stop… Can’t…breathe…”

“Oh? Is the Undead King gasping for breath?” Veira snickered viciously. “A human body is so inconvenient.”

“…Damn…you…!”

Leonis thrashed fruitlessly, his immature strength too meager to shake her off. But then…

“Stop bullying him!”

Leonis looked up in surprise.

“…Miss Selia?”

Curiously, Riselia and Regina had appeared, clad in their own bikinis. Riselia had a modest white one, while Regina wore a mint-green suit with a stylish design.

“I won’t let you bully Leo any longer!” Riselia declared, glaring at Veira.

The crimson-haired girl released Leonis and met Riselia’s gaze unflinchingly.

“Oh, you’re concerned for him?” Veira asked with a smirk. “Aren’t you a cute little minion.”

Riselia seemed to wince for a moment at the other girl’s confident attitude.

Now that he was free, Leonis inquired, “What are you doing here, Miss Selia?”

“I thought she kidnapped you, Leo,” Riselia explained, frowning. “I couldn’t even get in touch with you.”

“Sorry about that…”

Everything had happened so suddenly that Leonis had left his communication terminal in his room.

Veira scoffed. “So, what, you came here to take Leo back? Well, I’m sorry, but at the moment—”

“I—I challenge you to a match!” Riselia cried, pointing fixedly at Veira.

“Wha?!” Leonis exclaimed in shock.

Veira narrowed her eyes at Riselia for one long moment. “You’re demanding a battle with me?”

“That’s right. If I win, you have to let Leo go.”

“…Hmm,” Veira eyed Riselia as though she were prey.

A normal human would have passed out from the sheer intimidating pressure of a dragon’s glare, but Riselia stood resolute.

“Go, go, Lady Selia!” Regina whispered her encouragement while hiding behind her mistress’s back.

“I like your pluck, girl. You’re amusing. I’ll take you up on that challenge,” Veira said confidently, her hands resting on her waist in an indomitable pose. “Come at me, all three of you at once.”

“…What? But that’s…,” Leonis attempted to protest.

This was a match between Dark Lords. If Leonis relied on numbers to best Veira, it would besmirch his reputation.

“It’s a handicap for me. After all, I have an overwhelming advantage,” Veira boasted.

“Nng…,” Leonis groaned.

The Dragon Lord’s bluster was not without merit, however. Leonis had a ten-year-old’s body, and he was a bad swimmer, at that.

“Or what, is your minion going to drag you down?”

“…What did you just say?” Leonis was aware Veira was provoking him, but he felt angry all the same. As Riselia’s master, Leonis couldn’t let this insult to his favored minion stand. “…You will rue ever speaking those words, Veira,” he swore quietly.

“Then it’s decided,” Veira stated, casting a fearless smile at her fellow Dark Lord. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun. I’ll have you begging for mercy, Leo.”

Riselia swiftly completed registering their participation in the next match and returned to the poolside. Once those playing finished their turn, they would be able to use the pool for their battle.

“I’m sorry you got caught up in this,” Leonis apologized.

Riselia shook her head. “Don’t be. I’m the one who challenged her. Besides, how were you going to beat her when you can’t swim?”

“That was a bit rash of me,” he admitted. “But sometimes you can’t back down.”

Leonis had his Dark Lord’s honor to consider, especially because his eternal nemesis was involved. Running had never been an option.

“Boys will be boys,” Riselia stated, smiling for some reason as she patted Leonis on the head. “Don’t worry, Leo. I’ll protect you.”

“And I’ll be your sniper, kid,” Regina added, striking a pose with her rented water gun.

“I’ll be counting on you, Miss Regina,” Leonis said.

“I know you’re used to rifles, but isn’t it your first time using a pistol?” Riselia questioned.

“Yeah, it’s pretty different from the Drag Striker,” Regina commented.

A water gun’s effective range was a paltry five meters. One wouldn’t be able to shoot down the opponent unless they were in close range. Of course, a mere squirt wouldn’t defeat the mighty Dragon Lord, but Veira had promised she’d abide by the rules of the match and keep her power suppressed.

Although overbearing and tyrannical, Veira was no coward or cheat. Leonis trusted her fully in that sense.

“Do you know how to use a water gun, kid?” Regina asked him.

“No, it’s my first time wielding a weapon like this,” Leonis replied.

“Well, let this reliable big sister impart her wisdom upon you!”

As the group’s resident sharpshooter, Regina guided Leonis on the use of a water gun. Leonis had read in books that firearms only came to be sixty-four years ago, when humanity first acquired the power of Holy Swords. Essentially, normal guns and water guns had been modeled after ranged Holy Swords.

Such a baffling story.

Holy Swords in the form of firearms had somehow been granted to humankind before the concept of such armaments ever existed. If a Holy Sword was the manifestation of a human’s soul, why had some taken forms alien to their owners?

What were Holy Swords, really? Leonis would eventually need to resolve that mystery.

“These things make for some pretty wobbly footing.”

Leonis and the others stood on the floating boards distributed unevenly around the pool. They had to knock the other team off their footing, but they weren’t allowed to directly touch anyone. A contestant could only topple another using their water gun. Knocking an enemy into the water earned them a point. There were apparently a few other scoring rules, but the Artificial Elemental flying above took care of that automatically.

“Try shifting your weight; it’ll help you keep your balance. See?” Riselia instructed.

While Leonis wobbled unsteadily, Riselia demonstrated her athletic skills.

“Hey, could you look this way, Leo?”

“What’s wrong?” Leonis asked. When he turned to look…

Om.  

…Riselia lightly nibbled on his earlobe.

“Miss Selia?!”

“I’m replenishing my mana,” Riselia explained with a mischievous grin. “This is an important battle, so I have to take this seriously.”

“…Y-you can’t do that in public!” Leonis scolded, holding on to his flushed earlobe.

Am I imagining things, or has she been getting more and more aggressive with her biting lately?

“Are we ready to go, Lady Selia?” Regina asked.

“Yes…” Riselia nodded, glaring at Veira, who was occupying one of the opposite side’s floating boards. “Let’s go with the eighteenth platoon’s usual formation…”

“Right.”

“Understood.”

As was their usual arrangement, Riselia assumed the vanguard. If this was a practice bout, they would’ve also had Sakuya’s frontal assault power and Elfiné’s data analysis.

A long electric beeping filled the air, marking the start of the fight.

Bwoosh!

Riselia kicked against the board she was standing on, jumping away.

Bwoosh, bwoosh, bwoosh, bwoosh…!

The rhythmical splashing sound of her agile hops echoed across the pool. Using her powerful Vampire Queen strength, she swiftly closed the distance with Veira.

“So it’s a melee you want. Well, you’re brave, I’ll grant you that much,” Veira said, wearing a ferocious grin.

The Dragon Lord took a deep, long breath. The water around her trembled. Ripples spread across the pool’s surface. Students watching from the sidelines started whispering nervously to each other.

Veira’s going to try for the brute force approach…

They were up against the tyrannical Dragon Lord. She was never the type to strategize or pull tricks. What spurred her on was the pride of a dragon, the greatest life-form the world has ever known.

Riselia hopped over to the board Veira was occupying.

“How valiant. Leo doesn’t deserve a minion like you,” Veira remarked, casually holding up her water gun. Out flew a jet of water, but it greatly missed its mark.

“Looks like you’re not used to using a water gun!” Riselia observed.

“It makes for a good handicap,” Veira answered, unconcerned.

Riselia fired back at close range. Veira evaded it by hopping to another board, however, her crimson hair trailing through the air behind her.

“I’m going to have to politely ask you to fall into the water—Drag Howl!”

Regina fired her water gun in rapid succession. Being a trained markswoman, one of her shots struck Veira’s leg.

“…Whoa. You’re good!” the Dragon Lord exclaimed.

Frustrated, Regina grumbled, “It didn’t finish her off…”

Her attack had found purchase, but Veira remained standing.

“Now it’s my turn!” Veira announced, raising her leg up and then stomping down. The action created a large wave, which surged forward and washed over Regina’s board, capsizing it.

“Huh, wai… Aaah!”

Letting out an adorable yelp, Regina plummeted into the pool. The birdlike Artificial Elemental flying overhead signaled that a point had just been scored.

“…How dare you do that to Regina!” Riselia shot several times in retaliation.

“Ha-ha-ha, where are you aiming?” the Dragon Lord taunted as she gracefully hopped from one floating platform to the next.

“Don’t forget about me!” Leonis exclaimed as he moved around Veira.

“Huh?!”

The boy provided covering fire (water?) to support Riselia. However, his blasts were out of the gun’s effective range and splashed ineffectually against Veira’s swimsuit.

“You’re in for it now, Leo!” Veira shouted spitefully, launching a counterattack.

Leonis quickly jumped away to avoid her barrage.

“Over here!” Riselia boldly plunged forward, shooting rapidly.

Veira’s eyes glinted gold and she leaped back. The board sank in the wake of her landing, and a pillar of water splashed up, swallowing Riselia’s blasts.

“…N-no way!”

“This is how a dragon fights.”

As the column of water washed over Riselia, knocking her off balance, Veira tore through it. She thrust the muzzle of her water gun at Riselia’s stomach and pulled the trigger, sending the argent-haired girl into the pool, the spray of water splattering against her body.

“Go on, back to the surface with you. I’m not done toying with you yet,” Veira said, looking down at Riselia with her hands on her waist.

“…!”

Riselia kicked off against the bottom of the pool and hopped onto the nearest board.

“You’re being careless, Veira!” Leonis shouted, firing at her legs.

As she evaded, the Dragon Lord replied, “That’s not enough to strike me!”

Leonis sneered. “Yes, and that’s fine.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m the one you should be worried about! Hyaaaaah!” Regina had resurfaced and fired, unleashing a shot at a specific point on Veira’s body.

Leonis’s attack was only meant to lure his opponent into position.

“You think firing upon me from that distance would—Huh?”

At first Veira smiled with confidence, but then her eyes widened in shock. The strings of her top came undone and fluttered down to her feet.

“…Wait… Huuuh?!” Veira hurriedly covered her breasts, her face flushed.

Regina’s shot had struck the knot holding up Veira’s top and successfully undid it. “All right!” she cheered.

“Y-you fool… Ugh!” Veira huffed, her cheeks red with embarrassment. Her crimson, burning hair stood up on end. Suddenly, a gust blew through the pool, flipping the nearby boards.

“…Whoa… Veira, wait…!” Leonis lost his footing and sank unceremoniously into the water. “Gah… Bwfha, bah…!” The boy thrashed helplessly. Water clogged his throat, obstructing his breathing.

“Leo!”

Immediately, Riselia dove into the pool. She wrapped her arms around Leonis’s drowning body and led him back to the surface.

“Leo, are you okay?!”

“Pfha…! I’m fine… Though I did swallow a little water…,” Leonis responded, still coughing.

“…Thank goodness,” Riselia said, clearly relieved. “Don’t push yourself, okay?”

“Hey, that’s against the rules!” Regina protested.

“My apologies… But what you did wasn’t fair either!” Veira snapped back at her, still red. “…Fine. You don’t have to count that one. Let’s restart the match…”

No sooner did Veira offer a hand to help Riselia out of the water than a scream echoed from the pool’s entrance.

“—ound you… I finally found you, Riseliaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

What’s this all about?

Leonis looked in the direction of the shout and spotted a figure approaching. It was a blond young man in an Excalibur Academy uniform. His features were usually quite handsome, but now they were contorted with hatred.

I remember him from somewhere. Isn’t he…?

“Muselle Rhodes…?” Riselia whispered his name after regarding him in silent shock for a moment.

Right, that was it.

The man who was foolish enough to challenge Leonis to a duel the day he’d entered Excalibur Academy.

“Obey my voice and will, slaves! Dominion!” Muselle bellowed, swinging his baton overhead.

The next moment, the surrounding people went stiff…and then turned to look at Leonis and the others with wooden, mechanical motions.

“…What’s going on?” Leonis asked.

“That’s his Holy Sword. It can control people…,” Riselia replied with a frown.

Leonis did recall Muselle commanding a few girls with that baton.

“But I thought he lost his Holy Sword after you beat him…,” Regina said.

Visibly disturbed, Riselia replied, “Yes. What’s more, his Holy Sword could only ever dominate people who consented to being controlled by him in the first place.”

“Hmm, I don’t really understand what’s happening here, but… This one must have quite the backbone to interrupt a match between you and me, Leo,” stated an amused Veira. She slowly lifted her finger, aiming in Muselle’s direction.

Leonis hurriedly stopped her. “—Wait, Veira.”

“What? I’m just sweeping away this piece of trash.”

“I told you not to do anything that’ll make you stand out,” Leonis reminded, chanting a levitation spell and landing on top of one of the boards. “You’re in my kingdom. Abide by my rules.”

The tyrannical Dragon Lord could easily blow these controlled people to smithereens. However, Riselia would be saddened and furious if Leonis let that happen.

Veira cocked an eyebrow in displeasure for a moment, but acquiesced. “Fine. Let’s do this your way.” She shrugged and placed her hands on her waist.

“Ah-ha-ha, Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha, they made a laughingstock of me, kill them, kill, kiiiiill!” Muselle cackled as he swung Dominion down. The vacant-eyed horde lunged at the group in response.

“What is this, Lady Selia?! Some kind of grudge?!” Regina shouted.

“…It looks like he’s out of his mind!” Riselia kicked a group of men who had jumped at her, knocking them down into the water with a splash.

“There’s more of them coming!” Regina warned her.

“Leo, we can’t hurt them; they’re civilians…!” Riselia said.

Grimacing, Leonis answered. “I know. Mesta Mord!”

Black hands sprung out of Leonis’s shadow, pulling those charging him down into the pool. This resulted in multiple large splashes that shook the boards.

It’s a good thing we’re in a pool; it lets us dispatch them safely. But…

Leonis cast a suspicious glance at the man swinging his baton near the entrance. The fact that he was using civilians for this was a touch troublesome, but such weak opponents posed no threat to Leonis, or even Riselia by herself.

But then…

“Hi-hi-hi, ah-ha-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Kill, kill, that woman, and the brat, kill themmmm!”

“…What?”

Crack… Crack… Crack…

Dominion was beginning to elongate and grow, like the branches of a tree maturing rapidly. It looked like its tip would reach the ceiling before long.

“His Holy Sword is evolving…?” Leonis whispered in disbelief.

“—No, that’s not evolution. It’s going out of control and rampaging.”

Leonis looked up at this new voice. There he saw a glowing sphere far overhead. It was Elfiné’s Holy Sword, the Eye of the Witch.

“…Miss Finé?! Why are you—?” Riselia exclaimed.

“We can talk later,” Regina told her. “First, we have to stop him.”

“R-right. Holy Sword—Activate!” With those words, Riselia manifested the Bloody Sword in her hands. Regina summoned her Drag Striker.

“Ooh… Ooooh…!”

“Ugh, aaagh…!”

“Aaaah…”

The people that had been knocked down into the water resurfaced and clung to the floating boards.

“Leo, you handle the people he’s taken control of!” Riselia told him. “I’ll go take care of Muselle!”

“Understood.”

Riselia swiftly leaped forward from the platform she was on. Using her large mana reserves to boost her physical strength was a Vampire Queen ability. Her silvery hair shone with a mana glow, leaving a brilliant trail in her wake.

“I’ll cover for you, Lady Selia!”

As people mindlessly threw themselves at Riselia, Regina accurately shot them down. Her shots were greatly suppressed, yet being struck by them surely still hurt. Those who were hit were knocked unconscious and fell into the pool. Leonis deployed shadow hands to drag them out of the water.

Riselia streaked across the pool like a crimson flash.

“Riseliaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” Muselle Rhodes bellowed in delight. He swung his Holy Sword, which now resembled a gigantic tree. Riselia didn’t falter, however.

“Haaaaaaaah!”

She made a shallow cut into her own arm as she sprinted forward. The flowing blood turned into crimson blades that severed the branches of Muselle’s weapon as it bore down upon her.

“…Your fault! It’s all your fault I, I, aaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Muselle howled, swinging his overgrown baton.

“Muselle, calm down! Just hear me out…!” Riselia pleaded desperately, but it was to no avail.

“Ah-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha, no one can stop me! I’ve been chosen! I’m the goddess’s chosen one!”

“…Goddess?”

For one brief moment, that word distracted Riselia… And in that split second, Muselle tried to crush her beneath his Dominion. His attempt failed, however.

“Farga!”

Booom!

Leonis loosed a spell that blasted the Holy Sword to splinters.

“Leo…!”

“Selia, he’s completely deranged right now. Don’t waste your breath trying to convince him!”

“…! Right!” Riselia nodded resolutely, holding the Bloody Sword aloft. The weapon shone like a crimson flower in bloom, and Riselia’s argent hair lit up faintly with mana.

“Hi-hi-hi, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Muselle Rhodes cackled. In the blink of an eye, his Holy Sword regenerated, now enveloped with a thick miasma.

Creak, creak, creak, creak…!

The massive branches tangled together, producing a disturbing sound reminiscent of gnashing teeth. The tree limbs enveloped Muselle’s entire body, growing at an explosive rate.

“…Ah, what…is that… That’s almost like…a Void!” exclaimed Elfiné.

“Riseliaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

The tree limbs turned to sharp spears that thrust forward, aiming to gouge at Riselia. Still, she didn’t back down—kicking off the ground, she met the attack.

“Raging blood, frolic and cut—Bloody Storm!”

Riselia’s ice-blue eyes turned to brilliant, shining crimson. The bloody blades rotated and slashed like a tornado, cleaving through Muselle’s Holy Sword. By releasing the mana in her legs, Riselia rapidly propelled herself forward and closed in on her opponent.

“Haaaah!”

The tip of her sword penetrated the entangled branches.

“Aah, blood, the blood, it, aaaaah… It hurts, hurts, it hurts, huuuuurts!”

Muselle screamed and thrashed, having been cut across the shoulder. Riselia resumed her stance and then slashed through the branches, clearing them away.

“Muselle Rhodes. Surrender yourself peaceful—”

“Youuuuuuuuuuuu, how dare you, my Holy Swoooooord…!”

“…!”

Muselle threw himself at Riselia in his rage, perhaps hoping to throttle her with his bare hands.

Bang!

Riselia landed a powerful high kick to his head.

“Ah… Ggh… Ah… Nng…”

Muselle fell into the pool with a splash, and his eyes rolled back in their sockets. Not a moment later, his rampaging Holy Sword burst into particles of light and vanished into thin air. After confirming Muselle was no longer a threat, Riselia turned around.

“Miss Finé, can you contact the academy’s hospital ward?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m already on it,” came Elfiné’s voice from the orb above.

“…What happened to him?” wondered Riselia as she eyed Muselle’s body.

“…A Demon Sword,” Elfiné whispered, as if to answer the other girl’s question.

Riselia furrowed her brow with confusion. “Huh?”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pool, the two Dark Lords oversaw her battle.

“Hmm, your minion’s pretty good, Leo,” Veira commented, seemingly impressed.

Leonis nodded proudly. “Hmph. Of course she is.”

“It seems Veira the Dragon Lord was consumed by the Voids and destroyed.”

“Then that simply means she wasn’t a suitable vessel for the goddess.”

The laughter of an old, wrinkled man filled the cathedral. The flames of the candles set along the walls wavered oddly, casting shadows on a round table made of black crystal.

It was a room in the Otherworldly Castle, which existed in the interstice between worlds.

“Truthfully, that humans unearthed Veira Greater Dragon at all was unexpected.” A young man with white hair and fair features, dressed in priestly garb, was sitting opposite the old man. He shook his head with a frown. “Had she awakened in a complete form, she may have served as a worthy vessel.”

“It truly was an irregular situation, to say the least, Lord Nefakess,” the old man agreed. His bald head was oddly elongated. This was Zemein Vairel. One thousand years ago, he had served as an undead sorcerer in the service of the Undead King. “Based on the goddess’s prediction, there are five more Dark Lords to revive,” Zemein said. “We must seek them out and awaken them ourselves, before humanity does.”

Nefakess nodded. “Indeed. But we still don’t know where more than half of them are. On top of that, the Lord of the Seas is at the bottom of a great trench, and the Lord of Rage was consumed by the Swordmaster of the Six Heroes.”

“Which means we must revive my master, who slumbers in Necrozoa,” Zemein concluded, a dark croaking laughter rising from his throat. “The fallen hero who became the greatest of Dark Lords—Leonis Death Magnus.”

“The Undead King. Yes, he should make for a perfect vessel. He was one of the few who could match my own master, Azra-Ael, in his deep affection for the goddess. However…” Nefakess placed one of his elegant fingers over his lips. “We will need a considerable number of Demon Swords to successfully rouse the Undead King.”

The sacrifice required for awakening a Dark Lord was a collection of Demon Swords, transformed Holy Swords. Gathering them was quite difficult. The plan for gathering Demon Swords using the Hyperion had failed, and on top of that, they’d wasted a great number of them reviving the Holy Woman of the Six Heroes.

“I may have something that can help with that.” Zemein shook the hems of his robe. A moment later, a black shadow shaped like a fairy appeared in his hand.

“What is it?” Nefakess asked.

“An Artificial Elemental I’ve created.”

The fairy spun and danced on top of Zemein’s palm.

“Artificial Elemental… The highly advanced magical technology granted to humankind by the goddess, yes?” Nefakess questioned.

“Indeed. This one, Seraphim, has had a fragment of the goddess successfully implanted within it. By using the Astral Garden, it momentarily makes contacts with a Holy Swordsman and connects them with the goddess’s voice and future sight.”

“I see. And that causes a Holy Sword to invert.” Nefakess nodded, as if satisfied with the explanation.

“That’s not all. I’ve already hatched a plan to produce a great number of Demon Swords,” Zemein said. “A human city that’s rife with Holy Swords to invert has docked near Necrozoa, where Lord Leonis slumbers, I believe.”

“The Seventh Assault Garden. What do you plan to do?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see my scheme play out, Lord Nefakess,” Zemein replied with a vicious smile. “I will not stumble into the same rut you have with the Holy Woman and the Dragon Lord.”

“I’m beside myself with expectation, Sir Zemein,” Nefakess stated with a composed grin. Then he snapped his fingers. “Setsura, come here.”

“As you wish.”

A petite shadow stepped out of the darkness. It was a girl, clad in white Sakura Orchid garb and an ivory mask over her face. She had long, brilliant blue hair that extended down to her waist.

“Sir Zemein intends to visit Necrozoa. Escort him,” instructed Nefakess.

“…By your will.”

“I have no need of an escort,” Zemein protested with a shrug.

“No, one can never be too careful,” Nefakess shot back with a sneer, a dark light shining in his eyes.