——At the next day, Kira, Magi, and Cian were once again called to the tournament for holding.Vincent, Saeko, Sabrine, and Violet were left once more in the headquarters as they anticipated Evan and Kurumi to join them later on. The attack wouldn't possibly happen today as the Sentient Guards were still patrolling the area, however, spies could still lurk everywhere and attack discreetly to weaken their defenses.Reinforcements from Violet Hex were to be expected also soon after the discord with Bahamut. It was an awkward personal problem that Vincent and the others couldn't put their hands on.Even with the said plan in effect, Violet and Sabrine continued to work on the defenses while Vincent was arranging documents regarding the damage report beside them.[Vincent. I'll be having a private conversation with Sabrine.]“——Huh? Oh, alright.”Taking the documents with him, Vincent would leave the room and slowly closes the door, leaving but a tiny crack as he took a peek back inside.
——Under the bright white lights of the closed restaurant, Teresa confronted Mia.“We've long known. We even thought that you were also in it.”“——I was. But that's because I had no choice! He's my father!”Mia would click her tongue, annoyed and disheartened. She was indeed the daughter of her father but she was powerless to do anything about the things he does behind the scenes.Michael has tried to keep his actions under wraps from his daughter but Mia had long known way before since he decided to bring her to watch the tournament. Albeit she was robbed of her childhood by being homeschooled and locked in their house, she found a distraction by inventing.Mia's pride came from the skill she had from being a prodigy at inventing, but it was not enough for her to gather the courage to face her father and go against him.“That's why... if I can't go against him. I'll have someone else do it for me. I know everything about him, but not his connections with the organizations. He takes e
——After that massive incident, the tournament was halted due to technical issues. The barriers were damaged and needed to be repaired for days, and the culprit that had caused such destruction began to be searched high and low as the entirety of Moonblight feared the figure.Cian was investigated and briefed about his encounter with the figure. All the magic that they detected that launched off the charts was found to be from the figure that appeared as Cian's opponent in the Colosseum. After that investigation, Cian was then released as he had nothing that he knew about that figure other than being incapacitated. He couldn't tell anyone about his current state, of how his seals were gone, yet his ability remained composed inside.Walking out of the Colosseum, Magi, and Kira, Teresa had waited outside since morning. People had been urged to go home after the tournament was on hold until the barriers and the Sentient Guards were in top condition. “——What happened in there? We tho
——As Magi and the others carefully tread the way home, they felt a sudden occupancy in the area. It was just a block of an abandoned building, a convenient coincidence if they were to be ambushed here. However, with Cian is given a heads-up by Dokuji, he informed the others of the possible attack.“——Hmph. To think that you got out. The prison wasn't so kind to you, were they?”Walking out of the shade of the hanging roof on the side of the building, the figure who hid underneath it would reveal itself. “...Toru.”Magi was the one who called him out as he detected his presence. They all knew of his ability to conceal his presence, yet he chose to confront them.“I'm no exception to the system of punishment. Even an immortal like me would have a scar.”Across Toru's face, was a thread sewn obliquely. It added a type of aesthetic to his look, yet it looked tight and constantly bled and regenerated. It was a reminder of what prison was like. “Prisoners can become lab rats. I'm sure
“——I have an idea!”“What?”In a few moments, they exchanged blows with each of their opponents, Magi and Kira regrouped as they stepped back from the fight. Their opponents Toru and the Scissor Twins kept on advancing, preventing them from running away. “Where are you going?”Slowly taking each step forward, Toru would utter as he waved his blade, stretched his arms, and casually gazed at Magi. His eyes were laser-focused on him, cracking his neck as they kept on slowly advancing. “I'll use my Gravity Magic in several ways, but I'll need your help. You have to——”“I already know. Just go.”“——Why did I even ask?”Scoffing at her question, Kira would regret trying to tell him the plan. If he said he already knows, he already knew it. There was no doubt about that.“Hmm... Be on your guard, kids. You don't mess with adults like them.”Toru would see Magi move forward, ahead of Kira as if they had a plan. It was obvious after they talked to each other that even if briefly. “Hmph! S
After the Scissor Twins were left behind after Toru's demise, Magi would begin to wonder where Cian had been after he left with Teresa after she was wounded. Cian promised to come back after he had brought Teresa back to the headquarters, but he was yet to return to the already finished battle. "Where did he—" Just as Magi was to ask, a figure dashing in a flame-like form would arrive, it was Cian in his Phantom Drive. "I'm sorry, I'm late!"He apologized, bowing a bit as he slowly began to realize the results of their battle. He was able to see the defeated twin kneeling before Magi, their eyes drowned out by their own tears. While Toru was nowhere to be seen. "Did you guys—?"Cian would ask as he looked at both of them, and only Magi would nod, affirming his thoughts that Toru had been defeated. "I see."There were no words needed to relay the facts, all he needed was a simple confirmation. "Let's go. Now that the tournament is canceled, all kinds of attacks like this will ha
Magi and Cian made their way through the winding streets of the northern part of the city, their footsteps echoing on the cobblestone. It was a quiet and peaceful part of town, far removed from the chaos and violence that plagued the rest of the city.As they approached the Oracle's house, they could see the overgrown garden and the small, dilapidated building that housed the powerful seer."Are you sure this is the right place?" Cian asked, his voice laced with uncertainty. "It doesn't exactly look like the home of someone who can peer into the future.""That's because she's not like most people," Magi replied, his voice low. "Kyoumi is a powerful and mysterious figure, but she's also known to be unstable and unreliable. We have to be careful when dealing with her."Cian nodded, his expression serious. They had to be careful, but they also needed answers. They couldn't afford to be too cautious.As they approached the door, they could hear the sound of soft chanting coming from insid
—Stopped at the front door, Leonis had arrived in Moonblight, going straight to the house of the oracle. "Yes, I gave them a divination," Kyoumi said, her voice thoughtful. "But I'm afraid I can't share the details with you. Their divination must remain private, for their own safety.""I understand," Leonis said, his voice sincere. "I'm just worried about them. They're my friends, and I want to make sure they're okay. Is there anything you can tell me?"Kyoumi hesitated for a moment before finally sighing. "I can tell you that their past is shrouded in mystery," she said, her voice low. "There is something blocking me from seeing it, something beyond my understanding. It's as if their past is being hidden from view, deliberately."Leonis's brow furrowed at Kyoumi's words. "That's strange," he said, his voice thoughtful. "I've never heard of anything like that before. Do you have any idea what could be causing it?"Kyoumi shook her head. "I don't know," she said, her voiceheavy with