Elsewhere in the LeFey Forest

I place my hand on Minerva's shoulder. “Use your shadows to grab him...”

Minerva nods her head and extends her hand; her shadow extends forward and attaches itself to Naga's shadow. “Eww, I can feel it-!”

“Shhh!!”

Minerva puffs her cheeks to keep herself from speaking as she continues to latch her shadows to the Lizardman.

Once she's done, she flashes a gleaming smile letting me know that she grabbed him. I give her nod and look towards the carriage. I can barely make out a camouflaged Monspeed and Meliodas; I signal them to let them know that we’re ready to move forward. Monspeed nods his head and closes his eyes, channeling all his mana to his core; the area begins to heat up.*

The intense shift in climate cause Naga and Belinda to shed their armor. “Where did this heatwave come from?” Naga asked panting.

“This can't be natural,” Belinda responds as the two lizardmen finish removing their layers.

I close my eyes and bawl my hand into a fist; Meliodas, without hesitation fires a wind blade imbued with the heat from Monspeed's area buff towards Belinda's head. The attack lands a clean hit, decapitating Belinda in the process. Naga slowly turns his head to look at Belinda's headless body. Mortified, Naga screeches and tries to run away, but finds himself stuck in place.

“What the hell is going on?!” Naga screams in a panic.

I slowly emerge out of the bushes, keeping myself camouflaged, “Do you know what it is that you're hunting? Like, what an Asura truly is?”

The children begin to giggle and rustle in the bushes, causing Naga to become more disoriented. The aura around keeps fluctuating, it was clear that he had no clue how to get out of this situation.

“The boss said they were valuable,” the lizardman cries. “That's all! Please, I just don't want to die!!”

I stepped out into the moonlight, as I did, my tiny scales began to shimmer, and I was fully visible, eying my prey like a hawk.

“Half Demon, half Dragon hybrids. That is what you were told to collect...”

“One of the three Godkin* races... Shit,” Naga jaw drops and continues to tremble in fear.

(*Godkins are a species of primordial monsters; there are a total of five known Godkin races: Asuras, Dragons, Demons, Fairy, and Celestial.)

I honestly have no sympathy for this person. The fact that he was more than willing to risk his life to kidnap us, not knowing what an Asura really is... Pathetic...

My expression grew cold, my tone of voice deepened as if I inhaled a balloon full of sulfur hexafluoride, “That's right... And not just any Godkin, the most unhinged Godkin...”

I looked this creature in the eye as each of my siblings peaks from over my shoulders, and every one of them, include Baby Bo exuded the most menacing aura I’ve ever experienced.

Naga claps his hands together and starts to pray, “Our Dear Mother of Monster, restless as she slumbers- Oh please, I don't want to die-!”

Minerva lifts her hand and as clenches her fist, Naga's neck snaps, killing him instantly. Minerva sticks her tongue out in disgust from using her shadows to kill.

MyrMyr, I don't like using my shadows like that... The feeling grosses me out! Minerva says telepathically.

I pat her head and check out surroundings.

The spell really does act as an extension of the self. I'll keep that in mind... But in the meantime, we need to find Mother and Jade.

I look towards the sky and let out a tired groan.

“What's the matter?” Monspeed inquired.

“We killed them without extracting any information...”

“So, what does that mean?” Meliodas chimes in.

“Need I remind you that our mother and Jade were captured? We need find them soon...”

Minerva and Monspeed nod their heads as I place Boudica back in her swaddle, tying her to my back.

I kneel and examine the dirt; I held the dirt in my hands and cleared my mind, pondering the Lizardmen's motives for targeting us.

This feels like a test...

But who from who? Minerva inquires.

I continued to look around the forest, admiring the calm atmosphere brought about by nightfall. Once again, I closed my eyes and listens to the mana.

Suddenly, I begin to hear the mana whisper in my head.

You hear that Mini?

Hear what? She asked.

The surrounding mana becomes denser, and I can start to feel the mana caress my skin. The rune markings that normally appear while I’m is in my Stasis State begin to glow.

Woah! Minerva thinks.

“Woah!” Both Meliodas and Monspeed yell out.

While concentrating on the flow of mana in the forest, I’m able to make out some frame of reference on what to do next.

“I have an idea... Follow me...”

I point to the southeast region of the forest; the ambient mana continues to speak to me and guided us to the Lizardmen's base.

In the Passageway

Twyla and Jade continue to follow Iniko through the passageway.

“How much longer do we have to go?” Jade asked trying to catch her breath.

“It's just a few more yards ahead,” Iniko states. “There is a small cave that leads to the outermost edge of the forest and practically to the gates of Avalon...”

“Iniko, would you like to hear about my children?” Twyla asked while smiling.

“Definitely! What are they like?” Iniko responds, lighting up with joy.

“I have five beautiful Asura children, just like you!” She starts. “There's my baby Boudica, she's the youngest, such a cute precious ball of joy. Meliodas is the second youngest, very mature and intelligent for his age. Then we have the twins, Monspeed and Minerva, they like night and day! Minerva has a spunk about, and Speed is like a lovable teddy bear! Lastly, is my eldest son, Myrlin, my heart. He's the sweetest, and bravest child I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. They take after their father for sure; each of them is special in their own little way!”

Jade smiles at the love Twyla expresses for her children. “Who is their father,” the boy inquires.

Twyla and Jade exchange a worried expression, “he is a legendary hero that fought against the evil-”

“He's just a humble mage, that's all,” Twyla interrupts.

Iniko looks ahead and points toward some light peeking through the dark hallway..

“Look there, it's the exit,” he exclaims.

The trio celebrates their journey while continuing forward towards the light from the cave entrance. They make it to the entrance and are greeted by a gentle breeze; the air is still and quiet. Jade and Twyla take note of the shift in the environment's atmosphere.

“Jade,” Twyla pauses and checks her surroundings.

“Right, M'Lady,” Jade responds. “Niko, get behind me... It's not safe...”

Iniko hides behind Jade as she and Twyla take their battle stances. In the distance, Jade can hear footsteps slowly approaching, “Looks like we have a visitor...”

The footsteps grow louder as the person approaches.

Iniko holds onto Jade's leg while Twyla pulls an extra fan from her stocking holster. The three wait in anticipation as the footsteps creep closer and closer.

Iniko's right ear starts to twitch; he tugs on Jade's skirt to grab her attention; she crouches down to listen to the child.

“I can hear more footsteps coming from the north,” he whispers.

Jade's eyes widen in a panic, “M'Lady! We have big trouble! There's more coming this way-,” she said whispered frantically.

The single set of footsteps cease for a moment, catching Twyla's attention. Suddenly the footsteps continue at an alarming rate, as if they were running.

To the north of the trio, the group of footsteps also picks up towards their location.

Confused, Twyla and Jade both look forward as the mysterious assailant reveals himself to be Rango. The Lizardman leader emerges from the foliage holding a saber in his right hand and a whip in his left.

“Well, ain't this poetic,” Rango said, “my little guard dog went out of his way to fetch me my missing property...”

“What are you talking about-”

Iniko's eyes light up and knife forms in his right hand, and stabs Jade's thigh.

Jade comes to and realizes Iniko was under some sort of mind control; she lets out a blood-curdling scream as she tries to apply pressure to her wound.

This psychopath has a brainwashing ability, and what’s worse, he’s making a child do his dirty work... Can’t get any lower...

Iniko comes to his senses and realizes he just injured Jade; in tears, he takes the knife and throws it to the side.

“Don't worry, Niko, I'm tougher than I look,” Jade flashes Iniko a bright smile, reassuring him that she will be fine.

Rango takes advantage of the situation and uses his whip to lasso around Twyla's neck, yanking her closer to him.

“M’Lady-” Jade yells out.

I rush out of the foliage to witness, who I’m assuming to be the leader of the Lizardmen piercing Mother in her stomach. Rango’s laughter sounded like nails on a chalkboard as he kicked Mother off his blade.

The two of us make eye contact as the rest of my siblings catch up to me.

Mini, take everyone and tend to Jade and Mother... 

But MyrMyr-

NOW! Minerva looked over at me, but all emotions I had in that moment seemed to have vanished, and all I could feel was anguish. In that moment, the world went black, as if I were asleep.

Minerva nods her head and directs her attention to Jade, who is relieved to see that we were still alive.

“This night just keeps getting better and better,” Rango cackles.

Calmly, I stand directly in front of my mother’s attacker, my eyes begin to burn and glow a brilliant gold and the ambient mana around me continues to grow heavier; Rango hesitates and takes a step back.

What's with this kid? He has the same presence as that...- Rango thinks to himself; his eyes widen as he begins to succumb to despair.

“You're familiar with The Mother of Monsters, right, The Great Dragoness?”

Rango gulps and clutches his weapons.

“Yes, I shall serve as her hand of judgment...”

Rango drops to his knees and begins to vomit; he was in complete awe at the sight of the brilliant yet terrifying aura emanating from me.

End of Chapter Nine