Arima's friends were giving Arima and Rounin the space that they needed so they could talk everything out and solve the tangled misunderstandings.
But that was never the case for Arima. Ever since he saw Taio's last moment sign; when they were getting seperated, that memory itself replayed over and over in his mind to the point that he was shaking in silence, knowing damn well what that sign supposed to mean.
It was 'lie'.
What was a lie?! Rounin's loyalty? his identity? Or something else that he couldn't figure out by himself.
Arima was going through an inner controversy, trying to find an answer before his internal storm leaks out and destroys his external plans.
He knew if he used his 'eye of judgement' power, Rounin would notice and turn that peaceful silence into a hellish tumult.
The 'eye of judgement' was one of the seven magical powers that dormant within him. By using that power, he could inquire into people's past.
But this power still had it's limits.
To inquire deeply into someone's past he had to use more mana and the amount of mana required for such action completely depended on what kind of information he wanted to extract.
On the other hand, activating his 'eye of judgement' on Rounin was a big gamble with everyone around.
If he was to find out the secret Rounin was hiding all along, his sister and friends may be dragged into an unrequired fight scene.
Arima turned around and called their names. “Asuka, Toma and Rokoro!”
“Yes?” they immaditually responded nervousely since they were already aware that he's going to send them off.
“You guys go home. I want to talk with Rounin in private.”
Rokoro, the older member in the team that always had this considerate older brother complex, frankly showed his concern right after. “But what about Taio?”
“We'll get to that problem later, let's solve the one that we have in hand right now first.”
They had no valid excuse to disagree so they left with no objection because in the end of the day, Rounin was Arima's closest friend.
When they were finally alone, the night's darkness and the silence between the two of them was bringing asphyxia in Arima's chest.
He didn't know where to begin the heavy conversation that would start with a sentence like: “Why did you betray me Rounin?”
Arima's straightforward question nailed Rounin down but that didn't stop him from answering Arima in a saucy way.
“Didn't you do the same thing?!”
“the same thing? like what?!”
“To Genji Taio.” As soon as Rounin mentioned Taio's name, Arima flinched a little bit, even though he didn't want to have any reactions with words, his body betrayed him and made him react to Rounin's unpredictable respond but Rounin didn't stop there, with a satisfied expression he countinued, “You knew he's special, you saw the abnormal amount of mana that lied within him, yet you brought him out to haunt monsters? More like you wanted him to be haunted by outcasts.”
“How do you know about this?!”
Arima thought to himself that no matter how much of a coward Rounin was at that moment, that guy was showing concern and the harsh words couldn't hide it anymore.
“You wanted to use Taio as a decoy for your own intentions.”
“...”
“Why aren't you saying anything?!”
Arima knew something wasn't right. For someone that's been taken as a hostage for more than a week Rounin was more updated on the matters than he should've so something crossed his mind.
The sign that Taio showed to me with his fingers earlier..i get it now!
He took a deep breathe and opened his mouth; mixed with hesitation because he had to make sure of it before making assumptions but he didn't have enough time to waste either so he had to shoot his shot.
“You're not even Rounin, Are you?!”
“...”
Rounin didn't flinch neither reacted the way Arima did earlier, he rather stayed calm and collected as if he wasn't a human with feelings anymore. His eyes were lifeless with no emotions inside and his posture was one filled with confidence.
It was in that moment that Arima knew for a fact that guy wasn't the Rounin he used to know.
“So i was right...or rather, Taio was right.”
“Yet you didn't trust him and didn't use the 'eye of judgement' on me.”
“Where is Rounin, you bastard?!”
“Oh yeah...i just got rid of him.”
Arima gritted his teeth and activated the eye of judgement to extract information from the person that introduced himself as Rounin but as soon as the light blue colored magic was collected in his hand, it got broken by a strong external disturbance.
Rounin was the one that broke out Arima's magic on himself, he smirked and proudly admitted it. “It's not gonna be easy, not even for someone like you Arima Arata.”
Arima changed his posture and dragged out a beautiful perpulish sword out of thin air with manifesting one of his seven powers and pointed it to Rounin.
“And i won''t let you off the hook that easily either.”
The sword Arima was grabbing wasn't just an ordinary magical sword. It could automatically change it's shape, size and even the features based on the opponent's fighting style.
“Do you know what this is?!” Arima asked Rounin recklessly.
“I know, i heard rumours about it and how it adapts it's effectiveness against any kind of enemy you're facing.”
Arima's magical sword was one of his strongest weapons. When he arrived at the death station to save Taio's life back then, he pulled out the very same sword that time as well but the sword's shape and countenance looked different from what he was using against Rounin because it had purple rose and thorns on it's handle and a poisonous aura all around it's blade that made it the best fit against those dark magical plants that grew by themselves.
This sword had a brain on it's own that could fit itself in different situations just by sensing the type of magical user the opponent was.
For Rounin's case, the shape of the sword turned into a kind that Arima had never seen before. The blade was a curved chainsaw type and the handle was unstable and the sword was keep changing it's countenance every few seconds.
“What's happening!?” Arima couldn't handle keeping the unstable form the sword was showing so he sent it off.
“Hahaha, that was to be expected.”
“Just what kind of creature are you?!”
“I'm also a human just like you.”
Arima was standing still and waiting for Rounin to be the starter of the attack and Rounin was aware of that fact.
“You know why people rather choose the white pieces in chess?!”
After asking that question, Rounin pushed his right hand in front of his body and in the span of a second, attacked Arima with the twisted shape laser effected magic that could shatter everything into pieces even with the slightest physical contact with the targetted subject.
Arima couldn't dodge the attack in time and got hit by the unfamiliar magic style that guy was using.
The air was filled with dust from the severity of the attack's impact.
Rounin countinued the sentence that he just had left half-way before attacking Arima.
“Because white pieces are the ones that move first. It's a big advantage you see.”
***
An individual was getting closer and closer to where Arima was and that person was none other than Taio. He was following the magical thread and noticed the fact that Arima and the guy that was using Rounin's appearance with a displayed name as 'Iwata Ray' parted their ways from Asuka, Toma and Rokoro in the map.
“What's happening?! Why is Arima with that person? Have any ideas, your majesty?!”
[...]
What is this?! Is he in a miff again?!
[To answer this question you need to unlock level: 5 or more]
This has been a little bit of a nuisance from earlier.
I guess it's Delord's way of telling me to upgrade my powers...
“But how?!”
[You can fill an application on this matter. Do you agree?]
It was in that moment that Arima knew for a fact that guy wasn't the Rounin he used to know.
“So i was right...or rather, Taio was right.”
“Yet you didn't trust him and didn't use the 'eye of judgement' on me.”
“Where is Rounin, you bastard?!”
“Oh yeah...i just got rid of him.”
Arima gritted his teeth and activated the eye of judgement to extract information from the person that introduced himself as Rounin but as soon as the light blue colored magic was collected in his hand, it got broken by a strong external disturbance.
Rounin was the one that broke out Arima's magic on himself, he smirked and proudly admitted it. “It's not gonna be easy, not even for someone like you Arima Arata.”
Arima changed his posture and dragged out a beautiful perpulish sword out of thin air with manifesting one of his seven powers and pointed it to Rounin.
“And i won''t let you off the hook that easily either.”
The sword Arima was grabbing wasn't just an ordinary magical sword. It could automatically change it's shape, size and even the features based on the opponent's fighting style.
“Do you know what this is?!” Arima asked Rounin recklessly.
“I know, i heard rumours about it and how it adapts it's effectiveness against any kind of enemy you're facing.”
Arima's magical sword was one of his strongest weapons. When he arrived at the death station to save Taio's life back then, he pulled out the very same sword that time as well but the sword's shape and countenance looked different from what he was using against Rounin because it had purple rose and thorns on it's handle and a poisonous aura all around it's blade that made it the best fit against those dark magical plants that grew by themselves.
This sword had a brain on it's own that could fit itself in different situations just by sensing the type of magical user the opponent was.
For Rounin's case, the shape of the sword turned into a kind that Arima had never seen before. The blade was a curved chainsaw type and the handle was unstable and the sword was keep changing it's countenance every few seconds.
“What's happening!?” Arima couldn't handle keeping the unstable form the sword was showing so he sent it off.
“Hahaha, that was to be expected.”
“Just what kind of creature are you?!”
“I'm also a human just like you.”
Arima was standing still and waiting for Rounin to be the starter of the attack and Rounin was aware of that fact.
“You know why people rather choose the white pieces in chess?!”
After asking that question, Rounin pushed his right hand in front of his body and in the span of a second, attacked Arima with the twisted shape laser effected magic that could shatter everything into pieces even with the slightest physical contact with the targetted subject.
Arima couldn't dodge the attack in time and got hit by the unfamiliar magic style that guy was using.
The air was filled with dust from the severity of the attack's impact.
Rounin countinued the sentence that he just had left half-way before attacking Arima.
“Because white pieces are the ones that move first. It's a big advantage you see.”
***
An individual was getting closer and closer to where Arima was and that person was none other than Taio. He was following the magical thread and noticed the fact that Arima and the guy that was using Rounin's appearance with a displayed name as 'Iwata Ray' parted their ways from Asuka, Toma and Rokoro in the map.
“What's happening?! Why is Arima with that person? Have any ideas, your majesty?!”
[...]
What is this?! Is he in a miff again?!
[To answer this question you need to unlock level: 5 or more]
This has been a little bit of a nuisance from earlier.
I guess it's Delord's way of telling me to upgrade my powers...
“But how?!”
[You can fill an application on this matter. Do you agree?]
What application?! This is so ridicilous...
But regardless of the stupidity i have no other choices.
“Okay, i agree.”
After agreeing to what the system asked, a big manitor appeared in front of me with a long paragraph that i wasn't sure if i even had the time to read it all or not.
“This is so long, can you make it short?!”
[Currently shortenning the application...]
Then another one appeared that had less words compared to the one before.
But regardless of the stupidity i have no other choices.
“Okay, i agree.”
After agreeing to what the system asked, a big manitor appeared in front of me with a long paragraph that i wasn't sure if i even had the time to read it all or not.
“This is so long, can you make it short?!”
[Currently shortenning the application...]
Then another one appeared that had less words compared to the one before.
The application was a contract deal with details and a header with a note that confused me the most.
[Rules of the contract deal]
What the hell is a contract deal?! I didn't agree to sign a contract with you!!!
[YOU JUST DID.]
Oh, is Delord back?! Nevermind that's not important right now...
“W-when?! I did not.”
[WANT ME TO SHOW YOU?]
“Yes, why not? Prove it with evidence.”
Then i suddenly felt that my body was a lot lighter than before so i realised i was dragged back in time and it was to a few minutes ago where i said 'Okay, i agree' before even knowing what the application was going to be about.
Yeah...I screw myself up.
I came back to the present moment and put my hand on my face, covering it with shame and regret.
“But- but that doesn't count.”
[...]
Okay fiiiine! Let me read the application first then be upset about it.
As soon as i laid my eyes on the first words of the application i was frustrated to death.
“Hell no. What do you mean i have to defeat five monsters a day starting from now on?!”
[THAT'S THE FIRST RULE TO GET YOURSELF UPGRADED.]
“But i have no time to waste here. Close the application, we'll discuss this later because i have to go to Arima and the others for now.”
[IT'S TOO LATE TO GO BACK NOW.]
Huh?! What do you mean?!
[The amount of monsters approaching you: 03.]
Hey!!!
“Stop it right there.”
[Monsters arriving in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.]
When those five seconds passed, three giant monsters that looked so terrifying appeared in front of me and at that moment i was wondering that what if Delord's intention was to kill me all along.
[Rules of the contract deal]
What the hell is a contract deal?! I didn't agree to sign a contract with you!!!
[YOU JUST DID.]
Oh, is Delord back?! Nevermind that's not important right now...
“W-when?! I did not.”
[WANT ME TO SHOW YOU?]
“Yes, why not? Prove it with evidence.”
Then i suddenly felt that my body was a lot lighter than before so i realised i was dragged back in time and it was to a few minutes ago where i said 'Okay, i agree' before even knowing what the application was going to be about.
Yeah...I screw myself up.
I came back to the present moment and put my hand on my face, covering it with shame and regret.
“But- but that doesn't count.”
[...]
Okay fiiiine! Let me read the application first then be upset about it.
As soon as i laid my eyes on the first words of the application i was frustrated to death.
“Hell no. What do you mean i have to defeat five monsters a day starting from now on?!”
[THAT'S THE FIRST RULE TO GET YOURSELF UPGRADED.]
“But i have no time to waste here. Close the application, we'll discuss this later because i have to go to Arima and the others for now.”
[IT'S TOO LATE TO GO BACK NOW.]
Huh?! What do you mean?!
[The amount of monsters approaching you: 03.]
Hey!!!
“Stop it right there.”
[Monsters arriving in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.]
When those five seconds passed, three giant monsters that looked so terrifying appeared in front of me and at that moment i was wondering that what if Delord's intention was to kill me all along.
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