“You knew his future?” Jahala asked, his voice quivering ever so slightly. Freeing himself from his opponents, he and his dragon flew down near us.
“Indeed, Jahala,” answered Shesif. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? The goal of Puerta Research Center is to predict the future, is it not? It’s the task of the researchers to see the future of our kingdom and this world. Your parents were really quite skilled.”
“I see… My parents told you the results of their predictions.”
“They warned me numerous times that it’d be dangerous…that something horrifying would occur. I disregarded their concerns. When Salim—I mean Samael—had visited me, your parents immediately realized that Salim had become a demon.”
“…So you killed them.”
“I didn’t directly sully my hands, but it might as well have been me. A filthy person such as I is unfit to take the throne. But unfortunately, I’ve no intention of relinquishing the crown. And as such…I shall kill anyone who goes against me. I must fulfill my goal.”
The large jewels that adorned Shesif’s crown and attire started to give off an ominous glow. It was as though these stones had a mind of their own. They floated in the air and surrounded the king as a form of defense. Splashes of vivid colors flashed across the sky—I saw red, blue, purple, white, and a myriad of others. I covered my eyes for a moment, blinded by the brilliance, and when I opened them once more, Shesif’s stones had transformed into large, bejeweled birds.
With their sharp beak and talons that could easily tear a human to shreds, the birds flew around Shesif like guard dogs. Their glimmering, translucent bodies contained a dark, thorny pattern. The black thorns which ran across their beautiful bodies pulsated like veins and gave off a sinister air.
Samael pointed his finger at Mr. Julius and me. “Now, let’s begin. A frail human’s body will have difficulty facing you lot, especially Chloe and Julius. All right, then how about this?” Samael said as though he was singing.
My mother also used to talk in a singsong voice, but this was completely different. Samael sounded like a warbling bird that indicated an ill omen.
“Show me how you despair. Allow me to dye this white desert red with your blood. Satisfy me with a tumultuous banquet of your blood, screams, and resentment,” Samael said, spreading his arms out.
Screams suddenly filled the air. I gazed around and saw numerous black holes in the sky, gaping wide open. Several long, black arms emerged from these holes. Their deformed fingers latched onto anyone, friend or foe, restraining the Dragon Knights as the fingers coiled around them.
“…Mr. Julius, let’s go!” I shouted.
“Yeah… I won’t hold back. Is that okay?” he replied.
“Yes, of course!”
The Dragon Knights, ensnared in the grasp of these misshapen fingers, started to turn black and grotesquely inflate. The dragons that these knights were riding did the same, and the rider and his mount seemed to fuse together in a horrifying shape.
A magical beast that lost its will as a human and as a dragon. The sight greatly resembled the Man-eating flower hybrid that we’d fought in the desert. The monstrosity in front of my eyes had the wings and torso of a dragon, but at the end of its long neck was an expressionless human face.
“Wonderful. Even these arrogant, beautiful dragons could become so hideously ugly when mixed with humans. Now, kill and consume!” Samael ordered with a laugh.
The human-dragon hybrid magical beast attacked the other Dragon Knights, who managed to evade the dark arms’ grasp. With Lambda at the front, the two forces clashed against each other. A magical beast flew towards us while one of Shesif’s jeweled birds swooped in from the front.
“Chloe… I’ll defeat my brother. I must!” Ruto yelled.
“Brother… It’s only right I’m the one to put an end to you!” Prince Faisal roared.
The two headed towards the large jewel birds. The birds swiftly attacked us, trying to rip through our skin.
“Pierce, fiery blade! Flaming sword dance!” Jahala chanted.
A circular blade of fire swung towards the oncoming birds. But the flame merely grazed the birds before vanishing. Prince Faisal wielded his spear expertly, but his blade and magic were repelled by the birds’ tough bodies, proving to be ineffective.
“Chloe, between those birds and my spear, which is tougher?” Mr. Julius asked.
“Your spear, but please keep in mind how expensive that is!” I shouted.
These birds were created using Shesif’s magic, meaning that should the king run out of energy, these animals would vanish. He seemed to have quite a bit of magical energy within him, but he wasn’t physically strong. My experience of kicking him as hard as I could told me that Shesif was rather weak. And…these magical beasts are made from dragons and humans. I want to prevent Mr. Julius from harming both these species as much as possible.
I took a deep breath and shouted at the top of my lungs. “Ruto, I understand how you feel, but please leave Samael to Mr. Julius and me! Prince Faisal, please aim for the king while we go for the demon!”
Jahala immediately nodded at my words and headed towards Ruto.
“Ruto, emotions and hatred will only hinder you in this fight,” Jahala said. “We must create a path for them. Please lend me your aid.”
“I…understand,” Ruto relented.
“Then let us work together! Magical resonance!”
“Sturdy iron prison, use my blood as your fuel and capture all our foolish enemies! Blood cage!”
It seemed like Jahala’s magic was pouring into Ruto. She raised her hand in the air, and an enormous, glowing, white magical circle appeared from above. The circle expelled a sludge of fresh blood as it extended across the sky like a spiderweb. The thin webs of blood captured the jeweled birds and magical beasts as they transformed into a solid cell of iron. It looked like a birdcage. The birds, unable to flap their wings in a confined space, fell to the desert below, cage and all.
Is Ruto all right? For her to use such a powerful spell on a grand scale would surely affect her body. Worst case… But now wasn’t the time to turn back. Helios flew between the strands of blood and headed towards Samael. Ares, with Faisal on his back, aimed for Shesif.
To Be Continued In Volume 3.