The rain had finally ceased leaving behind a breathtaking rainbow. Clouds that were gathered to cover the sun before shone radiantly basked in the heavenly rays of the eternal ball.
The dew weighed down the leaves of the autumn tree as it slowly collected and fell down. Heaps of damp air amassed around the foot of a mountain as it seemed the mist had gathered to censor something.
A black-skinned creature was seen coming down on the courtyard of a great mansion, gracefully landing on the soft grass trampling it.
It's fur swayed in the direction of the wind giving a divine but terrifying look.
"Tell me what happened here truthfully or I will not spare any of you."
Its red ember eyes glowed with even more vigor as it's facial muscles tensed.
The soldiers shuddered under the weight of the words as some buried their heads down while some joined their hands into a prayer. Even the noble lady was not spared moreover, the pressure seemed to increase.
"Y-Yes, those vile fiends have robbed the state and have betrayed it!"
The noble lady of the mansion trembled as she fell down on her legs.
"It seems that you might be true..."
Hearing those words the corners of the lady's mouth was turned into a mischievous smile as she clenched her fists.
'Hehe! now I will be saved and the witnesses will die. What a luck of mine!'
She quietly grinned under her mouth as she stood up, swaying her hair.
"Great lady of the south, we have tried to execute these criminals but they tricked the executioner and killed him!"
Meria flinched uncontrollably as the mighty creature glanced at her direction.
She felt true fear at that moment as her breath became shaky as her fists curled into a ball. The young girl silently cursed under her breath as she hurried to look away. Great feelings of uneasiness washed over her as she knew that she could die at any moment.
"Ah, how much are you going to lie?"
The creature looked towards the sky as sunlight hit her eyelids.
"Eh? I-I don't get what are you saying-"
"Don't make me say it again!"
Another butler beside the young lady burst open like a balloon spreading blood mist everywhere.
The pressure exerted by the creature increased ten-folds causing soldiers to grovel and vomit. Some weaker ones were slowly dying. Everyone looked at the noble lady hoping to get saved by their master.
But was she strong enough?
No. Even a fool could discern the difference between those two. If the beast wanted to, it could kill everyone in a heartbeat while not even batting an eye.
Their survival remained in their master's word.
She gritted her teeth and bit her lip causing blood to come out.
"I was feeding life force to Imus and training him. It was my decision alone so please do not punish my soldiers!"
She surprisingly knelt down and bowed to the creature, praying that they leave unscathed.
The draconic beast lingered for a moment and sighed deeply, muttering something inaudible.
"By the 6th law of Inviriosamines's command, this vassal of the lord hereby declares the Captain Giro of the second division of Black Dragon Company and the soldiers to be executed for committing a grave sin of feeding life force by slaughter."
As the mighty lady of the south said it, huge red pillars formed in the sky from nothing. The towering pillars loomed over every soldier present in the mansion as they tried to scramble away.
Then,
the sound of something crashing down could be heard, producing a large sonic boom capable of rupturing anyone's eardrum within the vicinity.
Many small craters formed under the impact, destroying the once beautiful and grand mansion into nothing but rubble.
Blood painted the ground crimson red as the hundreds of men and women vanished in a moment.
The young girl covered her ears and braced for the impact but nothing happened. A spherical barrier was around her shielding her, no sound could penetrate the dome as heavy panting could only be heard.
'What happened?!'
The young girl glanced outward but saw nothing but the destroyed building and spots of red.
She was searching for some one but saw nothing.
'No, No, No!'
But her prayers were answered as across the pavilion a image of a boy could be seen staring into oblivion, his hair covering his eyes.
'Thank goodness!!"
She sighed with relief as her breathing became stable.
#
The one with no name stood there doing nothing as if he was in a trance.
His mind was busy trying to save his sanity while the external memories of Maya was trying to plunge him into the deep water of oblivion.
The battle was raging on for what seemed like an eternity.
He was on the brink of devastation but his mind saved him somehow and yet again the memories surged. This cycle continued on and on and was going to do so.
The nameless boy was in no state to focus on anything else even when the woman soldier turned into a bloody puddle before his eyes.
He didn't even notice the beast and felt her arrival as every one seemed to do so.
But does it really matter?
His mind was playing a tug of war with the necklace betting his sanity. His consciousness started to falter when the necklace was winning and came back when it was losing.
The time perceived by him was slowed down. Very much so. He didn't even wanted to check.
It felt like an eternity.
He had started to believe that his existence was hurting him and considered giving up but again gathered courage when the memories of Maya and the prisoners flashed in his mind.
It was like the necklace was mocking him.
Like taking a fish out of the water and only giving a taste of it when on the brink of death.
It was very tantalizing.
But he still didn't give up. He stubbornly resisted again and again.
He didn't understand that the amulet protected him but was torturing him. Perhaps, it was a defensive mechanism created by the mother to not let anyone outside of her daughter to use it.
But the interesting thing was the most pleasant memory of Maya was with the prisoners. They had been together for a very short period of time but she felt extremely happy.
It was the only the good memory accumulated in her grief-stricken and devoid life.