“Asagao? You’re here, huh?”

“Ah…”

For some odd reason, I didn’t immediately approach Shun. Something about him is offsetting. Not the bloodied sword he is holding. It’s the weird demeanor around him like this blazing hell is like a park he is walking into.

If I remember correctly too, Shun is a magic caster type. But right now, he is a holding a sword contrary to his specialty.

And the blood dripping from the sword he is holding is giving me this terrible feeling. Not to mention, when you kill a devil they disappear without a trace.

He only stares at us even though I look badly injured.

“Hmm… I must go now. Asagao, it is better you lot leave this place immediately. It’s burning to the ground.”

“Wait! Shun…”

“…”

“What’s going on? What’s happening here? And…whose blood is that dripping from the sword you are carrying?”

“Asagao… it seems you have deeply involved yourself, no, you have already centralized this battle on you. The existence of the Order of the Sin and Nil, the evil creature people refer to as Devils and all the Arcana Magician that you can ever know. It’s only a matter of time until you know about what’s happening in this world. Of how much effort Nil has put for the sake of it.”

“Shun…! What are you talking about…? What about Nil?! You know about Nil?! Tell me, please!”

“I gotta go.”

“Wait!”

He runs off to the opposite direction from where we are…

He knows about Nil, but how and why?

As I was about to plunge in my own thoughts again, the elves pulled my sleeves as to gain my attention.

“Hey, are you okay, little girl?”

“Little girl, you are hurt right?”

“I have a name! Stop calling me little girl!”

“But you’re smaller than us. Look!”

“Look! Smaller!”

They emphasize my height and stature by standing up and sizing me down. I also stand up to check their height compared to mine.

They are taller than me, but not that tall, about the same height as Higan if I don’t include her fox ears.

““See?””

“Geez… Alright already! I am small! But contrary to my size, I am already twenty years old!”

“”EH?!””

“Anyway, we don’t have any time to dawdle here! And my name is Asagao! Don’t call me little girl anymore!”

“T-then, I am Casablanca Prasiolite…”

“I…I’m ahh… Hibiscus Prasiolite…!”

“You two are twins?!”

“”YES!””

Wait…!

Isn’t one of Astlan’s daughters were twin elves?!

“You two…”

“”Yes, Miss Asagao?””

“M-Miss?! Ahahaha…”

“”??””

“No! I mean, you two! What’s your father’s name?”

“…Why?”

“You’re asking out of nowhere, Miss Asagao…”

“P-please…answer me…”

“”Astlan…””

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Okay…

Now that has already proven my suspicion. They are Astlan’s children and Higan’s sister!

Wait! They are supposed to be my sister too, right?

But this coincidence… is it really coincidence… to meet them in this kind of place…

Now I know that I cannot leave these two alone… whatever happens.

And…

Guhehehe…Miss Asagao…they called me Miss Asagao!

But, as I said to them earlier, we cannot lollygag here any longer. It’s dangerous and devils are roaming the place. The fire is spreading and the heat’s effect is becoming visible to us as we sweat tremendously.

“You two… we should get out of here.”

“We…should have done that a bit earlier, Miss Asagao.”

“Miss Asagao is a scatterbrain?”

 These two…

Well, it’s my fault in the first place. My goal to find my friends has changed. I cannot possibly leave these two alone in this hell hole and I need to meet up with Milin and the others.

But thanks to separating from them…I was able to save Casablanca and Hibiscus.

I have to regroup with them to proceed further…

I gestured at the two to follow me and lead the way. I walk to the place I came before and retrace back my steps but… I immediately turn back as I remember that the path there is already blocked. At this point, we cannot do anything but to do a random guess on where to go.

Smokes started to drift lower and we started inhaling some. The two are coughing for a while now as the smoke mixes in the atmosphere.

At this rate, before we die by being burnt to death, we are going to suffocate first!

………

Our random walks have brought us to something…or to someone… or to people… rather, soldiers!

As Casablanca, Hibiscus and I saw a glimpse of the platoon of soldiers, our face brightens and we immediately run to them hoping they could help us.

When the soldiers noticed us, their face is in surprise and also run towards us with worried faces. All of them are wearing matching military armors and one of them is wearing an armor with a heavier design which I assume, is the captain.

The man wearing in heavier armor faces us and immediately speaks.

“Children, are you okay?! I thought we have already evacuated everyone from this area!?”

“We are fine, sir!”

“Hmm? This two elves…”

“…?”

“They are Lady Priscilla’s precious assistants!!”

“Eh..?”

What did he say?!

The soldiers on his back began murmuring and whispering at each other as the Captain confirmed that identity of Casablanca and Hibiscus.

So…the reason they are in maid uniform is because of Priscilla…

“I see then! It will be an honor to escort you girls to safety!  It will be our pleasure to risk our life you!”

“T-thanks…”

“And you are little missy? We already know about Lady Casablanca and Lady Hibiscus, may we know yours?”

“Asagao…Asagao Lionheart… l-little sister of…Ashfon Astlan Lionheart…”

All of the soldiers stop breathing for a single moment when I stated my name and my relations. It seems they are trying to process the information I relayed to them.

I think they are just exaggerating. Is it really that of a big deal?

Or maybe they don’t believe me…

We may not be real brother and sisters, but base on what mother told me, we are somehow related to each other.

………

Their brains began working again and all of them kneeled down in front of us while the captain of the platoon stabs his sword on the ground while kneeling too.

“We are honored to serve you, oh, Dear Sister of Ashfon Astlan Lionheart. We are also in service of the Lady Casablanca and Lady Hibiscus. On this moment, until we assured your safety, we shall sacrifice everything we have. This is the glory of protecting someone, we, the Dragon Kin, shall prove that looking out for one another, even to the other races, to prove our oath!”

“”””””UWOOOOOOOHHH!””””””

………

All of them let out a battle cry. They look fiercer and stronger now as they set a new motivation for their so-called oath.

It’s not bad but it’s a little…overwhelming…

Even Casablanca and Hibiscus got startled and started to huddle at my back…

But fair enough, they look reliable and we needed people who know about the place. Maybe with this, we can also go to where my friends…the other heroes are…

………

When I thought of that…

In just a single moment…

In just a grain of second…

Every strand of hair throughout my body immediately stands and my mind and body, on reflex, jump backward dragging along Casablanca and Hibiscus and landing on our backs.

What I saw in front of me… are three lines…no…!

A claw!

Passing through every soldier in front of us smoothly, like water flows down in a calm river, the claw slices at all of the soldiers in front of.

Eh…?

As the moment, which seems like an hour, ended, everyone in front of us falls down slice by slice, revealing grotesque things and figures.

………

“Miss Asagao, what happened?”

“Miss Asagao, why did you push us?”

“DON’T LOOK!”

I shouted as they tried to see what’s happening in front of us. I immediately hug their heads to cover their eyes with my body to prevent them from seeing the grotesque scene in front of us.

My body shakes in fear and but my mind is alerting me to stay sharp and focus and be wary of the man in front of us.

Even I want to vomit at the bloody sight and I want to close my eyes too but I need to focus on the enemy in front of us.

I feel sick…

I feel dizzy…

But I need to be strong…

“Oh?? You were able to dodge that! That’s good! If you got hit…it’s bad…really bad…”

“…”

And in front of me… a man…a beast kin with wolf ears and tail wearing leather armor and tunic and leathered pants that look like an easy going match, speak to us.

He has this air around him similar to Susanoo and Priscilla…but far more sinister and evil.

“Oh?? You must be Asagao! Lord Nil’s favorite! Good thing I really didn’t hit you because…it would be bad…really bad.”

“…”

“Don’t be shy. You can speak to me. What’s the problem? Is it bad…really bad?”

He walks closer to us while stepping at the remains of the soldiers he killed earlier! He didn’t even mind their blood soaking his feet.

“What’s the problem? This? This pile of dirt? Oh… I see… you don’t want them dead?”

As he stared at the bloody mess he himself made, he smirks at me. A sudden jolt run through my body as I knew that this man is someone I can’t handle.

He stared at the blood and sliced body of his victims. Suddenly, he exerted magic onto them as he touches it.

And in an instant, the Soldiers that was killed earlier, returned to life as if the whole killing scene was played reversely.

………

The revived soldiers look at each other and look at us and the wolf guy.

“What happ--!?”

SHING

!!

The wolf guy swings his claw and magic comes with it, conjuring bigger claw with his own hand as its base, killing the revived soldiers again.

“Miss Asagao…! What’s happening? Can we look now?”

“Miss Asagao…I…I’m scared…”

“Please, don’t look whatever happens!”

Tears spills from my eyes and sweat pour down all over my body at the spectacle the wolf guy showed me. It became harder for me to breathe and my eyes are only focused on him. My hands, which I use to hold down Casablanca and Hibiscus to my body, are trembling.

I can feel them tearing up at my bosom.

“Oh?? Scared? Bad…that’s really bad…”

“W-w-what the hell…did you do…? W-w-hat do you need from me..? W-w-who are you…?!”

I manage to squeeze out words.

He smiled at me and began explaining.

“You see… I am really impressed on your reaction time. Normally, no one could see that coming. I ate my own presence so you won’t be able to notice me. But you know, it dispels when I attack? Fair answer?”

“…”

“Ahhh…yes… these dirts rising up again? I also ate the event of them dying. With that, they began moving again…but you see… I killed them. Well, they will die shortly too as my ability has its limits.”

“Ah…Wha…”

“Oh?? Yes, yes. My identity, no? I am Flow, in the Order of Arcana Sins, I am the current Arcana of Gluttony.”

“A-Arcana…sins?!”

“Yes. It’s nice meeting you, ladies!”

No…!