The prickling heat of the sun enclosed the surroundings of the two modestly dressed people walking in this beautifully scented area of the manor. The walking figures were a man and a woman. The man wore decent clothing considered to be modest in this time, and the woman was also wearing a clothing that deserved such a fine woman like him. 

The black haired man seated down the bench of this neatly arranged array of flowers. The golden haired woman also seated with him, and sniffed the electrocuting scent of the flowers around them. 

The black haired man had a plain build. A build that was usually agile, and with a height that was considered to be of average. The woman who seated down with him was a woman with a fine scent around her. Her graceful movements upon seating made it clear that she was that of a high ranked woman, and not of a peasant one. 

The woman had a compact breast that scaled well with her stature, and her enlivening smile radiated across the surroundings as she seated herself down. 

"Madam Dianne..."

The black haired man was moving awkwardly. He was that astounded of the woman's fluid movements, and since the woman was smiling to him. He was pressed to unconsciously call her name. Of which, made the woman who was finely dressed. Turn to his awkward assumption.

"What is it? Leone? " 

Even her voice was deserving of that of a noble woman, and her mirthful smile radiated as she spoke the name of the man seating beside her. Her mellow tune made him slightly quiver before assuming a calm facade. 

"I just wanted to know why we're here..." 

Leone swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he assumed a pose deserving of that of a commander. He thought to himself that If he would be embarassed here, Then he was not deserving of the commander position.

Dianne who heard Leone's response turned her neck below. There was a lingering feeling of electricity running through her as she heard Leone's deep voice. She didn't understood what she was feeling right now as a line of red marks appeared on her puffy cheeks, and her stature slowly becoming nervous.

"That's because..."

Leone who heard her paused reply, Turned to her and noticed the visible red marks around her puffy cheeks. 

"Madam Dianne! Are you sick?! " Leone frantically moved his body and turned around Madam Dianne after having seen the red marks around her cheeks. He unconsciously moved his hands like a panicked man, and posed nonchalant words.

"No... It's not like that... I don-" 

A thump shook the beautiful scenery around the two and interrupted Dianne's speech midway. 

"What is that?!" Leone immediately stood up and shook his head side by side. Checking the surroundings.

"What's happening? Leone?" Dianne also stood up and moved closer to Leone who was now unsheathing his rapier. 

Around the walled city of Drasilia. There were places abundant of trees. It was very unreasonable for a desert to have huge trees like these around the two, But thanks to various magic tools and magic techniques. It was made possible. That was the true power of magic. To be able to change the topography of a certain area in a certain radius. 

Because of that reasoning. Leone's alert level raised up to the roof. He was more aware and alert since the thieves this time was cunning. To be able to enter a protected area around the walled city. They were skillful enough to alert even the Battalion Commander Leone. 

"Come out! You fiends!" Leone protected Dianne with his left hand while assuming a middle stance with his right hand. 

"!" Leone's tensed nerves made him turn around and glance at the bush that made a rustling sound.

"Come out already!" As Leone shouted. A white flash out light emanating from the nearby bushes made him temporarily close his eyes. 

The bushes rustled more and more. The rustling became intense until...

An excruciating pain forced Leone's consciousness in white, and the last thing that he remembered was a sand figure closing unto him before he fell unconscious. The last thought he had was the hope that Madam Dianne was saved. 

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The piercing light of the sun stimulated the relaxed nerves of Viktor who was sleeping soundly. As Viktor woke up, He noticed that he was not in the middle of the deserted lands anymore. He was now inside an unfamiliar place. Viktor stood up and opened the nearest window beside his bed. 

"!" 

What astounded him was the spectacle outside. Myriads of busy people's voices rang across the pressed streets. The tall skyscrapers filled the blue sky before him. But what shocked him more was the place where he was. 

Judging from the view. He noticed that he was not inside a regular house on the road. He was on top of a mound. He didn't knew what mound it was, But the enigmatic atmosphere was enough to raise his alert levels towards the sky.

"Shit!" 

Viktor turned back and immediately rushed towards the door, and opened it. He immediately ran across the hallway that was empty. 

"Stop!" 

Viktor's body shook as he heard the voice that resonated behind him. He slowly turned back and found the person he least expected. It was Leila. His childhood friend.

"L-Leila!" 

Viktor was almost teary as he approached Leila on a slow walking pace. He immediately hugged Leila when she reached Viktor's arm reach. Even Leila herself couldn't stop her tears. 

"Viktor..." 

"Leila..." 

The two exchanged glances and cried until they were tired. After the two's reconciliation. Viktor broke the silence by asking a particular question to Leila.

"Leila..."

Leila's teary eyes opened and she wiped her tears on her cheeks and replied in the same manner.

"Viktor..." 

Leila was now smiling. The once saddened face was now replaced with a mirthful one. Perhaps she was relieved that Viktor was alive or That she was able to meet her childhood friend again. Only Leila knows why.

"How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was collapsing from tiredness, and that was in the middle of the desert..." 

Viktor's dumbfounded face made it obvious that he really didn't knew how he got here and that he was not joking. So, Leila replied with a smile and said.

"You were dragged here by a cute child. Though I don't know how he managed to bring you here with just his arm strength alone, But I'm very thankful to him because he saved you..." 

"A child?" 

Viktor unconsciously said as images flashed across his memory, and made him realize the reality of It all. 

"Yes... What's the matter? " Leila said as If she didn't knew what caused Viktor's face to be distorted.

"Nothing... Anyway... Where Is he?!" Viktor shook Leila's thin figure. Viktor realized what he had done and immediately apologized to Leila.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"S-Sorry! " 

"It's okay Viktor... Anyway, He's here. " Leila replied with a smile and glanced at the door that was on their side. Viktor immediately removed his hands from Leila's shoulder and opened the door that Leila pointed.

What was inside was a figure of a small child of which was aged ten to eleven according to his body structure. The child was now wearing a white linen of cloth and was covered by a green blanket, and was sleeping soundly on the wooden bed. 

As If they're entranced by the cuteness of the child. Viktor and Leila shook themselves and made their own minds resurface to reality. 

The two then approached the sleeping child and observed him carefully. 

"As expected... Due to the intense physical fatigue. He's still in a coma..." 

Leila broke the silence with a saddened tune. As Leila spoke the current premise of the child. Viktor fixated his gaze towards the sleeping child, while his mind wandered.

{What was that feeling? This feeling of being drawn... Like a magnet to a metal... I can't explain it...] 

"Viktor?" 

"Viktor!" 

What shook his pensive mind was Leila's alarming shout. Viktor unconsciously shrugged his body and said.

"What is it?" 

"The child!" 

Viktor responded with a gaze to the child. He was moving... Ever slightly... But It signified that he was alive. The child's eyelids slowly opened after a few blink of an eyes and welcomed the reality with a dumbfounded voice.

"Where Am I?" The child's cute voice sent an astounding shock towards the two teenagers observing him.

"Who are you people?"

The child shook his side by side and found the two people closely observing him, and then asked a small question.

"You know kid? You're the one we saved here, You should be grateful once and for all... " Viktor replied with a pressing mixed with a monotone voice. He turned his pokerface towards the child and fixated his gaze to him.

[Strange...] Viktor found it strange that the feeling of being drawn in was now dissipated. As if it didn't even existed.

"Hmm... So you people saved me? I'm eternally grateful. " The child said and bowed his head, and Leila who was listening had her face more and more distorted in amazement. She was amazed that a child like him responded with proper decorum. A decorum only deserved for nobles.

"Woahh... Are you even a child? How well mannered..." Leila unconsciously led out a small remark about the child's sudden reply, and then turned her head towards Viktor who was also shocked by the child's strange attitude. An attitude that a child like him shouldn't have. 

A feeling of nobility. That's what the child exuded. 

"So you people wouldn't tell me your names? Or I should name myself first before you tell me your names? " 

The child again spoke and the two were again entranced to his noble attitude. 

"Ahh... Fine... My name is Arslan Darfield. " 

The astounded two heard the child's name and unconsciously blurted out.

"Are you a noble's child?" 

"No..." Their question was immediately flattened by a monotone reply. They were thankful that he was not a member of nobility If he was. Then they would've been beheaded by now. Being accused of kidnapping was something that they wouldn't like. Thus, If he was a member of a noble family. They could only kiss their lives goodbye.

"I- I see..." The two almost sighed at the same time which revealed that they had the same thoughts. After the two smiled to each other Viktor broke the protruding silence and revealed his name.

"By the way... My name is Viktor. " Viktor said and bowed. Trying to imitate the child's noble attitude. 

"And I'm Leila... You can call me sister too!" Leila also revealed her name, but didn't bowed like Viktor. She immediately approached Arslan after the painstakingly long staring, and asked.

"Are you hungry? Or are you thirsty?! Which is it?!" Leila frantically asked while scanning the child's body for any injuries. 

But the child didn't reply and turned a flat gaze towards Viktor.

"I'm not hungry nor thirsty, By the way...  " Arslan sighed and shrugged off Leila who was blocking his view and said.

"Are you two perhaps... Slaves?" 

The two who listened intently widened their eyes with shock. But just as they were about to say something about what the Arslan had said. A small rumbling noise interrupted them and made the two laugh.

"Hahaha... Now you're hungry... Let's eat, Let's eat!" Viktor laughed and turned his back from the two and at the same time waved his hands, and signaled for them two also come.

"Okay okay..." 

"It looks like I can't hide it now..." 

The two replied with their respective remarks and followed Viktor towards the hallway.

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The sand formation in this area was quite strange. The sand formed countless pillars like it was concrete, and made a huge dome. The dome which was housed by desert mouses and Fly bugs. Was now housed by a strange creature.

The creature was relatively short. That If it was standing. It would be at the same height as a normal person. The only strange thing that it had was the nauseating killing intent that it released.

"Fumuu..." The strange creature which had a skin color like the sands said with a raspy voice.

"It looks like the time is now..." The strange creature stood up and pointed towards the empty area which was relatively huge. The area where it pointed was an area shaped like a boxing ring. With strange talismans squaring the area. The strange creature raised its hands and howled.

"Arise!" 

With this command. The sand formed itself into countless sand soldiers. The sand soldiers wielded battle spears of which was embued with magic. Some were filled with lightning magic and some were filled with fire magic. Due to the hue at the tip of their spears. It was fairly noticeable that their spears were not the norm. They were magic spears.

"To all my summoned subjects! " The intense voice of the strange creature made the summoned sand soldiers salute. 

"Instill fear towards the humans! The humans who caused us to be like this! Attack them! Let none of them live!" 

"This is the command of the highest emperor of the sands. Azir!" With its announcement. The sand soldiers sounded their spears by hitting it towards the sand floor. The sound that was made was intense enough that the huge sand dome was filled with only these noises.

"Fumuu..." 

"Humans... " 

"Prepare yourselves!" 

The strange creature concluded its speech and glanced at the image that was displayed by a strange magic tool. It was a walled city. The city of Drasilia.

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END DARK AVENGER: CHANGING WORLD

END CHAPTER 3: Awakened Emperor.