69th chapter : eye of the storm .

As it was a time for only the two of them, neither Carla nor Marco thought about it as a date, looking at how they were surrounded by two couples at the same time. In the end, they thought it wasn’t enough fun and decided to go for a walk somewhere in the outskirts of the island.

“Crossing the borders of the city was easy but what are we going to do now?”.

Marco said as he was holding Carla in his arms after leaping up from the tops of the buildings to avoid being seen, since their destination was somewhere that the council banned from the accessible areas on the island’s map, it looked clearly as a base to the current councilors who came to work though.

After leaping outside the walls, Marco put Carla down as the two were looking at the road ahead of them.

“Well that was a refreshing breeze!! I totally needed that!!”.

Carla was stretching her arms as soon as Marco put her down.

Marco on the other side sighed as he knew that she’s able to do it on her own if she wanted.

“You know that it’s not really fair to make me do all of that,” Marco said as he noticed that there’s no signals from the council’s sensory tools around.

“Huh!! Of course not!! I was angry enough that you went on your way and didn’t stay low during the game earlier!! Anyway, since the place is still a little far, let’s get there with a race!!”

She smiled at him as if she regained her cheerful spirit.

“Fine by me since I’m the one winning, what do you want as a punishment?” Marco responded as they were preparing themselves.

“ Hein!! I can compete in speed too!! Since we’re outside the city area I’m going full!!” Carla responded with a confident smile cloaking her body with euro.

As he saw her cloaking herself, Marco smiled seeing the development that she reached within such a short time.

“I’m going to hold on to that confident smile though…,”

Before Marco would finish his words, he stopped a sudden attack from Layla’s wind ball. At that moment, even Carla was surprised, not expecting that Layla would appear out of nowhere.

Marco sighed as he jumped to the back, avoiding Layla’s other attack.

“Seems like I shouldn’t underestimate that teleport thing of the council” Marco said as he looked at Layla who was angry for some reason.

Carla saw something wrong, feeling that the moment was ruined by Layla’s appearance.

“What are you doing outside the city, Maru!!” Layla said as she got closer to him.

“Huh? Are you mad because I trespassed some walls to the outside?” Marco asked, watching Layla getting angry for a simple reason in his opinion.

“Uhm, nice to meet you Layla san!! I’m Carla Fullblack!! Marco’s partner!!” Carla was trying to calm things down.

“I know who you are!! And pleased to meet you too!! But trespassing these walls was something wrong and it is forbidden Carla chan!!” Layla responded as that answer showed that she was clearly focused on work.

Marco sighed then he got closer to Carla’s side. Carla was startled by that answer so she looked at Marco acting calm which had her anticipating something from him.

“Run when I slam her down to the ground. We will meet up at the same spot we agreed on”.

Marco whispered as Layla realized that he was preparing for something too. She readied herself for the moment of impact.

Carla prepared herself as Marco stepped away from her side, clearing a path for her. Layla on the other side, was preparing herself for any sudden movements from Marco and Carla at the same time.

“Lu!! You’re too obsessed with this council work so why not take a rest and have a breather!! I remember that I was the workaholic back then!!”

Marco said as he instantly blocked a hit from Layla’s serment making a way for Carla to instantly dash to the woods. Layla had snapped out of it because of this.

“Is this what you were thinking of?!” Layla said as she got angrier.

Marco grinned in her face then he instantly flipped her upside down before vanishing from her sight leaving her with some words.

“If you want us to return!! Come and get us!!”.

Marco’s words vanished in the air as they were already on the move to the other side of the island, where there’s a calm beach.

Layla sighed as she stood, wiping the dust off her clothes.

“I’m gonna clearly beat you up for this, Maru!!”.

Layla roared before following them right on with the same speed.

Marco was surprised that she pulled such a quick acceleration in no time while he was leaping from a tree to another backwards.

“Seems like you weren’t bluffing when you said you’re strong!! I admit that!!” Marco said, having a look at Layla face to face.

“Stop running already and let’s return to the city!!”.

Layla said as she was determined on that one statement.

“I guess the council needs to give you some refreshments”.

Marco said as he was upside down, in the middle of the air and face to face with Layla, smiling with a smug expression before he would vanish from her sight again, therefore this time one of Carla’s witchcrafts were used to create an iced breeze that had unbalanced Layla’s pace.

Layla ended up losing balance and falling on her face whereas Marco laughed out loud to tease her about it.

“Damn you Maru!! I’m going to get revenge on this for sure!!” groaned Layla.

Layla was flustered as she turned red because of what he did for her, although she stopped the tears of embarrassment from falling down.

“Catch me one time!! and I’ll let you do whatever you want!!” Marco said as he was on top of a tree, waiting for Layla to get up.

“Don’t be harsh on her Marco!! I’m sure that she’ll get angrier!!” Carla said as she stopped after being worried about Layla.

In that moment, Layla saw that both Marco and Carla felt different from the way she saw them during the official match. Eventually, even after releasing her serment again, she couldn’t catch neither Marco nor Carla, not even once.

They ended up taking a rest, the three of them on the sand watching the sun going down.

“You really couldn’t get a step on me, huh? and I thought Sam was slow enough” Marco said.

“Shut it!!” Layla was reddened by his teasing, “I admit that you guys have incredible stamina,” she said after calming down a little bit.

“I told you it’s not the wrong way!!”.

In the middle of that calm night time, a sudden familiar voice was heard as the three of them looked behind towards the rustling bush of trees.

The awkward atmosphere that everyone there felt had Layla broken down in tears after Marco patted on her head for that.

“Seriously, every time now? Did I do something to get this? sigh”

Cor said as the five of them including Ruby who was the one spoke earlier, all of them were calmly looking at each other with blank glares.

Ruby was the first one to get back to her mood.

“Carla chan!! We met again!!” She was also quick to get closer and hug Carla.

“If I remember, both of you are members of black heart, right?” layla said, narrowing a cold glare towards the two.

Layla was surprised to see other people either way because her senses didn’t pick up their presences, seemingly it ticked her off but she refrained from mentioning it.

“L-L-Layla sama!! Sorry for the sudden disturbance. I didn’t notice you!!” Ruby said as she bowed, apologizing on the spot.

“Are you that famous?” Marco asked.

Marco was addressing Layla who flustered over what Ruby said.

“Layla sama is pretty known as the angel of the council, and I’m pretty surprised that you don’t know that by now”.

Carla responded to Marco’s question as Layla was still getting flustered by these comments that felt like compliments to her.

It was that case for a while until Layla returned to her senses.

“That’s not the important thing!! Plus it’s forbidden to anyone to get close to this territory!!”. Layla was still trying to push them outside the area.

“Don’t sweat the little details, Lu. Just take it easy and rest a little, I was coming to get you from that place sooner or later” Marco said as he kept patting her head.

“You bastard!! I have no interest in Layla sama but refrain from touching her with your filthy hands!”.

Cor said as he was trying to push Marco away, the complete silence fell over as they all looked at Cor for what he said.

“I’m surprised how you said that with a steady face, in the first place, why do I need to keep my hands from my girlfriend again?”. Marco said as he kept patting Layla on the head.

Cor and Ruby were completely shocked by now, whereas Layla was more likely flying in the clouds embarrassed about what Marco just said.

“Ehehehe!! if you say it like that suddenly I can get a heart attack you know!! you’re always that silly, Maru!!”.

Layla’s response stunned them more.

In due course, Layla ended up telling them shortly of how she’s dating Marco because of that old proposal.

“So that’s why a lot of people were getting these rumors about a mysterious man who had taken the angel of the council’s hand” Ruby said as she was looking satisfied somehow.

“No I’m pretty sure that I didn't do that, and I’m more of a distant boyfriend for the meantime. You leapt and made me a fiancé? seriously?” Marco said, looking at Layla getting all red and delusional in her daydreams.

Carla looked at Marco who was talking calmly as if it was normal either, somehow even if it didn’t really bother her she realized at some point that what happened until now resulted in one conclusion, as it is that Marco was already out of her league in everything.

Seeing how Layla made him smile easily crushed Carla’s heart for a moment as if she’s sitting next to someone whom she has never seen before. The distance grew by the slow second she was feeling.

“I guess I need to go back to the mansion, I’m heading to check on Sophie ” Carla said out of the blue, taking the attention of everyone.

Marco on the other side also realized what Carla was feeling, somehow it was also because of Yuna telling him to pay attention closely from the start of their day off.

In the middle of that small thought, Carla stood and was about to leave, however Layla caught her arm with a soft smile.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Since the three of us came here together, why not play a little game. I’m not letting you go” said Layla.

Layla had a calm smile as Carla looked straight at Layla’s eyes, feeling no ill intention at all.

Marco sighed as he also made Carla take a seat.

“I wanna head back too so we can check on Sophie and Arthur, so let’s win Lu’s little game and return home” he patted her head, trying to comfort her for what mattered to him at that time.

In the middle of that small talk Ruby pouted, feeling that they were left out of the conversation.

“Stop it!! You’re totally leaving me and Cor kun out of this!! So what’s this thing that we can win if we play this game!!” She was pretty much angry.

“heeh?! I like your guts Ruby chan!! So let’s see !! If any of you can win this game by a perfect score then he or she will win a date with me!!”.

Layla swiftly changed to the commentator mode after snapping her fingers to change into casual clothes, wearing glasses the same as Marco.

Before anyone would give his comment Layla continued.

“That’s right!! Even girls are allowed!! Rules are simple, no serments allowed, just pure physical strength!! By throwing the rocks at the target!! Six hits! And six chances each!!” She was pretty much talking with a cheerful smile, to a point where Carla and Marco felt a more familiar atmosphere around them.

“It seems like four years has made you a pervert more than what you already were,” Marco said after seeing her getting quiet.

“That’s rude!! Plus I’m pretty sure that I will win against all of you!! I’ll end up choosing who I wanna go on a date with so let’s get fired on!!”. Layla shouted in his face as she kept the steady smile.

Marco looked at Carla then sighed as he apologized for the sudden change of events without a word.

Getting the target done and the rock chances prepared, it took only a few minutes for Marco to win since he was the most trained among the five of them as Carla came second behind him directly with five shots.

Seeing that Marco took the lead in her game, Layla couldn’t help herself but to tease him about it.

“Heeh?! You really wanted that date!! I guess I wasn’t the pervert here after all!! For now it’s only round one!!” she smiled her fullest as Marco didn’t want to argue about it.

On the other side, Marco grinned calmly, watching Layla actually getting some breather out of this small game.

Layla looked aside at Carla and Ruby taking a rest at their side of the place with no other comment about what she said, instead the two were talking to each other about a different topic.

Watching the four of them having their own time on doing something else Layla felt the satisfaction that Marco wanted her to have although a devilish thought got into her, she smirked a little then called for them.

“Maru!! And Cor kun too!! Can you come here for a second, please?!” She sounded normal however it was all a trap.

Layla sent both to the middle of the sea with some kind of a repulsive wind ball, chuckling deviously she turned to the other two.

“Huh!?”.

Carla and Ruby said as both saw a huge water wave in the middle of the ocean far away from the beach. On that side, Marco found himself drowning in the middle of the water as he looked aside to see Cor swimming away from something. Behind them was a giant ocean monster whereas Marco was

While swimming away, Cor looked behind to see that the huge monster fish that was swimming towards them had already eaten Marco.

“Grimm Reaper!!” blurted Cor.

Cor roared in the middle of the water releasing his serment and unleashing a witchcraft that split it into halves, having the ocean monster float around with no water, that witchcraft was followed by the monster being sliced from the inside.

Both Marco and Cor acted instantly to save themselves from drowning to the bottom. The two slashes were instantaneous as after that, Marco pulled Cor outside the water and used chains as footholds in the sky.

“Man I let my guard down for one second there, she’s dead when I return” Marco said.

“That’s some bullshit you got on you for real!! Why am I even dragged in this mess?” Cor interjected.

He was as pissed as Marco was after all, Layla threw both of them in the middle of the ocean with no prior warning or a reason to do that suddenly.

“Can you see the island?” Marco asked while looking around.

“Hmm, I’m not sure but I guess it’s that way or was it that way?” Cor answered.

Cor was clueless about the direction too as both heaved a sigh.

With no other way to see where they were Marco looked aside at Yuna who had her laugh for a while now.

“I see, well. Cor kun, how far can you toss me?”.

Marco responded to Yuna’s answer then looked in the direction that she pointed for him.

“Huh?! Why?” Cor was confused.

“I don’t wanna for us to be eaten so throw me as far as you can” Marco only said before forcing the step on Cor’s scythe.

The next thing Cor did was send Marco flying with every ounce of strength he had without thinking of the consequences of doing that.

“Huh, if he’s willing to go like that am I going to… huh?! hee!!”.

Cor felt the chains beneath him disappearing and his body falling back to the water.

“You moth-!!”.

Before Cor would finish the words, Marco materialized some chains around him then pulled him with full speed to where he was.

Cor saw himself falling on some stand made by chains.

“It’s temporary but I can create some land for us until we reach the surface, can you run?” Marco said calmly.

“Next time tell me your plan before doing it!!! And doesn’t this drain your reserves?” Cor stood on his own, roaring at first then asking calmly as something else picked his interest.

“Not even a single drop. Let’s move” Marco stretched his arms and legs, answering Cor’s question.

In that moment, both vanished from that side as if they teleported, sprinting at full speed towards the island ahead of them. It was only a matter of few seconds to reach shore. While catching their breath, both stood silently, looking at three girls in a messed up situation.

More or less, Ruby was looking pale while not moving a spec, alongside Carla who was on her knees, having Layla getting her way with a direct kiss as if she was draining her.

Leaving Carla in the same state as Ruby, Layla stepped to the back, licking her lips with a weird expression on her face.

“Gahhaa!! That was really some good things to learn, kuku!!”.

She had a devilish yet childish laugh until she looked to the back, finally noticing Marco and Cor who were pretty pissed off about this whole charade she did.

“Good things huh? say your prayers,” Cor said with a cold smile on his face clearly showing his anger. “Ahahaha!! Maru! Help! I was just joking!!”.

Layla was desperate as saw Marco already stretching his legs.

“I’m sorry!! Kya!”.

Right after that last slap of Marco and Cor, Layla was sitting on the beach pouting on what happened to her, scratching her head from the pain of the hit. At that moment, Ruby suddenly woke up with a surprised and a serious look.

“That was an experience of a whole new level!!”.

Cor looked at her then spanked her head.

“A new level, my ass!!” He was embarrassed by what she said.

Layla looked at Marco with a smug face, waiting for a comment but Marco sighed instead, he eventually spoke what he had in mind.

“You know this is far more than what I wanna ask about, but seriously do you go all around kissing people to get some information from them?” Marco’s words made Layla fluster for a second.

“Uhm, Hah!? It’s not like that!! I just have this ability on my serment, you see!! It requires either a direct kiss or a touch on the back of the head here.” Layla was trying to explain her side as she smiled at Marco, trying everything she can to fix up that awkward reaction she had.

“This just explains how much you are a pervert, honestly. Anyway the two of us are going back now, either ways don’t you dare snitch on us for coming here or else I’ll come hunting you down again”.

Cor said as he looked a little annoyed, holding Ruby on his back because she asked him to do so.

“And with this!! Thank you for the goodnight kiss, Layla sama!! Have a good night!!” Ruby smiled as she waved at them.

“Even mine doesn’t change this side of hers. Just have a good night and forget what happened please” Cor went ahead after that.

Layla looked at them going away then sighed too as she stood up.

“One way or another, it was fun so I couldn’t help but to choose the kiss because it restrains better” Layla smiled at Marco as she was about to tap the back of his head but ended up not even reaching him.

“If you want to learn about what’s inside my head it’s better to just ask me though I myself don’t know what’s inside” Marco said, making Layla take a seat again.

Marco held Carla and had her sit down then calmly patted her head, erasing the secondary effects of Layla’s kiss.

Layla looked at him then noticed that Marco made it look so easy with just one tap on Carla’s forehead.

“Haa!! Haaa!! Why did you do that!!?!! All these years of keeping the first kiss for someone I love just went for the girlfriend of my partner!!” Carla stood complaining while looking at Layla a little silent, observing Marco on her own.

“She’s starting to suspect something. Are you thinking of telling her about the curse? She might be even someone who’s doing the same thing as these people from back then” Yuna said as she was next to Marco watching everything.

Marco sighed and didn’t reply to Yuna’s question as he looked at Carla still yawning about what happened, thus Layla still acted seriously and got closer to Marco again with one word to say after,

“Show me your back”.

“Why the hell, you wanna see my back for what?” Marco was curious though he knew she was looking for the mark she put on him.

That confirmed for him that she didn’t use any of her witchcrafts on him yet despite placing it.

“Just do it! this is your girlfriend’s request!” Layla was persistent as Carla looked at her not being one bit ashamed about pulling up Marco’s shirt.

“Th-This is non-questionable!! I understand that you two are lovers but you can’t do this in plain sight Layla sama!!” Carla figured something was off with Marco, so she interfered.

“I know I’m just checking on him, nothing more!! After all Maru doesn’t mind such things” Layla smiled as she took off Marco’s shirt.

He sighed as he turned around, letting them see his back.

“I knew it but why the hell do you have these scars first!? And how the hell did….Maru….You’re hiding something, aren’t you?” Layla looked at him with a serious face.

That sudden moment of disbelief from the side of Layla made Marco a little worried about her acts. Whether she was going to believe him or not, he decided to leave it for later as he responded calmly.

“I prefer we do this talk just you and me later, For now I still have to check on Sophie and Arthur back in the mansion”, Marco smiled a scary smile patting her head, eventually, “Lu! next time you wanna check on me from afar, don’t just put your witchcrafts on me”.

Marco said as he made her tremble with a flustered smile knowing that she was in a huge disadvantage. At the end of it Layla surrendered and apologized whole heartedly so that she won’t be punished for it.

“Hai hai! I’ll try not to, but it’s not fun to ask master Emilis to remove it for you, I just wanted to take some sneak peeks on you. Have a good night and don’t let the guards find out about you two when you return to the mansion!!” Layla patted Marco’s head then smiled at him along with giving Carla the same treatment.

“As if they can catch me, have a good night”.

Marco said as he smiled back.

Layla couldn’t help but to kiss him on the cheek in front of Carla as a way of teasing him, and as her own choice of moves. One way or another, it was bound to happen.

Carla was blushing red as she went ahead with Marco flicking Layla’s head for what she did then he stood, following Carla back home.

“So he really asked master Emilis to take off the mark, but that doesn’t explain how he did break my sealing effect on Carla chan”.

Layla was talking to herself, still sitting on the beach.

“One way or another it’s still something interesting to see him again!! He grew taller and his hair is longer now, wearing glasses that look like the old ones of mine is really unfair”.

Layla smiled softly rather than a sad smile as she was looking at what she got from Carla and Ruby’s memories.

Her witchcraft links straight to the core of the astral body and euro reserves, thus she lied at how the witchcraft work so she can keep her distance, just a small touch would be enough for her when the serment is released, whilst the touch on the back of the head or the kiss on the cheek aren’t necessary, it works as an extra effect when the serment is sealed, in other words, when partially released.

Layla took her time, sitting around and releasing her serment so that the goggled snake would materialize an orb of light in her hands. At that moment, Layla looked at the overall size of the two of the three orbs, Ruby’s and Carla’s. By then she decided to check Marco’s first, however the unexpected happened for her where that sudden burst of energy from the serment sealed itself, directly leaving Layla shocked at the sight of the disappearance of these three orbs, because usually even after she seals her serment the orbs stays the same.

“There’s nothing left, not even Ruby’s or Carla’s!! That bastard figured something out?! I gotta contact the office…”

Layla rose to her feet in a furious rage because of what happened until she took out the phone and tried to call her office but no one responded.

“Huh, that’s strange, They usually stay alert for my number. Why are they not answering, huh?! Their marks have faded!!”

She said in a whim while looking at the direction of her office.

“No one. Sampson, Olivia is gone too, Bruno, Huh?!”.

The fear has escalated a little too much for Layla as she usually checks on her team members using her serment’s mark, which was her purpose on Marco’s side too.

She rushed out her serment, heading at full speed to reach the building as fast as she could. Checking again on her way back was an easy task, however feeling that their death was something true bound her from doing it, and so she prayed that it was just a misconception.

“Huh?! What’s going on here?”.

The words just went out from her mouth as she saw many other councilors around the building while the smell of blood lingering around the area.

“Layla!! You’re safe!! Thank goodness!! Thank goodness!!”.

Dalian was filled with emotions of grief, the moment he saw that Layla was doing good.

Caught in the moment from a different perspective, Layla just looked around to see the masters calmly standing around there.

“Wait…no one answered my question, what happened here?!”.

Layla asked again as she was looking directly at Emilis who had a calm face unlike the others who couldn’t hide their worries.

“Your whole team was massacred in attempt of taking something or someone, one way or another you’re a lucky chick surviving by cheer luck this whole fight.” Emilis responded eventually as Layla shot him several glances for the answer.

“Mind your manners Emilis. She’s still Lady Layla, the angel of the council and she’s still young too, this must be a shock for someone like her” said Alexander.

Alexander surprisingly, tried to calm down the others and remind them of their manners too.

Dalian exhaled a deep breath then placed some corpses out of several playing cards which were placed on the ground directly.

“We will say it was just an explosion and luckily no casualties were to be found. One way or another, this place doesn’t have a lot of navigators so these will be my orders,”

Dalian said as he took charge of the case.

“All guilds masters, Bring your main navigators and work on finding tracks to get that masked bastard. I’d rather not stop the festival in its beginning, it’ll just be a scandal at this point. I’ll overlook the formalities and acts for now so concentrate on this whole mess” Dalian stood ahead of the corpses, patting Layla on the head as she collapsed on her knees at the scene of her squad members brutally butchered.

“Layla, luckily not all the team members were massacred, one is alive and on duty right now. I’m observing the island to catch the perpetrator, so stand up, we’re councilors not civilians, remember that.”

Dalian spoke with grief towards Layla who couldn’t take it well. She took a deep breath then stood back on her feet after mourning their deaths.

Layla’s act was favored by the guilds masters for what mattered of this whole incident, however on the other side they had their doubts about what happened.

“One last thing”.

Dalian got their attention again.

“I’ll allow the ten guilds to be informed about the incident so they would not let their guard down, any help in capturing the bastard will be gracious. However, it’ll be a whole different story if this gets out to the civilians for the meantime, mostly the council will fall down due to the many complaints we’ll receive, please lend me your strength”

Dalian bowed as the masters couldn’t help but to return the act. That alone subdued their suspicions, letting them work more efficiently.

“We will do all that we can!! Elder of the jesters!!”.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….......................................................