Kapitel 5: Chapter 5: Zerav
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THE unwanted guest's lips curve into a smirk as his gloomy eyes fell into them. He was floating in the sky as both of his feet we're on the fixed position. All along, Edna felt the mixture of dark and nerve wrecking familiar mana girdle around his body which she felt when she made a step in this land.
She put her own senses to stay alert and ready herself from the approaching danger if the soul collector block their way. She clutch her skirt tightly with knees trembling as she felt the intense mana of the guy.
But, she shouldn't be this scared. She had her own companion and she'll make sure that none of them will get hurt.
"What's with those hellish stares?" puna ng lalaki sa kanila. "Don't y'all worry. I don't have any plans to interrupt your mission, Mr. Knight and Miss Witch." his evil smirk are now more revealing as he speak.
"Then why are you here at Avalon? It's rare to see a soul collector like you wondering in this frozen and distant place with no mortal soul to eat." Edna stares at him curiously, eyeing him like he was the weirdest specimen she had ever seen.
A soul collector is one of the demon races that lives only by eating a human soul. Soul collector has a figure resembles like a human and they're the most powerful demon aside from the demon king. They had this black tattoo in the designated part of their body making human to easily recognized what they are. They're too dangerous and carries a heavy and dark presence.
And Avalon is a continent where in the whole place were covered in ice and cold climate in the whole year so only monsters who can adapt to the cold were living in this area. This place was known as the ghost town since they were no humans living in here so it's rare to saw a soul collector in this place.
The soul collector flapped his black wings as he made a step on the snowy land. The wind gushing up as his wings moves until it dissapears on his back.
"I am here because I can sense a powerful soul raging inside of you." he said while looking at Edna. He was about to took a step closer to her but Alaster hold Edna's wrist and hide her from behind.
"She's mine. Don't you dare to touch my slave." In a threatening voice he spoke those words.
It could be an insult to Edna since he called her his slave but something was tickling in her chest. She couldn't find the annoyance she should be felt because of what Alaster said. It's weird.
"HAHAHAHA." A loud laugh echoed the whole place. The soul collector arranged his hair as he stares at them supressing his laughter.
"So nice. I'll never thought a powerful witch like her will become your slave. How much did you pay for her service? I'll pay you if you give her to me and leave you alone."
"She's worth more than this universe." sagot ni Alaster at humigpit ang pagkakahawak nito sa kanyang pulso na ayaw siyang pakawalan at ibigay. "I will not giving her to you since she was mine all alone. I don't want money from your filfthy hands, you monster."
She blushed. Hindi niya alam na may ganitong side ang lalaki. Mapang-angkin. Madamot.
The smirk of the soul collector dissolves in his mouth due to what Alaster replies. There's no longer a friendly aura to be visible and it blends with his unexplainable annoyance.
"Is that so? Then I'll never let both of you to leave this place!" He suddenly unleashed his scythe from his back and point it out in Alaster's face.
"I want to make a deal with you."
What deal? It's sounds tricky and untrustworthy especially it cames from the demon!
"Alaster, you shouldn't..." Edna's words were cutted off when Alaster suddenly agrees.
"What deal?" he asked coldy without minding all of her warning and signals about him to not to take it.
"Alaster!" Edna hissed at him but he just shrugged it off. The girl gritted her teeth in annoyance.
This damn knight was so stubborn! She told him no to take anything from the devil but look at him! He just accept it without any hesitation. Nag-iisip pa ba ito? What were his thinking?
"Let's have a match. If you lose in our match, I can have her and kill you." The soul collector replies in a business tone. "If you win, I will leave y'all alone so yoy can continue your own journey."
She knew it! Every demon's deal were like this. It involves killing and a dangerous bet! She will never allow a certain person like Alaster to take this bet all alone by himself especially he was just tired from slaying all of canis monsters and she can sense a half of his stamina and mana were used up.
This time she made up her mind. She'll take it for his own sake. If Alaster doesn't want her to leave him, she feels the same too. It is just only one day in their journey but they already attached and share a same connection to each other, like there was something similar inside of them.
She doesn't want her companion to get hurt.
"I'll take it." Edna's words catches the two attention of the guys. The soul collector stared at her in playful eyes and Alaster looked at her in disbelief. He thinks he will never expected her to accept it instead of him.
Alaster was just about to open his mouth to disagree but Edna utters a spell towards his face and suddenly the knight collapsed in the frozen bits. She uses a sleeping spell to put him into sleep so that he will doing anything reckless to stop their fight.
She doesn't want someone to interrupt her. She can do it by herself. Why would everyone enthroned her as the Witch of Destruction if she was weak and born to be protected? She doesn't want that since her own magic she was holding up in her body can kill a thousand lives.
"I'm sorry but I dont want to be protected by anyone. I don't want you to die in me and waste your own magic for me so for your own sake and safety, I'll win this fight. This is for you, my companion." Edna whispered at the unconscious guy then she make a barrier to protect him from any danger.
Hinarap niya ang lalaki ngayon ay namamanghang nakatingin sa kanila. "I'm ready." paalam ni Edna sa lalaki. "If I fail in this fight, you can have me." In a firm and competitive voice, she let it out as she stares at his eyes firmly.
A ghost of smirk appears on his lips. "Okay. Do your best, Edna Fritzhald."
Nagulat man si Edna nang malaman niyang alam ng lalaki ang kanyang pangalan pero alam naman niyang dahil 'yon sa kanyang masamang reputasyon kaya 'di na dapat siyang magtaka na may taong nakakikilala sa kanya.
She made a step closer to the demon guy and took out a deep breath. She enhanced all of her senses and release all of the mana inside of her as she felt herself to be overflowing with mana. She equipped herself with her own mana and increases her magical power. Her determined and fierce orbs suddenly turned into a pure red color while her hair in ponytail break off it's own knot and it cascading down to her waist.
She saw a pair of amusement in the man's wicked eyes. It seems like this is the thing that what this devil wanted to see.
Edna performs a sudden attack. She violently throw a flaming ball towards the guy's direction but the guy was fast and it dodge her first attack by swirling and rolling in the air. Ang natamaan ng kanyang apoy ay ang mga punong nasa likuran niya at nagkaroon ng pagsabog roon at nasunog.
Ganyan kalakas ang epekto ng kanyang mahika at mukhang mas malakas pa ang lalaki.
He's powerful like the power of the demon king. She'd think it will take three hours for them to be finished.
Mabilis na sumagot ng pag-atake ang kalaban. He attacked her with his own scythe and sliced the wind with it creating a wind blades fastly approaching her.
"Destroy!" she uttered and suddenly the wind blades got vanished and put back everything from normal.
Pero nagulat siya nang biglang lumitaw ang lalaki sa harapan niya. Sobrang bilis nitong makalapit sa kanya at mabuti na lamang ay alerto siya kaya ay dali-dali siyang tumalon paitaas para iwasan ang lalaki. Then she creates a fire blades mixed with the element of air in her palm then throw it to the guy but it also the same as the first attempt, her attacks were deflected by the scythe and turned it back to her.
She danced in the wind to avoid all of her own attacks raging in maximum mana. That brute have his own deflection spell which she doesn't have. Tingin niya ay madedehado siya sa laban nila at magiging paulit-ulit lang ang flow nito.
At hindi nga siya nagkamali.
Everytime she made a move, he always dodge or deflected it. She uses many kinds of offensive attacks but the guy always uses up the same technique. Don't tell me he doesn't have any attacks aside from it?
The guy slashed the air with his scythe and pointed it towards Edna's direction whose now floating in the air. She swiftly rolled over the invisible wind and make herself to be one with the wind. Her movements were calm and gentle like a wind blowing off to touch her skin.
She shouldn't waste her time in making a offensive spell or else everything in her surroundings were melts just like what happened to the frozen land which becames dry because of her fire. Luckily, Alaster was protected so he'll never had any bruises nor wounds from her fire attack.
She should think of a spell that can never be deflected. Pinagpawisan na siya sa sobrang init ng atmospera dahil sa kanya. The whole temperature was now overflowing and combined with her own mana. Ang lalaki naman ay nanatiling nasa ibaba, nakatingin sa kanya habang hinihintay ang kanyang sunod na gagawin. Walang mga bakas ng kung ano sa kanyang hitsura hindi tulad niya na may kaunting galos mula sa sarili niyang apoy.
She jumps from the sky as she fell into the ground. The frozen land suddenly melted as she place her hands on it. Pero mabis na rin siyang lumayo roon dahil bigla siyang sinugod ng lalaki.
Mukhang tama siya ng hinala na sa lupa lang gumagana ang kanyang mga pag-atake. Hindi siya umaatake kapag siya ay nasa itaas.
Iwinasiwas nito ang kanyang scythe sa hangin at pinapaulanan siya ng mga air blades. Todo iwas siya sa mga air blades ng lalaki pero sa sobrang bilis kumilos ng lalaki ay nadaplisan siya sa pisngi at nasugatan ang kanyang binti.
Shit! She made a mess!
A load of pain suddenly hits her making her to fall from where she standing and stumbles on the ground. She felt numb and unable to stand up or move and she catches her breath as she saw a pair of black shoes infront of her. She was so careless and didn't expect another attack from him. It was more powerful than her flame!
"I can see that you are already defeated so you are mine now." The guy spoke as his laughter fills all over the whole area.
She wanted to give up but she couldn't. In her vocabulary, giving up is not her thing. She always have a solution to her own problem and if she got defeated today, she'll never knew how to face Alaster. Alaster's life was on her hands.
She doesn't want to disappoint her own companion.
"Do you admit your own defeat?" The soul collector asked her and he ran his fingers to her hair.
A smile was drawn on her lips when she noticed a small magic circle under the shoes of the guy—on where he stand and it was unnoticeable. Sa simula pa lang ng pagdampi ng kamay niya sa lupa ay natitiyak siyang gagana ang kanyang plano.
A plan on how to cage this soul collector on her own hands.
Nagtaka ang soul collector sa ngiting bumalatay sa kanyang mga labi. Tumungo ito at napatingin sa paanan nito. Isang magic circle.
"What is this?!" he hissed. At iyon pa lang ang pagkakataon na may napansin itong kakaiba sa kanyang paanan. He tried to get away from it but he can't break it off. Mukhang naisahan ito ng isang witch.
"Oh, holy blinding light,
Blessed this darkened soul,
As he set his own foot to your promised land,
Freed him from his own curse,
And make him to served under you.."
Edna articulate those words as the magic circle begin to shine brightly. The whole place were filled with blinding light and a dark bind suddenly breaks off from the soul collector. It was his own dark curse.
Nang una pa lang nakatapak si Edna sa kontinente ng Avalon ay naramdaman na niya ang pamilyar na enerhiyang nagmumula sa lalaking ito. At mas lalo itong lumakas nang magpakita ito. Ibig sabihin lamang nito ay ang matagal ng nararamdamang mahika ng hari na nagmumula rito ay ang sumpang nagmumula sa lalaking ito. Hindi iyon ang mahika ng Genesis kundi ang sumpa.
She felt a dark curse lingers on his body—a curse of being stucked up on the same place for eternity. He was not really wandering in this place but he really forbids to go in another place by his curse.
Nalaman ni Edna iyon ng makita niyang wala namang human soul na nasa katawan nito at ang tanging nakita niya lang ay ang soul ng mga halimaw na nandirito. It means he haven't yet eaten a human soul but a monster's soul that's why he had a thirst for a powerful soul like her own soul though she's not a human but a witch.
Someone cursed him. It was a witch. A dark witch indeed. She can say it by the means of looking and sensing it and a spell made by her own races will be broken too by the witch clan. At siya ay isang witch kaya walang duda na isang witch rin ang sumumpa sa lalaki.
At para maalis ang sumpa ay kailangan niya itong ipain sa kanyang mga kamay. Hindi niya pinlano ang labanan ang lalaki pero dahil makulit ito ay kailangan niyang gawin para mapalaya ito sa sumpa. Mabuti na lang at nakatulong rin ang kanilang labanan kahit papaano.
The whole blinding light suddenly envelopes the man's body, cleansing his own soul. Ngayon malaya na ang lalaki. He was free from the dark curse and he can do everything he wanted to do.
"What?!" Shocked was very evident on the man's face after the light leaves his body. He couldn't believe that the curse was gone.
He was now free. And he's being freed by this witch.
"You can now choose what kind of fate that you'd want." says Edna as she approached the guy. Tinapunan siya ng tingin ng lalaki. "It's up to you if you want to stay as in this place or leave this place. You can now eat human soul that you'd want and live your life to the fullest. The curse has been gone now.."
The soul collector stares at her for a brief seconds like he was mesmerizing her face. He was still in awed but a great happiness sketched through his face. She couldn't help herself but to be happy also since she succeeded in helping others and making them happy.
She suddenly remembers those elven tribes in other world that once she saved. She was in a great cloud nine when she heard that they successfully obtain the peace that they want. And now this, she's too happy camper upon learning she lifted up the curse that the soul collector have been bearing for the whole year.
"I want to come with you." He said in a firm and monotone voice.
Tinapunan niya ng tingin ang mga mata nitong nagsusumamo sa kanya na isama siya. Determinado ito at desidido na sa nasabing desisyon.
"Why?" She asked while looking at him intently and full of curiosity.
"I want to pay all of your hardship you have made in order to restrain me to be able to break my curse. I'm sorry if I once try to eat your soul and I swear that I'll never do it again in you and in other people. But please make me..." Mas nagulat pa siya sa sumunod na ginawa ng lalaki.
Lumuhod ito sa harapan niya at hinawakan ang kanyang nakalahad na kamay. "Please make me your familiar and permit me to go in a journey with you as my token of gratitude."
Edna couldn't believe on what she was experiencing right now. It was unexpected and still shocks her but she should answer the reply of this soul collector and it looks like she can't help it but to agree with him. Tiyak na hindi siya titigilan nito kapag tumanggi siya.
"Okay. You can come with me. You have to served under me and do what I say but please refrain from always protecting me and from acting like a real servant. You're just my familiar and as a familiar, you are bound to be loyal with me and to risk all of your lives while protecting me. Can you still accept it?" paninigurado pa ng babae.
"Yes." he replied in full of seriousness and determined enough.
"I think you should have at least a name since you already given up becoming a soul collector." Edna smiled at him while helping him to stand up. She put her hands together and claps happily when she already think a given name for this guy.
"I'll name you Zerav. Do you like it?" her eyes twinkled while looking at her. This is the first time she think of a name and it makes her feel excited over it. She was overreacting on this kind of simple thing.
The man's lips formed a smile for a first time and Edna gazed at his illuminating and bright smile making him more handsome.
"Yes. It's sounds pretty. Zerav, that's my name."
"From now on, I'll call you Zerav." she offers him her hand. "For the last time, will you come with me for an adventure, Zerav?"
"Yes."
And then Zerav accepted her hands as the new sunset begins to end to come up with another tomorrow.
xxx
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
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Stein