Michi, Airi, and Appolo returned to Ruadall town, exhausted but triumphant.
Yakop welcomed them warmly, his eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Michi, you
have done some extraordinary work this time. The best guild of the Kingdom of Prussaria,
Bnas, advises me to make you an S Rank Adventurer as soon as possible."
Michi was taken aback, his eyes wide with shock. Airi and Appolo congratulated him, but
Yakop held up a hand.
"Wait, before that... For now, I can raise his rank to A, then I will choose a quest with a
higher difficulty for Michi. If Michi manages to complete the quest successfully, he will be
then only be promoted to S-Rank Adventurer."
As they discussed the details, Michi couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and
accomplishment. He had come so far, and he knew that he owed it all to his friends.
But as they left the office, Appolo's expression turned serious. "Michi, you're gaining new
powers, that's good. But it should be slowly and gradually, or else it might create difficulties
for you in future."
Michi felt a surge of emotions, and allowed himself to be drawn into Appolo's caring words.
He felt safe, protected, and happy.
Appolo insisted Michi remove his clothes, and Michi blushed but complied. Appolo's eyes
widened in horror as he took in the sight of Michi's scarred body.
"Michi, what happened to you?" Appolo asked, his voice filled with concern.
Michi shook his head, unsure. The scars seemed old, but he had no memory of how he got
them.
Appolo hugged Michi tightly, "I'll always protect you Michi", he whispered.
As they embraced, Appolo's hands roamed Michi's chest, and they began to get intimate.
Michi felt a surge of emotions, his heart racing with excitement.
"I love you, Michi," Appolo whispered, his lips brushing against Michi's ear.
"I love you too, Appolo," Michi replied, his voice barely audible.
Their lips met, and they shared a passionate kiss. Michi felt like he was melting into
Appolo's arms, like nothing else mattered.
But their moment was shattered by a loud bang on the door. They dressed quickly, and
Michi opened the door to find no one. Appolo joined him, and suddenly Airi jumped out,
sword flashing in the light.
"NOOO!" Michi screamed, as Airi suddenly swung her sword and cut off Appolo's hands.
Appolo tried to move towards Michi, but Airi made a shield around Michi with her magic.
"Sorry Michi, I can't keep my promise anymore…" Appolo said, his tired eyes fixed on Michi.
Airi's magic blasted off Appolo's head, and Michi screamed as blood spattered his face and
everywhere else. Airi's smile grew wider and creepier, her eyes glowing deep red.
"I CAN'T LET ANYONE HAVE YOU MICHI, YOU ARE MINE, MINE AND MINE ALONE!!" she
screamed, advancing on Michi.
Michi watched in frozen terror as Airi's smile grew even wider, her eyes burning with an
otherworldly intensity. He felt like he was trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up.
Appolo's body slumped to the ground, his eyes still fixed on Michi. Michi felt a wave of grief
wash over him, followed by a surge of horror.
He tried to move towards Appolo, but Airi's magic still held him back. "You can't have him
now, Michi, you're mine" she said, her voice dripping with malice. "He's no longer in our
way, and we will be together… till the end of time."
Michi felt nauseous, his mind shattered with shock and grief. He looked at Appolo's limp
body with horror, and felt a wave of despair wash over him.
Airi moved towards Michi, her eyes blazing with an otherworldly intensity. But before she
could reach him, Velina appeared out of nowhere, her hands glowing with a fierce ice
magic.
"Velina, no!" Jigenshi cried, rushing to her side. "Don't use your power! You know it will hurt
you!"
But Velina ignored him, her eyes fixed on Airi. She raised her both hands, and a blast of ice
magic shot out, encasing Airi in a frozen tomb.
Velina turned to Michi, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. "I'm so sorry, Michi," she
whispered. "I'm so sorry we are late. We should have told you the truth sooner."
Jigenshi hugged Velina tightly, his eyes filled with tears. "Dear, why did you use your
power?" he asked, his voice shaking. "You know it will harm you. You're already weak from
using it before."
Velina coughed, blood spilling from her lips. "I had no other choice, Jigenshi," she said, her
voice weak. "I couldn't let her hurt Michi. Not after what we've been through."
Jigenshi looked at Airi, frozen in ice, and then back at Velina. "Rest, my love," he said, his
voice filled with sorrow. "I'll take care of Michi. I'll tell him everything."
He turned to Michi, who was still in shock. "Young Michi, get up," he said, his voice firm but
gentle. "We need to talk. We need to tell you the truth about Airi, about us, about
everything."
Michi slowly got to his feet, his eyes fixed on Appolo's lifeless body. "Why?" he whispered,
his voice shaking. "What's going on? She's not Airi… who is she?"
Jigenshi and Velina exchanged a sorrowful glance. "The time has come to tell you
everything, Michi," Jigenshi said, his voice heavy with regret.
"Let's start from the beginning," Velina said, her voice weak but determined. "Let's tell him
about us, about our past, about the stone of lust."
Jigenshi nodded, his eyes filled with tears. "We were warrior mages," he began. "We had
everything except a child. We tried for years, but we couldn't conceive. We were
heartbroken."
Velina took over, her voice filled with emotion. "Then one day, a wandering wizard came to
us. He promised to help us have a child, using an ancient magic. We were desperate, so we
agreed."
Jigenshi continued, his voice heavy with regret. "We didn't know what we were getting into.
We didn't know about the stone of lust, one of the seven deadly sins. We didn't know it
would cost us our magic, our health, our happiness."
Velina's voice was laced with sadness. "We put our magic together into a life-sized
mannequin. We didn't know it would absorb our magic powers from us. Jigenshi lost his
magic completely, and I survived with very little magic. The wizard attached the stone of
lust to the puppet's belly, and it came to life."
"And then Airi was born," Jigenshi said, his voice filled with sorrow. "We were happy, but we
soon realized our mistake. The stone of lust was corrupting her, making her crave power
and control."
Michi's eyes grew wider and wider, his mind messed up with shock and horror.
And then, just as Jigenshi finished his story, Litia appeared behind Michi, her sword flashing
in the light. "You fools," she spat, her voice dripping with malice. "You think you can stop
me?"
She stabbed Michi in the chest, and he felt a searing pain as blood spilled from his mouth.
He looked down, watching in horror as the sword was pulled out of his chest.
Jigenshi and Velina screamed, rushing to Michi's side. But it was too late. Michi's eyes grew
dark, and he fell to the ground, his vision fading to black.
Michi felt a searing pain as Litia's sword pierced his chest. He remembered the words of his
friend Appolo, "Don't give up, Michi. You have a purpose." Using Rishdania's healing magic,
he slowly began to heal his wound.
With a surge of adrenaline, Michi grabbed Litia and slammed her to the ground. "Who are
you?" he demanded, his eyes blazing with fury. "Why did you try to kill me? What's your
connection to Airi?"
Litia smirked at Michi, knowing she was defeated. She pulled out a small vial and ate its
contents. Her body began to convulse, and she died with a sinister smile on her face.
Michi was shocked. He looked at Jigenshi for more information. "What was she talking
about??"
Jigenshi's eyes were filled with sorrow. "1000 years ago, there was a king in Prussaria who
held the power of the seven deadly sins by possessing all seven stones," he began. "But
after his death, the stones were stolen and got scattered around the world. We believe the
stone of lust is in Airi's body, holding her life between life and death."
Michi's wound had disappeared, but his mind was bursting with questions. "Why did Litia
attack me?" he asked, his voice shaking with anger. "What's her connection to Airi?"
Jigenshi hesitated. "I can't reveal too much, but she was a spy, watching us from afar. She
was working for someone I can't name. But I can tell you that she was once a member of
our organization, seeking power and control."
Michi's eyes narrowed. "Again, this must be related to the higher-ups," he muttered, his
anger growing. "I won't let anyone else die because of me."
Velina stepped forward, her eyes filled with tears. "Sorry, Michi. We didn't want you to
suffer for us, but when we saw your stone, the legend came to mind, and we stayed quiet.
Sorry, Michi. We were trying to protect you."
Jigenshi added, "Also, Yakop is not our son. He's a complex person, working for multiple
organizations. But he has always helped us, and we trust him."
Velina warned, "Darling, you are giving out too much information. If the wrong people find
out, we'll be in danger."
Jigenshi continued, "Sorry, I can't hide this anymore. Michi, Airi is like our daughter. As a
father, I can only ask you to help us remove the stone of lust from her. We can't do it alone."
Michi looked at Airi, still frozen in ice, and sensed a warm feeling from his chest. "What's
this?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder. "My chest is glowing. What does it mean?"
Jigenshi explained, "It must be the power of the friend you lost. He transferred all of his
powers to you at the nick of his death for some reason. You have a crucial role to play in this
story, Michi."
Michi felt a wave of sadness wash over him. He had lost two best friends in one day. But he
knew he had to keep moving forward.
Jigenshi urged, "We can still save Airi. Listen, Michi, even if Yakop is not our son, he's our
ally. He will guide you rightfully. Please, Michi, help us cure our daughter."
Michi thought for a moment, then looked at Airi. "What do I need to do?" he asked, his voice
determined. "I won't let anyone else die anymore because of me."
Velina explained, "You have to gain the power of the other six stones of sin to remove the
stone of lust from Airi. It won't be easy, but rest assured, we'll help you."
Jigenshi added, "Michi, go and tell Yakop that I have told you everything. He will act
accordingly. Leave the rest to us. We will make graves for your friend and Litia and hide Airi
in a secret place. We'll protect her until you return."
Michi rushed to the guild, his heart racing with anticipation. He burst into Yakop's office
without permission, slamming the door behind him.
Yakop looked up from his desk, a hint of a smile on his face. "Ah, Michi. I've been expecting
you."
Michi's eyes narrowed. "Expecting me? You know what happened?"
Yakop leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "Yes, I do. Litia's dead. Finally."
Michi's anger boiled over. "You knew she was trying to kill me? You knew she was working
for someone?"
Yakop's smile grew wider. "Michi, don't rush to conclusions. Let me tell you the truth."
Michi's eyes locked onto Yakop's, his mind racing with questions.
Yakop continued, "Litia and I were working for the same person. I can't reveal his name, but
I can tell you why we were acting on that individual's order. Our mission was to revive the
dead stones by consuming the emotions of current stone holders."
Michi's eyes widened in horror. "You mean Airi? And there are others like her?"
Yakop nodded. "Yes. Not only Airi but also six others have the remaining stones planted on
their bodies. They don't know it yet, but they will soon. And it's a surprise that the stone of
lust activated first. I think it's because of your presence, Michi."
Michi felt a wave of guilt wash over him. "So I'm responsible for Appolo's death?"
Yakop's expression turned serious. "No, Michi. That's not your fault. That's the fault of the
stone's fake emotions. These seven stones can drive the seven deadly sins to their peak
and consume the holders' mind."
Michi's mind buzzing with questions. "Why does your master want these stones? What's
his purpose?"
Yakop's eyes clouded over. "I don't know the answer to those questions. We are not
allowed to ask anything to our master. The only thing we can do is follow his orders. But I
felt bad for Mr. Jigenshi's family. I wanted to help them because they always treated me as
their own son. I spent a lot of time with them, so I have to help them."
Michi saw the determined look in Yakop's eyes. He knew Yakop was telling the truth.
Yakop handed Michi a map. "Here are the locations of the other stone holders. But first, go
and meet Tadashi Ken. He'll tell you how to take control of the stones. Michi, you need to go
to Euromia again."
Michi took the map, his heart heavy with the weight of his mission. He said goodbye to Airi
and Appolo, promising to return and save them. He left Ruadall city, bound for Euromia
once more.
After reaching Euromia city, Michi quickly made his way to the Bnas guild, his heart racing
with anticipation. He had been thinking about Appolo nonstop since his death, and he
knew that he has to honor his friend's memory by completing his mission.
As he entered the guild, he was greeted by familiar faces, all of whom seemed to know
about Appolo's passing. They nodded in respect as Michi passed by, and he could sense
their admiration for his determination.
Finally, he arrived at Tadashi's office, where he found the wise mentor waiting for him.
Tadashi's eyes seemed to hold a deep sadness, and Michi knew he understood the weight
of his loss.
"If you're here alone, Michi, then Appolo must be…" Tadashi's voice trailed off, and Michi
nodded solemnly, his eyes welling up with tears.
Tadashi's expression turned resolute. "Listen, Michi. I know Yakop told you everything, so
let me tell you straight and clearly. You need to absorb the power of the stones yourself
first. It's the only way to defeat the final boss."
Michi's eyes widened in confusion. "But where will I get it? And what do you mean by the
final boss?"
Tadashi smiled, his eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. "Here," he said, touching Michi's
forehead. "And by the mastermind, I mean the one who has been manipulating all the
incidents from behind the scenes. You'll learn more about him later."
Michi felt a surge of energy course through his body, and he looked at Tadashi in shock.
Tadashi chuckled. "Don't worry, I can easily sacrifice my power for the new era, Michi. It's
not like I'm dead. I can still use the power, so don't worry. Best of luck for your journey,
Michi."
Michi's eyes burned with passion as he gazed at Tadashi. He felt a sense of determination
wash over him, and he knew he was ready to begin his journey.
Tadashi stopped him as he turned to leave. "Wait, Michi. Yakop gave you the map, right?"
Michi nodded, and Tadashi continued, "Before going to those places, you should go to
Lancania, the spirit nation. You'll find allies there, and it will also be a quest for your
service-rank ascension."
Michi's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why Lancania? And what do you mean by allies?"
Tadashi's expression turned serious. "Lancania is a nation of powerful spirits, Michi. They
have been watching you, and they're willing to help you. As for allies, I mean people who
will stand by your side in the coming battles. You can't do this alone. You need trustful
companions to watch your back."
Michi's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with questions. But he knew he had to trust Tadashi.
He nodded, determination burning within him.
With a final nod, Michi set off on his journey to Lancania, the nation of spirits.