Dearest Anonymous, Let Me Be

Chapter 20: ARC 1 - The Lost Princess

Villains tend to reveal their plans when they think they were already winning.

Umi bitterly scoffed. She didn't even know how many days had passed by as she fumbled through her bag that she had snatched at the last minute before she ran away.

She bit her lip as she recalled how excited Cage was when she promised him that they will visit a town together after the last day of her mission, thus the reason why she had brought this bag full of jewelry and gold so she can treat her brother with food and buy him anything he wants.

But, that didn't happen at all.

Glancing down at the sleeping woman who was leaning on a tree while holding onto a particular necklace with an amethyst stone as a pendant, Umi set down the bag and tried to start a fire for the stars were already slowly revealing themselves and the chilly air that comes with the night is about to plague them once again.

Jumping from that high tower was purely an instinctual reaction of Umi and until now, she still can't help but shiver with that thought. She didn't even know that she had the ability to lift a body or two with her mind.

But she did it without even blinking.

Umi felt it. She felt the great power coursing through her veins, blending with her blood, even sometimes causing discomfort for it wanted to come out, to show its superiority to the world. This tremendous power, however, also came with an equivalent price.

Umi felt her hands tremble in deep outrage as she stared at the blazing flames of the fire in front of her. Glancing down at her skin through her teary eyes, she can't help but let out a bitter laugh. The girl thought that her situation was ridiculously hilarious. As she recalled the events that unfolded that night, it made her go crazy even more.

The transformation was indeed successful. Too successful, even.

A human like her with the blood of a royal has turned into a Phantom Knight yet unlike the phantom woman on her side, Umi had feet instead of dark smoke. Her figure is still that of a human except for the dark and scarred skin, and the floating hair.

The burning sensation that lurked unto the insides of her skin was causing her discomfort but she found it even more hilarious that despite the constant burns, the transformation came with something that she could benefit from.

Being a Phantom Knight is similar to being subjected to an eternal burning of the insides that will surely bring suffering and torment to them. That is how the Mad King was able to control them. Their creator who mercilessly twisted their body and turned them into a horrible monster, is also the only one who had the cure for this torture.

Yet Umi is different. As someone who was already numb to any pain, coupled with her power to move things with the mind, she experimented with her own body to prove her hypothesis that she once thought of after meeting the female lead's mother.

Alas, the power of fire that brought torment to the phantom, can be also controlled by Umi using her own power. By releasing the fire from her insides through the scars on her skin, Umi can produce fire. This fire, which is the main component of the Mad King's composition of his potion, is the same fire that Umi is staring at as of the moment.

Chuckling to herself, she grabbed her head as she controlled the fire in front of her with ease. This method of producing fire is indeed fatal and might even kill her in the process. If it was anyone else, they might have died already because of the pain. But Umi never thought of the possible consequences as her mind was already clouded with several ways to kill the one who had brought this upon her.

She then looked towards the east of the forest and saw the mountainous terrain ahead with crazed eyes.

Mochi, who was only observing the girl for a while now, can't help but notice the change in the girl's eyes. He didn't want to admit it but the girl had changed. Even he, a divine beast, is unable to decide whether this change was either for the better or for worst.