Loved by Fate ? - Adventures of Sinbad [Sinbad x OC]

19 - First Harpoon

"Falan... the magician..." Dragul muttered, his voice heavy with disbelief.

"With that, Sinbad is rendered powerless. I should have done it this way from the beginning," Falan declared, her words dripping with taunting satisfaction as she brandished the sword.

"I thought that magician was gone." said Sinbad.

Dragul explained, recounting the events. "Before you got here, that Djinn killed her... or destroyed her double, to be exact. To think she had the nerve to send her double again..."

"That's right." Falan said. "The real me is in Parthevia. Since I'm under direct command of Lord Barbarossa, General of the Left. He's your brother, right? Captain Dragul... No. Pardon me. You were specially promoted two ranks to lieutenant."

The revelation left Dragul in a state of bewildered shock. "I got specially promoted two ranks? What are you talking about?"

Falan's voice shifted, adopting a tone that was chillingly familiar to Dragul. "You were treated as killed in action already. Junior."

The recognition washed over him, and Dragul's expression contorted with disbelief. "This voice... it's my brother, Lord Barbarossa!"

The truth was unraveling before Dragul, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. "You are aware of it, right?" his brother continued, his words like icy daggers. "Your failure in the first dungeon. And failure in capturing the conqueror, Sinbad. As one of the famed Dragul family, such disgrace is unforgivable. And above all... about my wife, Serendine... Did you think I wouldn't notice how much you adore Serendine? Since your childhood, out of kindness, I've been turning a blind eye to you. However, this has to end. You crossed the line. That's my 'woman'. Know your place. Die like a man."

Dragul's world seemed to crumble as he was confronted with the harsh reality of his failures and his brother's merciless judgment. His silence spoke volumes, his gaze lost in the abyss of his thoughts.

"That's how it is," Falan resumed her own voice, an eerie calmness in her demeanor. "Be it them, or you, you are all just sacrificial pawns. There is nowhere in the world for you to return to."

Hinahoho couldn't hold back his frustration any longer. "She pisses me off," he grumbled, his grip on his spear tightening.

Sinbad shared the sentiment. "Same here. But we can't defeat her without knowing how to save those other three who became the magical beast."

Meanwhile, a few steps away, Valefor had taken an interest in the unfolding drama. The Djinn, who had shrunk to a more inconspicuous size, sat beside Reana, who still held Minifor in her arms. His gaze shifted between her, Sinbad, and the ongoing conversation, as though he were attempting to piece together some crucial puzzle.

Suddenly, Valefor began to approach Sinbad and Hinahoho with a determined stride. "No," he declared, his voice carrying an air of conviction. "Somehow, there's a way."

Valefor's unexpected intervention took Sinbad, Hinahoho, and Reana by surprise. The Djinn's smaller and cuter appearance contrasted sharply with the gravity of the situation, but his words held newfound hope.

"Valefor!?" they shouted in unison, their astonishment evident.

"Usually, I don't care what you humans make of yourselves," Valefor began, his tone serious despite his appearance. "But things will get tougher if that magician keeps getting her way. So, I'll make an exception and teach you how. That magical beast consumes and connects humans to its core 'as is'. Looks like it moves by absorbing their magoi. Based on the flow of magoi I see, the core is most likely at its chest. If you have the power and precision to destroy just the core with one blow, I expect... those three can be separated from the magical beast, and turned back into humans!" Valefor concluded, his paw before a beaming grin. "How's that? You can defeat the beast and save your comrades at the same time. Good news..."