A story untold
Gradeus grunts as he knocks gracefully on the door of the Noblesse, dissatisfied at the thought that he would have to see the annoying human before he can see the great Noblesse. He frowns since there was nothing but silence that answered him.
"Huh?" He knocks again louder this time.
"Just please wait for a second!" A feminine voice shouted from the other side of the closed door.
He was taken aback by this fact.
'Did I misheard it or...?' he asked himself but his thoughts were immediately cut off as the heavy door creaks open revealing a frail girl as she struggles to pull the door wider.
"Ha!" She gasps triumphally, finally looking at the man in front of her. White luscious hair, ruby eyes, pale skin, and the signature outfit of a Clan Leader. She can only read about him in the books that she found in the mansion and yet here he is, standing in from of her.
"Y-you!" she gasps again as she looks up at him, in surprise she unintentionally took a few steps back. Gradeus instinctively pulls her away from the door, preventing the doorknob from stabbing her back. He took the time to look at her from head to toe, making the human blush in his arms. Her fiery red hair falls short on her bony shoulders while her face is framed with thick-rimmed glasses to support the equally thick lenses. His eyes fall on her thin pale lips and down to her hands and thin pale fingers.
With her body frame, it looks like she will faint if anything happens. He thought nodding to himself, justifying the thought of him having sympathy with the human.
Gradeus, compared to other Clan Leaders, has a bit of small stature yet the human in front of him is smaller than him. There is no doubt that this human is a kid.
"What did I expect of a human child." Gradeus rolls his eyes, annoyed at her who is still stuck staring at him.
"Who are you?" He asked impatiently.
"And what are you doing here? How dare you humans--" His anger rose at the realization of another human in the presence of the great noblesse.
"I'm--" She gasps before stuttering, trying to gather herself together but was interrupted by the Noblesse.
"Gradeus." The Clan Leader fixes his composure as Raizel called out to him, sounding as if reprimanding him.
"Sir Raizel" Gradeus slightly bow at him before smiling, trying to ignore the human between them.
"I am here to visit you." Raizel turns his back which is normally a sign for people to follow him which Gradeus did.
The girl struggles to close the heavy door, grunting as the door creaks slowly.
"Ugh." The Clan Leader groans before pushing the door shut with his mere fingers, surprising her.
"May I ask why is there another human in your mansion?" Gradeus asks as soon as he caught up with the Noblesse.
"Miya is Frankenstein's friend." Raizel explains.
"Why is she here?" The Clan Leader asks without giving a care whether she can or cannot hear them.
"Miya and I are currently searching for a way to get rid of Dark Spear." Frankenstein interjected after pouring tea into Raizel's cup.
"Ahh, so it's your problem... Why are you bringing your stupid problems here in Lukedonia?! This time involving a kid?!" Gradeus angrily asked pointing at the girl who frowns at him.
"Master said that he would supervise our work. Even the Lord gave his permission for her stay here." And that shuts Gradeus up.
"And I am not a kid." Miya interjected.
"As if I would believe that obvious lie." The Clan Leader grunts before slumping down on a chair.
"It's true though." She frowns at him.
"That's useless, he wouldn't believe you. Let's continue our progress." Frankenstein turns to his Master who nods at him before leaving with Miya behind him.
Gradeus stares at the human who is walking eagerly as if forgetting about him being there. He remembers how in awe she was a while ago when she first saw him. Was it admiration? Well, it's not really a surprise if a human would admire a powerful entity like him. Even nobles admire him...
"Is it true, Sir Raizel?" He asked the Noblesse who looks at him solemnly before nodding. He stares at the lone noble as Raizel looks outside his window, in his usual spot.
'If she's not a child... then why is she so small?' He asks himself and shakes his head at the realization that he is being curious about a mere human's status.
~~~
A few months passed and it seems like Gradeus grew fond of the human. Raizel stares at the smiling Clan Leader who is on his way towards the mansion with a few things in his clutch. His reason for visiting the mansion changed from seeing the Noblesse to visiting to see Miya.
Gradeus wouldn't think of Miya occasionally however, his thoughts would sometimes wander about her. He would bring fruits from the wild trees of Lukedonia, forcing her to eat them as she was too thin for his liking. Why would she need to accommodate his liking? He, himself, doesn't know.
Miya, on the other hand, has been getting comfortable with the Clan Leader. And every time he left the mansion she would ask things about him to Frankenstein who soon got annoyed at her antics which resulted in her asking Raizel instead. Due to Gradeus' heightened senses, he would still hear her, entertaining him further.
Miya opens the door for Gradeus as the Clan Leader looks at her, satisfied with how healthy she looks. Gone is the frail-looking human who looked like a kid and standing in front of him is a healthy and happy woman.
"What do you have for me today?" She cheekily asked him while leaning on the doorframe.
"You're getting bolder every passing day." Gradeus shakes his head. Her smile grew bigger when he gives her the basket he is currently holding.
"Are you done for today?" Gradeus asked upon seeing that Frankenstein is standing behind Raizel with a serious look on his face.
"We are almost at the peak of the research." Miya smiles at him proudly. Gradeus nods at her but remained silent, their project itself is dangerous and her being a mere human makes it all the more dangerous. Them finishing the research only meant that they will be continuing to the next step, the actual deed of destroying the cursed weapon. Even the Noblesse himself cannot do it because of the backlash that it would create. The best way for everyone to be safe is to keep the weapon locked away where no one can find it. But the human curiosity and greed for its power are something that cannot be taken away.
"Miya." Frankenstein nods at her, before leaving. Miya bites into the apple before waving off at Gradeus and following Frankenstein.
"Sir Raizel, isn't this too... dangerous?" Gradeus asked, trying to hide the worry in his voice.
"The Lord agrees that the destruction of the weapon is the best for everyone."
"But to entrust it to the humans--"
"Frankenstein is capable of many things."
But Gradeus isn't worried about Frankenstein...
~~~
Days after days passed and the research is finally done.
"Almost there--" Miya grunts as she struggles to reach for the fruit that is dangling in front of her not minding the fact that she can definitely break a few ribs if she fall from the height she is at.
"Ha!" She gasps triumphally before screaming. The branch she was sitting on snapped which sends her falling, she hugs herself trying to minimize the damage she will obviously receive. But none came as she fell to something hard with mere oomph.
"Huh--"
"What do you think you're doing?" Gradeus asked angrily at her but it almost instantly dispersed, seeing the tears running down on her red cheeks, her breathing uneven and fast-paced, her glasses broken.
"You're fine." He murmurs on her hair, hugging her tighter.
"What were you thinking?" The Clan Leader asked Miya who finally calmed down and now lying beside him, with his right arm as her pillow.
"I just... I want to take the fruit back to the lab... to see if there's a difference between the fruits here in Lukedonia and the fruits in the human territory..." Miya rumbles under her breath. If it wasn't for Gradeus' senses he wouldn't be able to hear her. He laughs while looking at her almost teasingly.
"But there's no difference--"
"I know! I just thought... that maybe... ugh!" She grunts as she rolls to look at him, narrowing her eyes as she tries to do anything to see his face that is obviously laughing at her. She inches closer to him to have a good look.
"I don't know everything!" She clenches her teeth as she tries to pinch his side but to her surprise, she cannot get a hold of any of his skin.
"Huh?" Gradeus' laugh disappeared as he watches her feel his side and stomach.
"How..." She whispers under her breath, running her fingers through every ridge of his muscle beneath the dark cloth that is hugging all his muscles.
"What did I even expect." She groans before slapping his abs and looking at his face to find out that he is now staring at her.
"Oh... I was just uhm... s-sorry" She pulls away, blushing as she tries to avoid his stare. It is almost an instinct for her to inspect everything, to know everything, her appetite for knowledge is too big and almost insatiable. But before she can even fully pull away from him, the Clan Leader catches her arm, hugging her against him.
"Continue." He whispers in her ear making her blush all the more, she took a nervous gulp as she looks at his ruby eyes and his handsome face. His long lashes almost kissed his pale cheeks while he was looking up at her.
Miya bit her lip, trying to stop herself from leaning down on his lips. But she was taken by surprise when she felt pressure on her nape, pushing her down on him
~~~
"Focus!" Frankenstein groans, scolding the woman as the grin on her face seems to be tucked. They are now trying to do some trial tests for their project.
"And where's your glasses?" He asked just noticing it now.
"Gradeus said he would have someone fix it." Her face flushed red as she mentions his name.
"You're practically blind without those!" Frankenstein rolls his eyes at her before gesturing to a chair.
"Just sit still, I'll do all the work for today." He shakes his head before touching the Dark Spear again. The weapon's aura flares, trying to devour Frankenstein but his mind was too strong for the weapon to conquer.
Loud knocks resounded in the basement making Frankenstein sigh before waving Miya off who is eagerly looking at him. The woman quickly stands up to see the person at the door and as expected Gradeus is standing outside the door while holding a bunch of freshly picked flowers, looking anywhere but her stare, his ears red.
"Here." He said before pushing the flowers on her, making her grin as she tries to stop herself from swooning over him.
"I- I have something to ask Sir Raizel..." He murmurs under his breath, walking past her.
"Huh?" She frowns at his attitude. It wasn't even long enough when he kissed her, what's with the sudden change of attitude. She follows him, watching him bow at the Noblesse before looking at her.
"Uhm, Sir Raizel, may I borrow this human for the day." Shudder spreads on her body as she finally realizes what is happening.
"She is Frankenstein's responsibility..." Raizel stated while looking at Miya. Gradeus groans annoyed that he has to ask Frankenstein for permission before pulling Miya and carrying her in his arms.
"Forget him." He grunted before running out of the mansion with her safely in his embrace.
Miya laughs as she leans on his shoulder not really caring wherever he will take her.
"Ah, your glasses." Gradeus realizes that he has yet to give her glasses.
"They are already fixed, on my pocket."
'Finally!' She thought as she tries to find where his pocket is since his arms would be too busy for him to get them himself.
"Oomph." Miya bumps her face on his chest as he abruptly stops, staring at her darkly.
"Don't you dare test my patience, human." A shudder crawls upon her whole body as he stares down at her.
"I don't- I'm not..." Before she can even say anything Gradeus pulls her to him.
~~~
"Am I dreaming?" Miya whispers to herself as her eyes scan the never-ending room full of books and papers.
"Hundreds, thousands, millions, no- an unfathomable resource of information about noble..." Goosebumps littered her arms as she thought of the knowledge she could gain from these reading materials. Here she is standing in the royal library of the nobles where only Clan Leaders and those of Royal bloodline can enter. There are numerous couches tables and chairs in the room but what caught her attention is a singular luxurious shelf. It was decorated with gold and many more precious gems while the books inside look ancient. A single word is engraved on the top of the shelf, and the only word she can understand, Noblesse.
"That's the only shelf you can't touch... But everything is good for reading. Of course, you would be compelled to keep everything in secrecy before exiting this room. I just thought that maybe you would like to see this." Gradeus smiles at her as he sat comfortably on a chair.
"The Lord gave us about a month of access here, you can consume knowledge as much as you for that amount of time." Miya nodded aggressively, that much is enough.
"What are you waiting for?" Gradeus asked, and she took that as a sign to go on a reading spree.
"WHAT?!" she exclaims as she discovered that nobles are monogamous people, making them all better than most of the cheating and disgusting humans she encountered in her short lifetime. And that is why it is common for nobles to choose someone as their partner from the same species as humans would have a shorter life span than them, making it hard for them to continue on life if the human died of old age. Of course, there is the contract that can be made by ingesting blood and the consent of both parties but that contract could only give a fraction of the nobles' life span.
She looks at the Clan Leader beside her who is silently cutting the steak he asked from the noble outside the library.
"What did you read?" He calmly asked as he gracefully stab a piece before offering it to her, not really surprised about her antics.
"Mhmm mhmm." She shakes her head no after taking the piece of steak he offered. During their time in the library, exactly 15 days, he had been feeding her while she's been reading books after books and transcripts after transcripts of records that occurred in Lukedonia.
She discovered the few generations of the Clan Leaders, even before the Clan Leaders who are currently in power. But the shelf she wants to devour is the one that caught most of her attention. What is Noblesse? She thought asking herself, trying to find anything from her memories that could have any connection to the word Noblesse.
"Why are you so keen on reading these books?" Gradeus finally asked.
"It's all I've ever done." Miya shrugs her shoulders, her eyes still reading the words in the book she's holding. He remained silent as he stares at her, his eyes narrowing down with every second of silence making her laugh out loud at the obvious question he had on his face.
"Well, I was born from a very poor family, our makeshift little house was near a church and priests there would have me clean the library in exchange for some bread." She stated, before looking at him.
"My parents... were killed in the war and so my siblings... we had to feed ourselves. A bunch of kids wouldn't be able to do anything but we had to or else we would die. We would go on days without eating and to get ourselves distracted from hunger, I would read the books that I snuck out from the library, those which are rarely used."
It all makes sense, it dawns on him how her body looked so frail even for her age because of the malnutrition and how she was practically blind because of the never-ending reading.
"Huh?" She frowns as Gradeus takes the book from her hands before standing up.
"I'm not done reading that-!" She was cut off again when the Clan Leader unexpectedly hugs her, startling her further when he showers her hair with kisses. His warmth spreads through her as his hug became tighter, she leans on his shoulder realizing that it'll be easier for her to just cherish the moment.
"People have always described you as violent, barbaric... but it seems like they were painfully mistaken. It's a waste that they can't see this side of you." Miya teases the Clan Leader who groans in response.
"No one will ever see this side of me." He stated, pulling away from her.
"Annoyingly, I just can't help myself when it comes to you." He frowns as he scans her. 'What did he even see in her?' He asked himself.
'Is it her thirst for knowledge? Her frail body? Her non-existent fear for her life?'
"Should I be flattered?" Miya grins, teasing him but to her surprise, he just smiles at her warmly.
"You should be, human. What did you even do to me?" She laughs at his questions, thinking that the man is kidding, yet Gradeus' face remains serious.
"You're bewitched." She smiles before pulling him, wanting to feel his warmth again. But Gradeus has a different plan in mind as he captures her lips with his.
"Let me show you my chamber..." A delicious shudder ruptures throughout her body as he whispers in her ear.
~~~
"It would only be in a short amount of time anyway, I'll be fine." Miya waves Frankenstein off as the human glares at her.
"Master isn't here to supervise. It's safer for me to bring it."
"You're wounded and it's not like I'm crazy enough to touch that deranged weapon." Miya shakes her head, believing that the man doesn't have any ounce of trust in her.
"I do trust you." Miya, startled, looks at him.
"No, I can't really read minds, but your thoughts are all over your face." She rolled her eyes at him before patting his arms.
"Just get the transcripts quickly. I can't let you touch that cursed weapon when you're in this state."
Frankenstein, like Miya, became distracted. However, Frankenstein was using his time training with Rayga without the cursed weapon. If they are to destroy it, he would be weaker than he already is. The only weapon he would have is the weapon lent to him from the contract he has with his master. But using that weapon wouldn't be wise as the said weapon literally eats away its user's life, unlike the Dark Spear which only tries to devour its user.
"I think it would be better if I wait for Gradeus..." Frankenstein's instincts really are tingling with this.
"Just go." Miya laughs as she pushes the tall man outside the basement they are in. Frankenstein, giving in, nodded at her before rushing out of the mansion. He has to retrieve the documents that the Elders of the Union borrowed since Miya would take days if she was to retrieve them. The problem is he's wounded at the moment making him vulnerable to the weapon's attack. His master, Raizel is also out of the mansion because of the order that the Lord has given him, making him uneasy to leave her. But Miya's stay in Lukedonia has been prolonged and the Elders of the Union have been bugging them both for results.
Miya shakes her head at his needless worry before closing the basement and walking towards the waiting room of the mansion. She looks outside the window where Raizel would usually stand all day however the window was a bit high for her to sit on.
"I'll wait for him in the basement." She shrugs to herself before walking back towards their room where they work in.
"Huh?" She looks at the center of the room where the Dark Spear should have been but there was nothing there.
"Did that bastard go back for it?" She groans at his stubbornness, it will definitely be the end of him.
"I would offer plenty of prayers for whoever that man set his eyes upon." Miya shakes her head before turning her back to leave the room when she heard a hiss coming from below her. She looks at the floor of the room to realize that there is black sludge-looking material in the center of the room. It was moving slowly towards her though it was too slow to raise any warnings for her.
"Is this the Dark Spear?" She stares at the viscous liquid which emits the same aura as the deranged weapon.
'Did Frankenstein know this form of the weapon?' She asked herself before mentally shaking her head no. Frankenstein is too meticulous to not include this vital information. With this, the gears on her mind started to churn as hundreds, no, thousands of questions flew and bombarded her.
Did the weapon do this by itself? Does this mean that the weapon has a mind of its own?
Miya immediately grabs a pen and paper to jut down all of the traits of the liquid.
"Black, viscous, moving..."
After completing the list of its physical trait she proceeds to stab it with the pen she's using, startling her when it sucks the pen out of her hand before dissolving with a loud gurgle.
"Still dangerous." She noted but realizes that she doesn't have a pen anymore.
Soft knocks cut off her observation but instantly put a grin on her lips which was replaced with a frown when the liquid begins to bubble and its movement became erratic.
~~~
Gradeus opens the door not really caring about manners since the Noblesse isn't here anyway. He began walking toward the basement when he realizes that Miya wasn't in the waiting room of the mansion.
'What a disgusting aura...' He shakes his head at the familiar aura of the human, Frankenstein. It became more prominent as he walks closer to where their work station is. Isn't this dangerous for Miya? His anger rises at the thought of her being in danger.
"Turn that down--" He became speechless as he watches a black entity crawl around Miya, almost covering all of her skin.
"MIYA!" He growls before leaping toward the woman but was flung out of the room with a single slap from her while she screams at the top of her lungs.
"No!" it was muffled but the black liquid but Gradeus can make it out of her. She rips the entity which is blocking her mouth with her hand that is equally covered too.
"RUN! It's trying to devour you!" She screams her eyes turning black as the Dark Spear finally starts to enter her mind.
Instantly, not really thinking about the consequences Gradeus run towards her trying to get ahold of the deranged weapon.
"Huh" He frowns as the weapon disappears from his sight while Miya fell on his arm, unconscious.
Before he can even check on her, she grabs his neck as she grins disgustingly. This is not the human he knows, her eyes covered in all black as she tosses him. She was too powerful that Gradeus ended up outside the mansion. Miya walks towards him not really caring about the debris on the way.
Gradeus stands up not knowing what to do, he cannot call out his Soul Weapon, just the thought of him laying a finger on her with the intention of hurting her is making him crazy.
"Miya, come back to me." He whispers but the human laughs hysterically before grabbing his neck again. She shrieks as her arms was covered with black liquid which formed blades that hardened before stabbing him over and over again. The Clan Leader protects himself with his arms but the wounds were becoming more painful with each passing second. But with every wound he is receiving, the only thing hurting him is the thought of Miya succumbing to the deranged weapon.
"Gradeus!" Rayga calls out to him.
"Don't you dare!" Gradeus growls out to him as the Clan Leader calls out his Soul Weapon, ready to attack. Rayga was confused but let Gradeus handle this while he stays as a standby. He knows the human as Frankenstein told him about her.
"She's gone Gradeus! The Dark Spear is only controlling her to injure you. To make you weak enough for consumption." Rayga explained. It was the frightening fact that the deranged weapon has a subtle mind of its own.
"Miya! Come back please!" Gradeus hugs her tightly not caring if she's continuously struggling to attack him. She was able to pry his arms open before scratching his face, making a long horizontal wound just below his eyes.
"Frankenstein!" Rayga exclaimed, relieved that the owner of the deranged weapon is finally here. Miya, controlled by the Dark Spear, looks at the human who is currently speeding toward her. Miya shrieks before the Dark Spear devour her as if taunting Frankenstein.
Gradeus looks at the calmed weapon, surprised and enraged. He leaps toward the weapon but was stopped by Rayga.
"Give her back!" Gradeus screams at Frankenstein who get a hold of the Dark Spear with a solemn face.
The number of souls that his weapon holds, increases, again.
~~~
"Let them heal it." Zarga insisted on Gradeus as the latter stubbornly growls at him.
"Don't you dare touch it." The Clan Leader glares at the healer of his clan who shook like a leaf before nodding at him. The wound on his face stopped infesting the surrounding skin however he would like to bear it as his last memory of her. Engraved on him forever.
Author's Note:
Credits to the owner of the picture
I hope you enjoy this, guys. I'm sorry about how rushed this may look, I don't really know how to write one-shots, sorry.