We arrived at the foot of the forest.
"So what are we gonna do now?" I asked them.
"What we're gonna do is..." Domina fetched something from her bag. "use these!" she brought out two blankets. "I call these babies, Vanishawls!"
"Um I really don't think we have the time for this." I said.
"What's the purpose of these babies you ask? It can hide you appearance as well as your magic! You can buy it at 30,000 yuls and get one free!"
"Are these enough?" Noelle brought out a bag of yuls.
"A-ah there's no need for that! They're free of charge for now heheh.." she scratched her head.
"Liar, you look hopeful earlier." Mariella said.
"Maybe she just got overwhelmed by the bag of goodies."
""Oh hey! Look we can go in from there!" She changed the topic.
"Seriously? What the hell are we doing here?!" Asta shouted.
"Just shut your hole, Asta. You'll know soon." I said.
"Eh?! But-"
Mariella flew forward sparing me from Asta's shouting.
"This is awkward.." I mumbled. I am now cheek to cheek with Mariella at the back while Noelle and Domina are in the front.
"I could kill someone right now."
"Try me, bitch." I whispered at her.
"Shut up! You two back there, we just have to deal with this until we could go to the queen!"
"Tch."
I looked over at Asta who's being squished by Finral and Sensei. Phew wouldn't wanna be him in that situation.
"Gole!" I looked over to the sky and saw a flying meatloaf.
"That looks so cute. What is that?" Noelle said.
"Pft it looks disgusting." I mumbled.
"I think that's the one who guards the whole forest. There are plenty of them scattered around. They can be a pain in the ass firing all that magical bullets." Domina explained.
"Pft one bite and I can end their lives." I rolled my eyes.
"Not everything you see is edible, Lia!" Noelle whisper-shouted.
I looked behind us to check on Asta and the others. My eyes widened when I saw them fully exposed... and Sensei is naked again?
"Um... I think we have a problem." I tugged on Domina's shirt.
"Shh! Don't move! We're still good to go.."
I looked back at her. "Eh? So you want me to just look at them being surrounded by hundreds of these creatures?!"
"N-no.. L-Lia-" I ignored her and jumped towards Asta and shielded them from the magical bullets.
"Go!" I shouted. "Jeez. at least drive properly!" I said when we bumped into Noelle.
"Oi you-"
"Shut it!" I shouted and looked around. Crap, we're surrounded. "There's no time! Head to the Queen!" I said and pulled the towards us.
"Fhia, you're shtandhing on my facshe" I looked down and saw both of my feet on Asta's face.
"Sorry, please endure it a little bit longer." Crap, how many of them are there? Their attacking from all angles! I can't deflect them all! "Ouch!" I cussed when a fireball hit my side. "Sorry! But I can't shield them all!" I shouted.
"Don't worry! Let's just blast our way towards there!" Domina shouted. "We'll talk later, you useless husband!"
"Then let's use my magic so we could get there faster!" Finral opened a portal in front of us.
"Eh?! Where are we?!" I asked Finral.
"Hello, ladies." Finral smiled to the girl in front of us.
I elbowed him on the head. "WE'RE SUPPOSED TO CRASH INTO THE QUEEN'S MANOR YOU IDIOT!"
"Ow! I have seniority here!"
"I DON'T CARE LET'S GO!" I yelled at him.
"Scary."
"I'm still embarrassed."
We stopped in mid-air when a large puff of smoke engulfed us.
"I can sense magic everywhere." Finral said.
"This must be Domina's doing, let's go." Sensei said.
We went at the queen's manor at full speed. Good thing it has a big hole in front of it. No more dramatic entrances. We crashed at the carpeted floor. I coughed and used my magic to disperse the dust around us.
"Imperfect." Someone spoke before us. I looked up to see Vanessa laying on the ground, unconscious.
"Vanessa!" We all shouted at the same time.
"Oi what the hell are you doing!" Asta shouted and I shouted. I made sure too observe the woman in front of us. This must be their Queen... she has a tremendous amount of magic power, I can feel it.
"How dare you break in here in such an unsightly way and call me that?" Jeez her voice is scary. "I am the ruler of this forest. The mother of all witches.." Yeah, I figured. "This girl and that girl over there are under my command. They are my children and they have some explaining to do." She looked at us terrifyingly. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have some family issues to solve."
"Vanessa-neesan doesn't look anything like you! Especially the attitude! Are you her evil step mother?" I asked.
"What a vulgar mouth you have, young lady. It would be a shame to lose it." She stared at me and I stared back. "Hmm, feisty." She smirked.
"Oi! You didn't answer my question. What the hell are you doing to her!" Asta charged into Finral's portal and went behind the Queen. To his surprise, the Queen caught him with her magic. Crows?
"How unsightly, you have no magic in you."
"That's right, I may be unsightly, ugly or vile but I am not the one who's stepping on their family right now!"
"Ah I see, you must be the brat Vanessa keep talking about." She said. "This girl right here made a deal with me. She said she could become my slave if I fixed your arms."
I see, Vanessa made the same choice like we did..
"We all want to see you reach your dream, Asta." Sensei said.
"That's right."
"When people care for you, none of your problems aren't your own anymore. Right, Noelle?" Pft since when did Mariella became like this?
"Yes." Since when did they became friends??
"I just want to see you beat me in the race to 5,000 push-ups that's why I'm here." I said and looked away.
"That's why.." Mariella threw a bunch of crystallized knives towards the Queen's direction while I made some of the bricks and woods behind us float. Both of us threw the debris towards the Queen to which she easily blocked but.. there goes that opening. "Even though I hid any intent of harming you, you still blocked that. Impressive... But.." She stepped aside letting Sensei do his thing.
"We managed to distract you enough to lower your guard on Asta." I continued and returned her smirk from earlier. Everyone got into a fighting stance. Are they serious?! I never heard of fighting someone! The Queen's expression when she sensed something. What could it be?
"I never thought they would get here that fast.." Who?
"Um.. who?" I asked.
"The Eye of the Midnight Sun."
"The Eye of the Midnight Sun?!"
"Why are they heading here?"
"Why does they have to choose this timing?!" I complained.
"Y-you're not doing this t-to throw us off-guard are you?" Finral asked.
"Pathetic." The Queen stated. "I could've chose to end your lives this instant.. but I chose not to." She then made a bubble that shows the enemies.
"That girl was in Nairn!" Finral said. Hmm now that I've gotten a closer look at her.. she looks a little bit familiar.
"Oi, Mariella. Doesn't that girl look like Fana-senpai?"
"Impossible. She was killed long time ago." I rolled my eyes at her.
"Tch whatever." I said and looked at the bubble again. I really think that it's Fana, our senior.
"She's probably as powerful as Vetto." They said.
"Or more.." I said pointing at the fire spirit.
"It doesn't matter. I'll kill all of the imperfect creatures in this world. Inform the others!" A flock of crows came flying through us.
"Shit." I watched as one side of the forest got caught on fire. I looked to my side when I saw the Queen cast another bubble. Are you shitting me right now? Why are they here?! "Impeccable timing." I mumbled while glaring at the two guys at the front. My heart raced and I can feel my throat drying when I saw the guy beside Mars.
"Oi Queenie! Heal Asta's arms now you're gonna need all the manpower you can get right now."
"That's right! From the looks of it, chibi-sta's Anti-Magic Sword is our best chance right now.." I joined Noelle. "Even though the Diamond Kingdom's forces doesn't look that scary that two guys at the front still packs a punch!"
"Eh? Do they not look scary for you, Lia-chan?" Finral asked.
"I mean.. yeah. Those mages at the back are nothing but a flick on the wrist for me... what about you?" I asked him back.
"Ah.. eh.." He scratched his neck. I looked at the Queen who seems to be thinking deeply right now.
"So what's it gonna be?" I asked her.
"Fine, but at the end of the day his sword and Vanessa will belong to me." I rolled my eyes.
"Then it's settled." I said while walking towards Sensei. "I'll scout the ground to look for any hidden forces." I said and went to the edge of the building.
"No, it's too dangerous, Lia-chan."
"Sorry Sensei but I wasn't asking." I looked at them and jumped. I ran towards the witches who got caught. I picked up some boulders and threw them at the guy.
"Are you guys okay?" I asked them.
"Kyah! I will not be saved by a g-" I caught her fist and took off my hood.
"Relax jeez I'm not a guy." I said. "You need to go and find others and go to the farthest side of the island. Now!" I said and ran towards the side where the Diamond Kingdom is. Fuck the Midnight Eye guys I'll deal with them later.
"Oh my, Lia. How you doinggg?" Sammael jumped from the tree. "Never thought I'd see you here." He winked at me and I just rolled my eyes at him.
"Just tell me if you wanna fight I still need to scout the grounds.." I gestured the forest behind me.
"Hmm, I'm still injured from our fight last time... can I join you?"
"Won't the Generals be mad?" I furrowed my eyebrows at him.
"Unless you snitch on me, they will." He pushed his hair back and put his hands inside his pockets.
"What if someone from the army noticed you?" I asked.
"Then, I'll just kill them." He walked closer to me and whispered in my ear.
"Makes sense." I shrugged.
"So where to?"
"Um.. the Diamond Kingdom is on the left side while the Midnight Sun gang is on the right..." I said making him chuckle. "What's so funny?" I raised a brow at him.
"Nothing, continue please." He leaned at the tree behind him and stared at me.
"If you want you can go to the right side to avoid being spotted. I'll go to the left." I said walking away from him.
"See you in 10 minutes, darling~" I heard him cooed.
"Disgusting." I mumbled and shook my head.
I hid behind a tree when I saw some guys walking towards me. I peeked and saw 5 men. This should be easy. I jumped from tree to tree but was stopped when I stepped on a crusty leaf. Crap.
"Oi! Who's there?!" One of them shouted. I stayed silent. I can feel them getting closer.
"I said who's there?!" I wore my hood and stepped out with my hands in the air.
"Sorry, I must've went the wrong way. I'll be going now." I turned my backs towards them.
"Oi we're still not done talking to you! We asked who are you!" One shouted. I turned around with a smile on my lips.
"Jeez calm down you look like a vein's gonna pop out of your throat." I smirked.
"Who are you?! Show us your face!"
"You bitch! We-" Before he could finish his sentence I went behind him and whispered something.
"Nigrum Iaspis."
"Wha-" I sliced his neck before he could finish his sentence. The rough movement caused my hood to fall revealing my face.
"Shit." I looked around and caught them staring at me.
"Oi that's the traitor!"
"This is bullshit there's no way we could kill that bitch. I'm out." One of them dropped their weapon and ran. I smiled smelling his fear. I appeared before him.
"What the h-" I stabbed him his vital point. Two down, three to go.
"Fire!" I looked up to see bullets blasting towards be. I easily dodged them and went behind them to stab their vital points.
"Are there still more of you down here?" I asked the one who looks like the commander. "Don't worry you won't die easily like the others.. you still have.. hmm let's see." I calculated his remaining time in my mind. "4 minutes to tell me stuff I need to know." I stepped on his chest and lowered my self. "Now?"
"Fuck you." He said coughing blood in my face.
"Disgusting." I said wiping the blood away. "Well then, I guess I have no use for you now.." Just as I was about to slice his head off a knife interrupted me. Pft asshole. I pulled the knife from the guy's head and turned to the direction it came from.
"I thought we were supposed to meet in 10 minutes?" I asked crossing my arms.
"Oh do we? I forgot." He said grinning.
"Seriously, you need to get you priorities straight, Sammael." I rolled my eyes and threw him his knife.
"Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Straight?"
"O-of course! What kind of qu-question is that dumbass!" I said punching him.
"My priority is straight then." He said still grinning.
"We're you following me the whole time?" I asked him.
"Maybe?" He said smirking.
"You could've helped me earlier then! Creep." Jeez how many eye rolls have I done because of this guy.
"Your eyes will roll out if you keep rolling your eyes like that."
"Well it's better than seeing you."
"Oh my, what do we have here?" Someone spoke in front of us. I froze when I saw him. "What can I say? Birds of the same feather really flies together." I gulped. I felt Sammy hid me behind his back.
"Calm down, Lia." This is the first time I've seen Sammy turn this serious again.