THE ADVENTURER OF EDEN
3.9 "Friends"

(Ah, they all show up again... Annoying singing voices due to just "la~la~la~" only. It's the same as 2 years ago against Leonard.) Shiki thought.

Thinking of that, Shiki fought Kira. Shiki was aware of that, and the sound of the chant grew louder in his head. The contents of his mind were winged creatures in the form of silhouettes; they joined hands and danced...

"A momentary mediation will bring disaster!" Kira says that with her amplifying the magical energy of her curse to suppress Shiki.

Shiki recalled, like fighting a bandit boss on Mount Romus, if the magical energy of the curse is able to make anyone who touches it will feel weakened. Shiki understood he had no control over the side effects, and that was why he won easily against the bandit boss with a weapon layered with magical curse energy.

"We'll see whose doom you mean will come first!"

Shiki was suppressing the powerful back, an incredible magical energy was flowing on him now. His body feels fit again, the strength in his body is back again, this is like a high level Buff that makes it like at the beginning of the fight.

(This is an unexpected force! Whoever gave me this power, I thank you.!).

Shiki lowered his head and Kira's attack hit him backwards until it made a loud blast; "What?!"

(.Thanks to that I can become stronger.!).

Shiki turned around, slashing Kira several times on her body. CRATZ! CRATZ! CRATZ!

"GERMAN!" Kira spews blood with Shiki constantly preparing for another attack. Shiki shot the Great Wind Cutter, a wind scythe that was larger than the ordinary Wind Cutter and Kira destroyed the attack with a curse magical energy in both of her claws.

Shiki uses "Tempest" then more powerful to the point where it is called; "Tempest Maximal!"

Shiki releases the strong wind Manna Burst, and Kira is in disbelief; (she keeps getting stronger and stronger! Absolutely Monster!)

Shiki darted up close stabbing Kira in the stomach. Kira spewed out a lot of blood, purple blood like Mira; "GWOG!" the one at the same time shouted worriedly at him; "Kira!!!"

"Damn it...!" Kira is annoyed, willing to stab Shiki with both claws of magical curse energy hands with Shiki's chance still in front of him. But the 20-year-old kicked Kira's chin twice quickly, and the second kick sent Kira bouncing up; GUGH!!

"Combo Storm Attack!"

Shiki who is still using his strongest Buff prepared, he darted and CRATZ! Then it sped up again CRATZ! Cross again CRATZ! Cross again CRATZ! Darting again, again, again and again CRATZ! CRATZ! CRATZ! CRATZ!

"YOOHH!"

Kira spewed out a lot of blood with repeated attacks in that air and Shiki would end it immediately from above; "This is the end, KIRA!"

With a smile, Shiki crushed him with multiple attacks until both his wolf hands and feet were crushed. That young man, he had fighting ability above himself.

"Highest Time! Horizon Slash!"

Shiki darted over Kira, giving a powerful slash to his body until it became two halves. The Firmament Slash was his name, the ultimate slash that was even capable of splitting the cursed body of the former prince of Rowen Kingdom, Jonathan.

(Jona..!) Mira cries to see her older brother killed and defeated.

I smiled at Mira. "Until we meet in hell." He said it was slow and disappeared into ashes like the Monsters.

...

Back to now. Shiki and Alicia sit down waiting for reinforcements, with Mira already giving up on being defeated.

Shiki was injured, but still able to walk. Alicia was also injured, or not even, though it still looked quite fresh. And of course Mira is the worst here and she knows death will soon pick her up;

"As soon as it appeared, since Kira was a Werewolf, then she lost disappearing into ashes. In the end he is not called a human, but a monster" Shiki said.

"true." Mira nodded; "I didn't really know that Kira could become a Monster. All I know of his experiment with Master is to strengthen the regeneration he has, to be more absolute, more perfect than your regeneration."

"Autmost regeneration. Passive magic like that, only the Romanovas have it, you know. Why would Kira use it? Is it from your ancestors who came from Romanova?" alicia asked curiously, concluding that.

"Our great-grandfather, Kira once told me that. Her offspring did not inherit regeneration, but Kira managed to break it." Mira replied; "Master then did a great experiment on her and so she is now..."

"That makes sense, so someone named this Master reinforced it. I think it's a safe assumption that this Master is most likely from the Abyss." Shiki crossed her arms understanding.

"What about your power? Summoning monsters in such large numbers... Is that really your magic?" ask Shiki curiously.

"Yes, that's my magic. You could say Master has "enhanced" the magic of coffee pasting living beings (except humans) to a stage where I can only do that to Monsters." Mira answered that.

"If you copy the monster, is it possible that you've been to the Abyss, Mira?!" ask Alicia curious.

"No, I've never been there. But there's another way, Master's been planting his seeds on me for five years, and I think that's what makes me summon a Monster from the Abyss." Mira answered that.

"With Apollon, my Monster summoning magic is increasing again. I can finally use it on a large scale..." As Mira explained that, Alicia's face was very flushed and Shiki also blushed a little;

"Why are you guys so awkward?"

"No, I mean. Planting seeds! Ah, I'm trying to think positively, I understand! I understand!" Alicia panicked instead and she blushed as she spoke.

"Continue, do you still have any information you want to tell me before you die?" Shiki nanya to Mira.

Alicia becomes serious, right, Mira can't be saved now and just biding her time until Mira dies like Kira.

"True, before I die, I'll tell you..." Mira said seriously, something related to "Master"

"...the Master's original identity!"

💠💠💠

It started 9 months ago, about 2 weeks after what befell Duke Peter Romanova and his wife.

This long blonde girl always felt this way. Feeling the burden of his life getting heavier, everyone's expectations of him getting bigger after what happened to his parents.

"I'm the successor to the Romanova family, Alicia Romanova, the new head of the family."

But everyone realized how difficult Alicia had been for the past few months, since her parents were "cursed" by someone

"I will never forgive anyone who did this to my parents."

"Don't worry, the Romanovas will continue to do so. So go to sleep, dad... Sweet dreams."

This girl was indeed full of pride and confidence. Although on one hand, behind her beautiful face mask, she felt that this was too much for her. He couldn't possibly leave all this burden to his three younger siblings.

In the end, he thought that he might have to give up. Maybe she should get married in order to share this burden with her husband? That was the last option he could do. Uhh... This girl thought if she felt troubled by this all, what about her husband later?

When everyone could only see her, on that day, Alicia was told that she would be the arrival of two personal aides who could share a grievance with her.

"Personal auditions? For me?" alicia asked in surprise to the butler of the Romanova family.

"Someone from Parliament offered us these two men. I thought it would be better for you to have a personal aide..." The butler said; "I think the two of them will be good friends to you."

Alicia pondered that after hearing the word "friend". Something she had not had in a long time, ever since she said "hate" to Reina.

"I'm sorry because this sounds like it's going to add a burden to you, but I, the maids and even your four sisters are so worried about you that it looks so different since what happened to the master and mistress." The butler told Alicia; "If this "friend" presence can make you the way you were before, it'll make us happy."

"so yeah. I understand; thank you for worrying about me, Alfred." Alicia smiled, she thought Alfred's suggestion had a point.

Having friends, might be able to reduce her burden now.

Thereafter... "My name is Kira and she's my partner, Mira. From today on, we are your adjutants... Princess Alicia Romanova." Kira and Mira bend their bodies; introduce themselves to Alicia.

💠💠💠

Back to now, in "somewhere", Duke Robert Stardust was sitting in his room.

"The battle at Guildtown seems to be over. Maybe this doesn't surprise you, but Kira and Mira have been defeated."

"That may have died at the hands of Shiki the Strongest Adventurer, but Mira seems to be alive. Looking at her relationship with Princess Alicia over the past few months, it is not impossible that she will reveal your identity, Master."

"I didn't want my identity to be known to the crowd before "Ragnarok" really started. Especially to Shiki and my daughter, Reina. If my identity as Duke Robert Stardust is known to them, it will change the story in such a way." replied Duke Robert Stardust; "But that's not the case now, Mira did try to divulge my identity and she won't be able to do that now..."

Duke Robert Stardust smiled and he had already anticipated that Mira might reveal her identity to Alicia.

***

Back to Shiki's place;

"Huh... Why can't I say that name?! It felt like my tongue refused to say it...!" Mira could not name "Duke Robert Stardust" which was the Master's real identity.

"What do you mean?!" Alicia was startled, and Shiki frowned upon hearing that.

"So it seems; I was the "own" Master from the beginning. Master anticipated this, probably before Kira and I went on a mission to kill you." Mira smiles, understand.

Shiki understood now. "That's it." It seems that this Master has predicted Mira will be good friends with Alicia and already know their destiny. Shiki became curious, this someone called Master, could he foresee the future?

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can tell you, even if I write his name, I can't." Mira told me that.

"That's not a problem, Mira." Alicia understood, a smile said that; "We'll know who "Master" is sooner or later."

"Then, I'll just tell you about NARAKU." Mira prepared to tell Shiki and Alicia; "Even though she has defeated us, do not let your guard down. The Master's goal was to get rid of the Adventurer Guild for wanting to get rid of Shiki the Strongest Adventurer and Princess Reina Stardust."

"Huh?" Alicia was surprised, she thought Mira was willing to continue killing her for failing before. While Shiki understood, it was natural that he and Reina were being targeted by this Master.

"Then get rid of the "three factions" in the Kingdom of Asteria."

"That means "Military" and "Sanctum" will be the next targets..." Alicia curious. If aiming for a Guild then it made sense to aim for the other two factions;

"I think maybe, after all, there are 5 other generals left besides me and Kira; "Prince of Slaughter", "Wise Odin", "Dr. Goblin" and "Silver Wolf". I don't know who the last person was... I haven't heard her name in 10 years with Master." Me and Kira."

"In addition to "The Evil Generals", NARAKU also has dozens of collabulators scattered around the world and half of them are in the Kingdom of Asteria."

"Collaborators.so they teamed up with NARAKU to share the success together." Alicia understands about this collaborator.

"And those names are unknown, except for the Slaughterer Prince... I think it's Artha Blackmore, right?" Shiki guessed about Artha. Mira nodded.

"Thank you, Mira; that's great information." Alicia thanked the voice of many people coming from behind them;

"They started coming." Shiki looked back, Adventurers started to arrive, Vira was there;

"Ugh..." Mira held his chest. "My heart feels like it's going to explode, I think I'm going to die after this."

"Mira, I want to save you. Because of you and Kira, I can get through what happened before." Alicia said her honest feelings.

"What was that? Didn't you try to kill me?" Mira questioned that; "I was scared, but I realized that you were too good to kill someone you already considered a friend."

"Even your relationship with Princess Reina, you're really happy to be friends with her again, right?"

"Gw! Don't be so ignorant." Alicia's upset.

"Ahaha, sorry, sorry." Mira apologizes, Shiki smiles at that.

"But I am happy, and so is Kira; when I am with you, I am... Jeanne, and Jonathan felt something we hadn't felt in a long time. The feeling of having "friends" is something special, even if we betray you, our memories of these 9 months are incredible!" Mira tries to stand up and Shiki is willing to help her, but Mira shakes her head in refusal;

"Mira...!" Alicia is sad, this will be a farewell for her and Mira.

"Goodbye, miss princess. This is our last meeting. Thank you for everything, and I'm sorry for ever making you suffer." Mira held Alicia's hand happily; ".but I'm sure, things will be back to normal! That's what I believe from a genius princess like you! Alicia!"

"Jeanne...!" Alicia hugged Mira as the dark blue-haired woman disappeared into ashes.

Shiki was not surprised, it seemed that it was the effect she had of cursing energy like Kira. "Thank you for being my friend... Kiras... Mira.." said Alicia shed her tears

Shiki closed her eyes, Adventurers came and cheered triumphantly; "Shiki won!!!" "Guild Adventurers win!!!" "Great, Shiki! Princess Alicia!"

Shiki smiled hearing that happy cheer. This was the greatest victory of the Adventurer Guild since it was formed 50 years ago. But as Mira says, this is all just the beginning and the NARAKU terror is still not over.

...Chapter 3.9 "Friends" - finished...