Before the fated clash could happen, the two deadly forces seemingly lost their vigor. The once impending attacks had both dissipated simultaneously. The cluster bomb immediately crumbled and broke apart, leaving nothing more than dust behind, and the only thing that followed in the wake of Cecilia's attack was the massive downpour that flooded the entirety of the circular space in which they now stood.
"Pwah! Why did you stop us?" Marion shouted, now hunched over on Krieg's shoulder as he emerged from the pool of water that now flooded the colosseum.
"You guys got a little too excited.....I did say no killing remember? Oh, were you enjoying yourself maybe?" Renard playfully teased her.
Marion hurriedly looked away in embarrassment, her cheeks now dyed in a light shade of red.
"It was a wonderful battle." Krieg responded, climbing onto the now flooded platform with a self-satisfied look.
"You hear that Cecilia?" Renard announced, turning towards the abnormal bubble-like mass of water present on the concrete platform. An oval like opening slowly expanded, and she emerged from the watery shield with not a drop to be seen on her.
"Yeah, every word." She replied coyly.
*SNAP*
With that simple motion from Cecilia, all the excess water seemingly sunk to the depths like a vanishing specter.
"It looks like I went too far....uhh...I'm sorry." Her bashful tone had returned.
"Heh, don't worry about it, that was a good fight." Marion gave Cecilia a slap on the back.
She shrieked at the sudden gesture.
"Uhh...Why do I have to carry these guys?" Leno interjected, both of Cecilia's comrades now strewn over his shoulder.
"Lucas, Dennis!" She had seemingly forgotten about them in the heat of battle.
"Don't worry, they're alive, just unconscious." Renard assured her.
Turning to meet the moon's splendor, he once again spoke.
"So can we call this a tie then?"
"Yea....I'm fine with that." Cecilia ccepted, a look of satisfaction now spread across her face.
"So, what about you?" He directed the question to the man slumped behind Cecilia.
"Yea.....you have my gratitude. Thanks to you, I was able to cast off my anxious thoughts and focus on besting the enemy before me. Though I was taken out, it was a fine performance to compliment my resignation if I do say so myself."
Winks answered, all traces of the anxious look he previously held had been erased.
"I must apologize for what happened earlier as well." Now back to his old self he gave them a gentle bow.
Cecilia followed his lead.
"Yea, I wanted to apologize for getting so caught up in things earlier as well."
"Heh, don't worry about it. Not after that fight you just put up." Marion extended a hand towards her, and Cecilia now feeling fulfilled, firmly grasped it.
"Alright now, with that all debts are settled! Let's get outta here!" Renard boldly announced.
"Why are you still talking so loudly?" Marrion gave him an annoyed stare.
"Heh Heh, guess I'm still in the mood is all."
"Well it's annoying so shut up."
"At least let me continue it until we reach back on the main road."
"Ow! You didn't have to hit me y'know"
"Hey why am I still the only one carrying these guys?"
A chorus of idle chatter echoed throughout the now soggy Colosseum grounds before fading towards the exit, it was seemingly in tune with the shifting of the nighttime sky.
************************************
Around two hours before the fated showdown.....
The hue of the evening sun had all but vanished beyond the horizon. Yet, a few rays of light still creeped through a window on the second floor of a rather high-class mansion. The exterior of the large French styled house had a beautiful emblazonment between the interacting red and white colors, as they established a gentle harmony down to every last painted corner.
A row of dwarfed trees, each nearly identical in height, stood sentinel along the path leading to the mansion.They seemed to be growing fruits resembling apples, but these were bluish in color and clustered together like grapes. The house was split into four distinct segments on the ground floor, but only three on the upper floors.
While a reasonably sized courtyard graced the estate, it paled in comparison to the grandeur of the royal palace's grounds. It was to be expected though, as the ornate gates of this particular residence bore the proud name "Stein." In the room graced by fading rays of light, the man known as Ferris Stein could be seen scribbling away at what seemed to be his workstation. It was a refined wooden desk about three meters wide, and four meters high
There were four towering stacks of paper directly in front of him, all with his seal of approval, and only one remaining on his right. For someone with such a seemingly weak body, his work ethic was commendable. Given the current time of day, a small lux crystal in the shape of a small sphere could also be seen emitting a faint glow beside the towering stack of papers, it seems the fading light from the sun could only provide so much visual assistance.
Knock Knock
The light taps on the door had resonated throughout the quiet room. Not stopping for even a moment, Ferris calmly answered:
"Come in"
The door hinges let out a small creak, and a woman, the same age as Ferris stepped inside.
"Dear, shouldn't you take a break soon?" She asked with a pained expression.
"I can keep going don't worry." He answered in an almost robotic tone as he continued with his efficiency.
"But you just got back from the summit, so you must be tired."
"No, it actually went just as planned so I can manage. I know you're worried about my health, but trust me, I feel better than ever." Ferris' assuring words carried no trace of kindness within them.
"Of course I'm still worried. I mean, this isn't normal. We had some of the best doctors in the country examine you and they couldn't help at all. But one day you just suddenly got better? You're in better physical shape than most knights even though you look like you're dying." Her somber torrent fell on deaf ears, the man didn't even spare her a glance. The room's silence was only filled by the sounds of his scribbling pen as it slid across the paper on his desk like a carousel.
"Just.....Just tell me what's going on....."
The scribbling sounds finally came to an abrupt stop.
"Rinia.......I'm working."
The look in his eyes made Rinia's shoulders jolt. She quietly backed out of the room, closing the now forsaken door.
After Ferris heard the fading of her footsteps down the hallway, he spoke once more.
"So you've come."
He got an almost inaudible reply.
His face contorted into a wicked expression upon hearing that response.
Removing the lux crystal from its stationary container, the room now went completely dark.
"What's next?"
@#$%*>!&#$#@@^
The response Ferris got from the shadows sounded like a screech from a malicious creature. Most humans would have been filled with fear and terror upon hearing that voice. But not this one, the man named Ferris Stein experienced something of a euphoric thrill in the cascading darkness of the room now filled with malicious intent.
Llmntfs$#*&^%hgtidnlstNPMNAFDTUp%
"Understood. It shall be done."
With those words, the man crushed the small crystal in his palm with a gleeful smile. Looks like he didn't need it after all.