Jake wasn't himself anymore. A young man once known for being thoughtless was now endlessly emotional and distraught. His weak, hunched over figure looked at his room burning in his flames.

Then watched as the fires died down...

"I... We- No, why did no one stop her?" Jake thought like a fool. He couldn't help feeling all was simply a ruse. His feelings were a mess, and couldn't quite tame this feeling of 'wrongness' deep in his bones.

Why did he reject Linda like that in the past?

This question lingering in the air was sniffed out almost immediately. Footsteps could be heard. His heartbeats started to deepen the closer they got close. Heavy thumps betraying his mixed emotions.

Two eyes gleaned past the mist made of ash.

The golden blonde woman's voice rang out:

"What happened?" A graceful voice filled with feminine charm resounded. It was a simple question to him, but he was somehow unable to feel the same as before. Unable to see this person the same way.

It was as if something inside his head just clicked.

The cloudiness in his eyes had vanished, and he was finally able to see this woman clearly. Jake... His eyes widened in horror, and he tried to push himself back... only to be met by the solid wall behind him.

The wall only survived due to magic-proof materials.

"Don't... Don't come any closer!" Jake roared and pointed his crimson wand at her. Unable to make sense of it all. The mysterious woman stopped in her tracks. She did not look at him with warmth.

If the coldness in her eyes could be expressed with temperature, then he would be feeling the Antarctic winds right now. The flames were dying down after most appliances and objects in his room burned out.

Through the misty boundary of ashes lay a face that was the embodiment of innocent beauty. Not immature, not charmless... It was the figure and expression of an angel descended from heaven.

One that looked down on mere mortals..

Usually, Jake's mind would twist that expressionless face into a smile... but his 'vision' had returned, and so did his grip on reality. That skewed visual alteration was warping into the girl's face in reality.

Jake then realised that he was a mere immature brat in front of the fairy. Her gaze was unfathomable. A profound dread etched into his soul. Especially when the girl's usually emotionless face stared smiling.

Her almost whispering voice resounded:

"Who woke you up?" His 'real sister' asked like a mother. One who was trying to calm a child that was having his little tantrum. Her hands had been raised non-combatively. Signifying she meant no harm.

But being 'harmed' wasn't what scared him.

"W-what have you done...? Answer!!" Jake's wand started to burn a blazing ruby radiance of light. He was out of ammo. Having used his Spell Slot for the day on that assassin earlier. This was pure Ether. 

External magical energy flowed into his wand, but it wasn't as bright as before. It was like comparing a raging flame to a spark. His current magic didn't seem harmful enough to cause damage to anyone.

"Brother... Are you trying to kill me?" Still, the girl who had replaced his 'fake sister' looked at him pitifully. Acting like she was threatened by his weak flames. Those sparks sizzling at the end of his wand.

"I'm not... LIAR! I am not your brother! We look NOTHING alike!" Jake could not accept it. At least Linda had some similarities to their father in hair and eyes. How did anyone think they're related?

"Linda was the same, right?" Going by the face.

"She grew up with me. And you... Don't pretend we have the slightest blood relation to each other." Jake was fully awake now. He remembered that he also rejected her the same way as with Linda before.

"That part isn't a lie." The girl stated without giving one strand of evidence to prove it, but she had no reason to lie. These were the last bits of information she was willing to give. It was time for reality to end.

And for the dream to settle in again.

His intense emotions got an equally intense reaction from the Ether around him. Violent and vengeful emotions... 'fiery' and 'dark' emotions had attracted the magical particles that were infused into reality.

The young woman ignored this.

She walking step by step towards her 'brother'...

"Aaaargh!!!" Jake roared a war-cry. Projectiles of searing flames shot forth. The blazing fireballs were intertwined by darkness, creating a jet-black fire from hell. It stretched like a pillar in an instant.

Darkness and flames layered and imposed onto each other... only to be slapped away by her cane. From the depths her spirit, Clara Arcadia, had pulled out the 'essence' of her Job Class. She waved it freely.

However, this wasn't in any way similar to Jake.

While the now soot-covered youth was manipulating the laws of magic with feelings alone, the girl merely struck out with the stick in her hands. A brilliance as strong as the sun itself illuminated the darkness. 

The flames extinguished by energy waves.

The surrounding ash was cleared up instantly.

It was after Clara Arcadia finally arrived in front of her maddened 'younger brother'... that she decided to completely do away with his resistance. She made sure to grasp his Red Wand within her hand gently.

"To think my dear brother would unsheathe his Spirit Essence at me. You can deny it, but we really ARE the best of siblings." Clara seemed amused by his antics. Not hurried to put him back in her clutch.

"We can't be... My father... had no other illegitimate children." Jake held onto his weapon for his dear life. The essence of his Job Class, his fiery Spirit Essence, was somehow being suppressed by her.

Even if he couldn't swing it, the fiery energy of Ether arose once again. It covered his body in a cover of fire. Jake wanted to become the pyre of which she'd burn on, yet his retaliation went by unnoticed...

...because Clara's power was just too strong.

"Brother, please stop this farce of denial. I'm more curious about how you escaped my hold on your mentality." Clara finally decided to investigate why he was sane. Out of all her new family members, it was weird the weakest of them mentally broke out.

*Put!* 

Rather than saying words, Jake spat towards her face in defiance. His eyes burning hot, seething with fury. The emotions of a rebellious youth seemed to empower his flames to engulf his body further.

It started to become clear to him now.

Before Clara came here, Jake and his sister may have hated and put on the act of having a harmonious relationship with each other. However, they had not become so estranged as to try and harm each other.

Jake and Linda hadn't fully put aside their differences and the things about their past. There was still room for improvement, but it wasn't that bad at all. Even his facial scar was a funny story.

Although his father stayed the same, the five Arcadia siblings socialised a good amount already. It was a new beginning for all of them. Back then, Jake wanted to become someone his men could rely on. 

A hunter of Monstrous Beasts, or Monsters for short.

He'd perfected his 'Cast Crafting' of Shadow and Fire so specifically to aid the kingdom he served. That was... until Clara made her appearance. Her very existence had twisted their neutral relationship.

At first, Jake was skeptical of her and kept his distance... only to slowly fall under her influence in time. He didn't know when it had started, but he ended up considering this stranger a sister of his.

And eventually, that lead to him kicking Linda out.

He had betrayed Linda without giving her a chance.

"This is all on you!" Jake continued his shrieking towards her. The greatest fears holding him down were shattered apart like broken chains. His malice powered fist, coated in flames, headed for her face.

"How sad..." Clara merely lifted a finger. The fist struck her slender bones, but that was all it took to stop him in his tracks. With a flash of light, his body was restrained by a suffocating yet radiant barrier.

She closed her eyes pitifully and cried:

"You don't have to be so mean~" 

Tears seemed to fall from her eyes. Singing a harmonious tune with her ‘outrage’. Acting like he was the one that had wronged her… which only seemed to add to the wrath in the boy's heart.

However, he could not break through the confining barrier. Jake could only sit back and watch as an ominous wave of energy washed over him. It affected his mind. Seeping through the cracks of his clarity.

Jake found his vision suddenly turning blurry. It was as if the world was becoming an illusion. Her eyelids being distorted in Jake’s tired red eyes. Only to end with those two closed sockets opening up...

...to show a jaw of white teeth in each eye socket!

"AAAGGGHHH!!!!!" After a sudden scream, the room turned deadly silent since that point on. His body became limp. No longer was there a rebellious teen. That boy had vanished from Gaia once again,

Then... Clara's loving 'Younger Brother' was back.

"Big sis, what happened to my room?" Jake had gone back to his dream. He was looking around with curious eyes. Being amazed by the destruction of the toasted room. Most of his belongings were gone.

Why was everything burnt?

"You accidentally let loose your only Fire Spell." A face of ice spoke with inconsistently warm words with her mouth. She didn’t even pretend to show the now brainwashed brother any warmth in her words.

Though that was only true from her perspective.

"Oh, were you worried about me?" Jake was seeing vivid expressions on her face. Body language that suggested she was a kind girl who needed to be protected. That kind of sibling he always wanted.

"And if I say that I was?" Clara sighed.

"Then sorry... and thank you. You're so sweet to me. Really... thank you." Jake shook her both of her hands. Their Spirit Essences had vanished, and a look of endless gratitude appeared on his face.

Her two hands seemed to be draining something from him. Still, he left to find a new room with joyful eyes. Skipping as he did so. Feeling like he was in a happy dream. Away from all his problems in life.

“Now this is a mess...” Clara thought to herself while looking at the burnt ashes and broken technology around her. The fire alarm hadn't gone off properly because it got burnt. Even the sprinklers got burnt.

However, all that was just a minor inconvenience compared to seeing how Jake snapped out of her illusion. There was definitely some sort of trigger that caused this. A stimulus that shook her brother.

“Who could do this?” Clara thought a bit. Although her younger brother was always high-spirited and ready to fight for truth, it was impossible for him to break her power with meagre adrenaline spikes. 

What mattered was the heart.

So how did someone get under his skin so easily?

It was then she read through his recent memories:

“Adam Graham, huh?” Clara mumbled to herself.

The memories she'd scoured from the young master showed a very irritating individual on screen. He seemed like the type of trashy guy that was easy to crush. A person who cussed just to get a reaction.

She wasn't sure how he was so knowledgeable about Linda Arcadia. That part was unexpected. It didn’t feel right. However, it was also a perfect opportunity for her. She could use this to her advantage.

“Master wants that girl if he can.” Clara remembered the reason she even came to this backwater place initially. It wasn’t out of responsibility or revenge at all. Linda Arcadia was her target from the beginning.

Unfortunately, the girl’s plans didn't go as expected and the young woman she was here for had managed to escape. The blonde was about ready to leave after seeing there weren't any clues to where she went.

At least she found a lead to find her.

“Now I can meet Master with less shame.” Clara smiled to herself. The golden cane appeared in her hand again. This time, she unsheathed it to reveal a blade. Revealing that this was a ‘Sword Cane’.

"Adam Graham, Age 26, Former Landlord, and no real information other than owning a Territory License meant for aristocrats." Clara imagined such an opponent in front of her, then chopped it up.

Her movements so fast, it was as if she stood still.

The moment Clara returned the blade to the cane sheath, she gained the confidence to act upon her faith. The order of the current Crowned King wasn't to be messed with, but that wasn't the only problem.

King Ramos wasn't much of a problem battle-wise for her even if he DID have the blood of Royalty within him. She acknowledged as a quality difference between them. A gap that was difficult to jump..

While the King’s Magic Pathways had a Second Tier Saturation Rank of Mana concerning 'Darkness'. He managed to barely raise it from 'Dark' level to the level of 'Moondark' thanks to his familiar.

Such a person wasn't worth her time or effort.

However, the familiar companion who stayed close to the King's side seemed more worth her being cautious. That slick yet spiky red haired man with the one-sided blade. He had a certain quality to him.

She wasn't sure why... but he felt almost 'divine'.

That guy with the mask.

If Clara was to suddenly cause a mess in another person's territory openly and got caught, they'd likely use this as an excuse to team up. Especially if finding out she was going after the King's friend.

That wasn't even mentioning Reigning Queen, Lara Pandorica. This kingdom was filled with allies that improper Villainess made over the course of her little life. These people would also be a headache.

“Should I use that?” Clara thought about it. An idea suddenly came into her mind. She plastered a smile on her face and ran off. A knocking could be heard on the Duke's office door the very next day.

The man inside casually allowed her in.

"Daddy~" Unlike with her younger brother, Clara was far more brighter in front of her only father. And she literally meant the ONLY part of that thought process... When Duke Bryan saw her, a rare smile formed on his face. A look appeared as he spoke:

"You must want something." The duke looked up.

"Daaaddd, I don't always come here for that."

"That's right. My daughter is always right. Now what does my 'always right' daughter want?" He was both warm yet dismissive. The kind of guy who would spoil them rotten even if they did stupid things.

"Actually, there's a guy I like." These words made the Duke's face harden. His lips lightly twitched. He was ready for anything, but not a sudden proposal that would cause Clara to move out. He only had her.

One daughter.

"You should take your time before marrying. We haven't even been together long, and you're already leaving?" Even though his outer words seemed fatherly, his eyes seemed to contain secret desire.

The formerly suited old man with some whiteness in his hair walked up to Clara and patted her head. His hands flowed through her hairs while imagining what she'd look like if he opened up her stomach.

Would her organs be the same as an ‘Alaya’ Human?

Of course, Clara pretended not to see the familiar eyes she'd seen a lot from her own homeland. If it weren't for the fact that mesmerised targets lost a lot of battle power, she wouldn't do this.

"Please~ I'm sure you'd like him too." Clara decided to shift the focus of those inhumane eyes. This was a good way for her to approach and show no hostility at the same time. Not wanting to scare her target.

"Hmm? In what way?" The duke raised his brow.

"Apparently, he's a Landlord from a Lower Realm."

"...That doesn't sound like much." He coughed.

"And he knows about Linda. Apparently, the two of them were good friends at one point in life." Clara made that part up, but there was no need to tell the truth. The only thing that mattered were results.

"That sounds like a lie, but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Can I go meet this person myself?" The duke, despite being on influence, did not hide the emotions being discarded away.

"Of course~" Clara hugged her 'father'. Pretending she couldn't smell the odour of death from him. This wasn't his own blood, but that of someone else. He somehow erased it, but the strong smell lingered.

Now... she just had to wait for Duke Bryan to do something crazy for the sake of his experiments again. He was likely much more experienced in kidnapping Earthlings than your average person.

The two of them talked more nonsense to each other like close family before they separated. They each had their goals, but she did not need to harm him unless her father was specifically targeting her.

“Scum...” Clara brushed through her hair and shivered in pure disgust. Having had to act like a maiden again. Regardless of the results, she wasn't planning on letting him keep his feelings inside.

Even planting some suggestions in Bryan’s head to get our target to act, by chance was all she gave. If he doesn't do anything despite her urging, the next newspaper will be about his untimely demise.

Clara sighed as she waited for the spectacle.

—-