CHAPTER 98: MIND-CANCEL

SERENA MAIZONO

25 DAYS AGO

"This... This is impossible!" 

Emperor Eldritch said as he was surprised for a peculiar happening. It is true that he just used his Eye of Deus at this very moment. The pulsing invisible shockwave and the reddening of the surroundings is the proof of that. But for some reason, he never got what he wanted. He failed to control me.

I looked at Sakuradrop, who is also surprised by the non-existent effects of Eye of Deus on me. Of course, they thought that I can be completely submitted to their control. I was once a subject to the mind-altering effects of the Psychic Amplifier back when Cheng Du sampled it. They just couldn't believe that it's no longer effective for me now. And Sakuradrop seems to know how I'm resistant.

"Eye of Deus!?" Sakuradrop muttered. "You mongrel, you have it too!? I should have known!"

I was surprised when I heard her conclusion. I looked at the futuretech glove's orb that reflected my face, and I saw that I really have the Eye of Deus. My right eye is crimson with black sclera. I did not know how or what happened, but I think the Eye of Deus repels all the mind-controlling effects of their psychic magic.

Suddenly, Eldritch's face removed all wariness and finally gave a smirk. "Heh." He let out a single laugh. Then it was followed by his wholesome cackle. "Fuhahahaha! Amazing, Serena Maizono! Amazing! You truly are the mighty and beautiful Dragon Queen after all!"

Emperor Eldritch covered his eyes with his hand for a brief moment as he reverted the Eye of Deus back to his normal form. Then he stared at me with pure and genuine admiration.

"My eyes are not worthy of controlling your mind. The only way for you to be mine is to capture your heart and soul. I will be courting you, oh my future empress. I will be waiting until you say yes."

I bowed shortly and answered. "I'm sorry, your majesty. But that's not gonna happen." Then I left the emperor's throne room and went on my way.

While walking on the corridors of the castle, I was engulfed in deep thought as I look at my crimson eyes. My right Eye of Deus is gone, and it seemed that it only activated briefly. I don't know how it happened, but I do seem to have the same power Eldritch and Sakuradrop possess. But how did I get such power?

I was finally at the gardens of the palace when I passed through some mind-controlled dragon knights. They are just guarding and patrolling the area like mindless robots, devoid of any emotion. I saw Alphonse and Z on my way out of the premises, but I did not pay much attention to them. They did not pay attention to me either, as I think they no longer remember me.

Or so I thought.

"Serena." It was the voice of my best friend.

When I looked around, I saw Alphonse and Z approaching me. They appear as emotionless mannequins just like before, but when they're finally close, Z "accidentally" bumped into me. I felt her soft delicate hand inserting some piece of paper in my fingerless glove. Then they continue to patrol their way as if nothing happened.

Having such an event gave me a glimpse of hope. Z remembered me and called my name. There must be good news for this. 

When I finally made my way out of the palace premises, I looked around to see if there's someone following me. When I confirmed that nobody is stalking, I immediately drew the piece of paper from my glove.

"Five days from now, at your bar." That's all the piece of paper said. 

My face brightened upon seeing this news. There is a ray of hope that is coming towards me. I don't know how Alphonse and Z broke through the mind-control magic, but I think I will get some answers from the five days from now. For some reason, I also feel that it's connected to the Eye of Deus power I got. And in the best-case scenario, they must have known Xenon's whereabouts since they're the one who captured him.

That evening, I immediately called Danielle and told her the good news. She was extremely happy about it, so the next morning, we booked our flights to Goldcliffe City. The message said that we would meet at my bar, so that means they know about my Heaven's Gate business. That place is a secret sanctuary for ex-Arcadian soldiers, and we are certain that nobody would be able to know about our secret meeting there at the dirty slums.

Five days came so fast, and finally, Danielle and I made it. We had the remnants of Arcadia like Airi to fill up the place with loyal dragonoids to act as guards for our meeting. My dragonoid fans from the slums Brow and Richard also helped in securing the area by being our eyes and ears inside and outside the bar.

Confusingly, Z did not state what time we'll meet on the bar, so Danielle and I went ahead of time. Danielle became quickly bored so to light her mood up, she tested all liquors on the shelves. It was already noon when Alphonse and Z came in, and Danielle was already not in shape. She's already drunk.

"Ohohoho! More alcohol please, hostess!" Danielle laughed and cried at the same time as she continued to pester the counter girl Airi. She didn't even notice that our old friends are here.

"Just how messed up that bitch can be?" Alphonse muttered as he flipped his long blonde hair.

"You're just as messed up as her, Master." Z commented with a smug as she tipped her witch's hat.

"S-Sir Alphonse! Z!" I immediately approached them and examined their faces. Their eyes no longer bear the lifeless and mindless state they had in months, and it's truly a miracle that they have broken the mind-controlling effects of the Eye of Deus! "I can't believe you guys are back!"

"Yeah, we can't believe it either!" Z said as she jollily held both of my hands. We had an eye-to-eye contact and I had a long look at her sparkling crimson eyes. It's the best friend Z I really know!

When the drunk Danielle finally felt that our friends are back, her reddish face brightened. "Z!!!" Danielle immediately leaped towards the poor witch girl and touched her in places I better not describe. "Oh! You've grown a lot! Your holes are a little tighter now!"

"U-Uwaaah! Not there, Lady Danielle! Kyaah! Ah! Hahahahuhuhu! Stop!" Z cried out loud as she tried to struggle from the hug and groping of the mind-controlled black beauty. Knowing that resisting is futile, Z glared and scolded me. "W-What did you do to Lady Danielle!? Why is she so touchy!? Did you use the love potion again?"

"W-What!? No!" I cried. Then I gave her a forced smile. "She's just drunk. Maybe she just missed you a lot."

Suddenly, the drunk Danielle looked at Alphonse. The drunken lady had her mouth drooling as she leaped towards the handsome blonde dragon knight. "Senor Alphonse! I miss you too!"

With his impressive reflexes, Alphonse pushed away Danielle with his palm. "Get off me, you filthy chocolate bitch!" He cried out loud. When he's already full of drunken beauty's annoying actions, he immediately revealed his chains and wrapped Danielle's body like a half cocoon. Now Danielle won't be able to move an inch.

"Mmmmph! Mmmph!" Danielle cried out loud but it's inaudible. She's currently gagged by Alphonse's chains.

"Phew, finally. Some peace." Alphonse wiped the sweat from his neck. "This is actually the very first time I saw Danielle that drunk. Nathaniel used to limit Danielle's alcohol intake, but now that he's gone, she's acting worse than drunk Xenon."

Hearing the name of the man I love immediately made me want to go straight to the topic. But first, I need to know why they are free from the mind-controlling effects in the first place. Before I could open my mouth and ask a question, Alphonse immediately talked to me. 

"Let's settle down first. I will tell you all the answers you've been longing for. We don't have much time left, so I will not be waiting for Danielle to sober up. I'll just talk to you, Serena."

"R-Right!" I excitedly pumped my fists. Then I led them to a nearby rounded wooden table. "Take a seat."

When Alphonse, Z, and I settled down, my best friend witch girl started to talk. And what came out from her mouth is something I never expected to hear.

"Sir Xenon saved us. He used his Eye of Deus to cancel out the mind-control that was cast upon us."

"Yes, that's right. It pains me to say it, but that fucker saved our asses one more time." Alphonse nodded.

"X-Xen!? H-He has the Eye of Deus?" I muttered.

"I thought you knew about it already." Z said in a happy voice. "Sir Xenon dispelled the psychic magic back during your raid in Elysia. When he was all alone and left cornered by dragon knights, we were the ones who captured him. Little did we know that he planned to be left behind just to save us both from the mind-control of Sakuradrop."

Wait, so if Xenon senpai really possesses the Eye of Deus, then that means I can use it too by my bloodline magic Nexus Link. If that's the case, then the mysterious happening where Eldritch failed to mind control me leads only to one thing.

I held my chest and felt the heartbeats of my love through my own heart.

"Xen-senpai... saved me again..."