CHAPTER 102: TRUE INTENTIONS

SERENA MAIZONO

8 DAYS AGO

It’s midnight, and I couldn’t sleep. Being at the terrace of the Elysian Royal Airship which is docked near the prison island, the breeze of the air made my long black hair dance with sorrow. I looked up in the skies and saw the glittering stars in the middle of the darkness.

On my hand, are two things that twinkle brighter than the lights above. The first jewelry on my hand is a royal engagement ring that is filled with white-and-blue diamonds; the ring that Eldritch gave me when he proposed a few days ago. I let the ring rest on my palm as I ignore completely its reflective glow.

The second jewelry is something I treasure the most: a platinum bracelet that mimics the rainbow lights of the skies. It was the gift of Xenon when we both confessed our love to each other. Even now, I never let go of my treasure from my wrist. I always wear it wherever I go, just like the fingerless glove he first gave me. 

“Can’t sleep?” A familiar voice echoed in the atmosphere. When I turned around, I saw the man I pledged myself to marry. Emperor Eldritch.

I did not answer his question. I just glanced at him for a second, then I gazed upon the horizon where heaven and earth meet. Knowing that he’s ignored, Eldritch’s tone became a little bit pissed.

“Serena Maizono. You’re my fiance now. You accepted our deal and our fate. We’re marrying each other after three days. But why are you refusing to wear that engagement ring?”

I did not answer. After three seconds, Eldritch talked again as he stepped closer.

“Is it Xenon? Haha, yes, of course, it’s Xenon. I know you still love him. But you know that deep inside your heart that your dream of bringing happiness to the world prevails over your selfish love for him. You knew you wouldn’t change anything if you stay with him. You said so yourself.”

Eldritch finally reached the terrace. He pressed his face forward and locked eyes with me. From this angle, the saint-like emperor looks very handsome. His lips stick out as he drifted closer to my face. He’s the ideal prince charming for all the kids who grow with fairy tale books. However, even if this is fantasy, I refuse to accept his word.

With my gentle hand, I blocked Eldritch’s lips. The emperor of the world was surprised that I did such a thing, and he was more astounded when I spoke harsh words to him.

“Don’t you dare put your dirty lips on me… your majesty.”

“Ha!” Eldritch withdrew his face and covered his eyes with his hand. “I told you, I will make you truly mine someday, even by force. You will learn to love me. You have thrown away your feelings with Xenon, and I’m sure he has discarded his feelings for you too. You have nowhere to go. You no longer belong to anybody, except for me.”

“No, my emperor.” I gently touched Eldritch’s cheek with my gentle fingers. “Even if I were to marry you, I will never be yours. I belong with justice! Forge!”

Using the gaps of my fingers, I spawned paper-thin blades to graze upon the emperor’s cheek. A good amount of blood splashed in the air as the handsome face of the emperor was tainted with a scar similar to being scratched by a wildcat.

“Gah! What the hell did you do!?” Eldritch made several steps back from me while he held his wound. “You… You will pay for this!”

In an instant, Eldritch’s eyes activated the Eye of Deus. There was a powerful pulse in the air followed by a red flash. However, nothing happened to me. I’m still completely fine. Seeing this made Eldritch a lot more astonished than before.

“W-Why is the visual Heartstopper Curse not working against you!?” Eldritch cried. “Does your Eye of Deus repel even my most sacred magic!?”

Knowing that this will be a battlefield between me and Eldritch alone, I immediately drew out the futuretech glove and equipped it to my hand. I snapped my fingers, and two short swords spawned to each of my grasps.

“I’m sorry, your majesty. I don’t want Xenon to stain his hands any longer. I shall do everything I can so that justice will be served. Emperor Michael Eldritch… Surrender yourself peacefully.”

“Heh!” Eldritch laughed. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, oh glorious dragon queen. I have in complete control of all the military personnel of the whole world. Even if you’re the heir to the slave race, you lizards would not even dent my world empire!”

“Speak for yourself, motherfucker!” A shout from above-made noise.

Suddenly, a sharp sound of a tearing wind barrier echoed from the stratosphere. An extremely fast streak of a gigantic flying object left rainbow on its trail as it crashed towards the distance between me and the emperor. A thick smoke broke out, and finally, the one that intentionally crashed into this place revealed itself to be an Elemental Dragon with crystal wings and a potty-mouthed dragon knight that is wielding bladed chains as a weapon.

“Graaaaaaaahhhh!!!” The Elemental Dragon roared towards the emperor who managed to dash away for a little bit.

“Alphonse Faradeiss!” Eldritch gritted. “How did you break through the mind-control!?” Eldritch was about to ask more questions until his gaze returned to me, who had my Eye of Deus on my left eye. “Oh, I see how it is… Damn you, Serena Maizono! You made me a fool for trusting you!”

“Si Senor. You really are a fool.” Danielle revealed herself from the back of the Elemental Dragon and landed on my side. She opened up her bladed fans as she gave the full attention of her eyes towards the emperor. “You should have known that Mademoiselle Serena is a drama queen that can twist anyone’s emotions. She’s a celebrity after all.”

“So you double-crossed me, huh?” Eldritch laughed. “It matters not. Even if you refuse to take my hand, Serena Maizono, I can still rule all over the world with the current power I possess!” 

All of a sudden, pink cherry blossom petals flew beside Michael Eldritch. The petals compressed and shaped itself into a humanoid until it became a real person. A dragonoid that wields the Eye of Deus, wearing a pink lotus dress, and long black hair. I can feel some sort of connection from that dragonoid as she kind of looks like me. She is Sakuradrop.

“I told you, Eldritch. Serena Maizono can never be trusted. Look at your face. You look ugly now.” Sakuradrop mocked her master.

“This is but a scratch.” Eldritch wiped the blood on his scarred face. “I never expected her to betray me, but it’s not like I don’t have a contingency plan. I knew you can take these idiots out, Sakuradrop.”

“Of course. Who do you think you’re talking to?” Sakuradrop jollily answered the emperor. Somehow, I find it weird that these two are acting so close unlike most of the time where this teenage dragonoid would always respect his master.

Sakuradrop gaze towards the Elemental Dragon, Alphonse, Danielle, and finally, to me. Sakuradrop changed her expression from jolly to serious when she finally looked at my eyes. She should be hating why I have the same god-like eye like her.

“Michael Eldritch. You have to escape. The dragon knights of Alterra have broken free from our Psychic Amplifier. I have heard that the Pentagram Knights are on their way to this island.” Sakuradrop smiled with a worried tone. “There’s another airship on the far north side. Our dragon knights will protect you there."

“I know you’re worried about me, Sakuradrop,” Eldritch said. “But why should I run if you’re here? I am confident that you can neutralize the threats. Serena Maizono, Alphonse Faradeiss, Danielle Keine, the Pentagram Knights… They are of no match for you.”

“True.” Sakuradrop chuckled like a princess. “These insects are of no match for me, but I have made a great mistake in the past. I cannot protect you from Xenon Wingate. So you have to flee.”

Suddenly, several explosions echoed from the direction of the center of the prison island. The blasts may be kilometers away from here and a little faint, but it is a sign that Xenon has finally acted with his plans. There is a chaotic prison break that must be going on. The flames from the horizon of the island are proof of that.

Fully convinced, Eldritch has finally decided to trust his dragonoid. He caressed Sakuradrop’s cheek and made a quick kiss with their lips. Then the emperor rushed away from the airship. All of us were shocked and awed when we saw the true relationship between these people hidden all along.

“You know what? That’s extremely gross!” Alphonse commented. “But we will not let you escape!”

The Elemental Dragon showed its rainbow crystal wings as it launched into the air, but our enemy is not permitting us to pass. Sakuradrop immediately raised his hand to create a quick shockwave that pushed the dragon and knight away.

"Graaah?" The Elemental Dragon cried.

“Shit! What was that just now!?” Alphonse commented.

“I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen. You can never reach the emperor of the world. You all will die here! Isn’t that great!?” Sakuradrop clasped her hands jollily.

A tremendous aura engulfed the dragonoid in a lotus dress. Pink psychic energy flowed through her veins and skin as the magical concentration thickens. His Eye of Deus glowed but she’s not activating any psychic magic. Four flower bud-shaped orbs started to revolve around the body of the mysterious being called Sakuradrop.

“Brace on, Senor Alphonse, Mademoiselle Serena,” Danielle said. “There is something otherworldly on that enemy.”

I immediately activated my Elform to gather natural energy from the surroundings. Feeling the menacing air mixed on her aura, I can’t help but affirm Danielle’s hunch. Sakuradrop is certainly an entity that is of alien origin. Her magical energy levels are sporadic, and I can sense that she is at least ten times as powerful as Lothar Pendragon on Elform.

That thing about Sakuradrop defeating me, Alphonse, Danielle, Z, and the Pentagram Knights together… 

It’s no exaggeration.