"Just say 'yes' and stop trying to act tough for crying out loud," Marscilla bellowed, charging in the opposing direction of where she stood and went down to the lower levels of Leserado to cool off.
Lisa rubbed her swollened right cheek and didn't know what else to expect, "Jeez, what's tying her panties up in a wad?"
Little did the Bloodlust Succubus realized, everyone else were heading in the same direction, leaving her high and dry in shock.
"Hey, you guys can't just abandon me like that, I'm your partners, dammit," Lisa frantically waved her arms around in anger and frustration. Lisa flew deep into the entrance of Leserado and followed the others from behind while flying.
***
Returning to the Northern Coast Facility after a month off was an individual of the Mizuka family; Rouge Mizuka, the Apex Magician, thirty-one years of age. She's just returned from suspension because of a conflict mishap between her and Lola Mizuka. She was dressed in a kimono colored in rose-red, pink daisy and silky white.
Now that I'm back in action, I can easily try and figure out what's been going on. She never know how to take a chill pill for once, Rouge thought madly while placing her bag back into room, which is the same floor as the new four that were introduced earlier tonight.
"I wonder how everyone else is doing right now. Perhaps I should go check on them," Rouge thought out loud while placing on her mystical warrior attire. "I know for a fact that Black and his group are going to start making their move once again; so I minds well be prepared after a one-month suspension."
Before Rouge planned on getting dressed, she didn't realize Lola was quicly recovered from all her wounds and had elected approach the woman's door, even though she knew Rouge was right about her personality and wasn't afraid to speak her mind.
Lola pressed her hand on the bottom for her voice could be heard throughout Rouge's bedroom, "Rouge. It's me Lola. Open the door."
Rouge sighed before trailing over toward the small sqaured-intercom with a minature camera inside as she saw Lola's face from the other side, "What for?"
"Look, we've had a serious crisis before you came back," Lola informed. "So just open the door so we can talk."
"Um, OK. If you say so," Rouge calmly pressed the red button and didn't even had time to get in the shower to before having the chance to prepare herself and Ross Tishiragi, her boyfriend, dinner.
The door opened automatically once she and Lola entered the room. Rouge Mizuka is the baby sister of the Core General and had been on a one-month suspension; due to sheer lack of evidents and information that drove the two of them into a verbal dispute.
"Look, Rouge. I know you're still angry at me for what happened and--" Lola realized Rouge wasn't caring enough about the past as she took off her robe. "Hey, are you even listening to me?"
"Yes, I have more than eyes, you know. You said I'm still frustrated about last month. I don't care about that anymore," Rouge snapped lightly, folding the blankets to her queen-size bed. "Why bother being so mad all the time? You never smile, you never even say good morning to me anymore. I never even done anything to you."
When Rouge turned herself around, she saw in horror that Lola was wearing white cast on her injured right shoulder and arm. It struck Rouge's eyes, lacking the courage to feel an uncertain way as both jaws isolated.
"Lo-- Who did this to you?" Rouge didn't want to scream, but at the same, every fiber in her frame had wailed loudly for her to embrace her sister. "What happened to you?"
"What I'm going tell you isn't so easy for you to stomach," Lola trailed toward Rouge's direction. "Beforehand, I wanted to tell you that your suspension is over and... I-- I need to remind you of that fact that Generals Shizuka, Tornado and myself were all in intensive medical care for the last three hours. At least before you came back. Black and his group have commited a crime that I can't let slide."
"Tell me, dammit. I can help you this time if you tell me. There's no way that we're going to have a solid relationship if you don't let me assist you in anyway," Rouge shouted helplessly.
Lola's answer was going to be difficult for Rouge to hear, but Hiba came in when she saw both Mizuka sisters having a conversation. Rouge's body was stopped by Lola's spare arm when she tried to storm over toward Hiba.
"Rouge, please listen to me for a second," Lola gawked down into Rouge's eyes and exposed her to the situation that she and the others went through. "Black Hinura had came and attacked us."
Rouge didn't want to laugh, because she's so used to thinking everything's a damn joke to everyone else, but hearing the Grim Reaper's name twisted her emotions into high gear.
"I knew that asshole would come out sooner or later. I just hate hearing his name," Rouge whined as she removed herself from the General. "Besides, we can kick his ass. Now where's Crystal at, I wanted to go and see how she looked in that dress she was talking to me about before the Ceremony; since I had to miss it because of you."
Hiba and Lola's expression had quivered in anger and fear. Not knowing how to inform Rouge that her niece-figure was abducted by one of their sworn enemies. The two of them had remained speechless by the time Rouge was able to ask them where Crystal is located. It was going to make Lola despise herself for until everything goes according to plan, but she needed to control her emotions and remind herself that she's the Core General.
"Girls, what's the matter? You both look so tensed," Rouge's face slowly drowned into a frown. A few moments later, she blurted out, "Girls, give it to me. Where's Crystal. I don't want to get myself lost trying to find her room."
Rouge's eldest sister stood slowly with her face blanked, but felt a dark vibe of trying to keep Rouge from getting worked up too easily.
"Rouge. I can't explain to you in difficult or simpler terms. I know you're smart enough to understand where I'm coming from, but I failed to protect the one person Diamond has entrusted me with," Lola tightened her swollen fist and the pain grew even stronger. "I literally messed up, big time and there's no way that I can undo the damage that Black's accomplished."
Rouge seemed confused and wanted Lola to give out the answer already, "Lola. Will you please tell me what has happened?"
"Listen to me, Rouge," Lola shouted. "I have another mission for you and I'm going tbe joining along side you, but you have to bear this answer for me, OK. Rouge. Crystal was kidnapped by the Bloodlust Revelation."
Rouge's heart refused take anymore of the suspense and decided to ask Hiba instead. Even so, Hiba would have given her the same, reflecting answer. All three had their hearts beating miraculously with a pool of blood bleeding from within their rage.
Lola answered rather confidently. "Now he's going to do whatever he can to manipulate and expose her to the truth about herself. Stuff that he's been witnessing for the last fifteen years."
Nothing but the shaded color of Rouge's owl-eyes had no other choice but to go complete yellow. She was verbally defenseless with words and lacked the mindset of what to say or how to say it.
Instead, she said these words, "What-- What did you just say?"
"I'm sorry, Rouge," Hiba tried coiling her arms around the Mizuka magician, but was rejected when Rouge slapped Hiba across her right jaw. "Ro-- Rouge! Why did you do that?"
Tears had hit the floor and Rouge's angry response was, "Why didn't you protect her. You said that it was only possible that you, Lola Mizuka, can do anything that no one else is capable or brace enough to do. Why didn't you do protect Crystal?!"
"Rouge," Hiba grapsed Rouge from behind and wanting to restrain the mythical magician away from the ringleader. "You have to calm down. We mustn't given up that easily. This is the first time that we've encountered that bastard."
"Hiba, you were only two or three years old when Crystal was born, so how would you even know so much about him?" Rouge squirmed dramatically, trying to get to Lola for she could lash out even more of her frustration after her one-month suspension. "The last thing that I was expecting for you all to be more caref
ul and shit."
"Hey, Rouge. I know it wasn't fair that you had to hear all that, but need I remind you that there's still hope for us to bring her back home in one piece," Lola walked in the same direction the girls remained. She placed both her hands on Rouge's cheeks, calming her down immediately for there'd be no more conflict. "Rouge. We're going to get her back. But we need to come up with a plan and not just engage the Bloodlust Revelation. They're not an easy group to take down. They're literally off the 'Most Wanted Organizations', so it's going to be unfeasible for us to prevail over them. So the only way in how we're going to win; is to play dirty just like them. Beat them at their own sick game."
This sparked Rouge's heart from frostbite cold to blazing-warmth hot. It amazed Hiba at how the General's always capable of handling problems with just mere words, even though she's learnt that words do speak louder for encouragement than actions do.
Rouge sniffed before commenting to Lola's remarks, "You think... You think we have a chance? This is the first time that I have ever had to face off against the Bloodlust Revelation."
"I know what you're trying to say, even if you're trying your best to block it off," Lola assumed before pecking her lips against Rouge's forehead for pity. "You're afraid of them, aren't you?"
Deep into the abyss of her tender heart, Lola's baby sister wanted to refute her emotions by giving them a slight nodding of disagreement. It was far too late for the black-haired Mizuka to deny it. She heard Lola sighing understandably as she pressed her stabled arm around the whimpering woman's neck and pulled her in. Suddenly she felt some wet on her right arm and noticed Rouge was jerking tears as the two where pulled in closer.
Hiba viewed helplessly as she allowed the two of them to have their discussion to vividly patch things up for the sake of going on a rescue mission. Standing tall, the Hinura warrior's sad expression remained frozen on her face, taking her time to trail out of the room after the door adjusted automatically to open for her.
I sure hope things will go smoothly for those two. The last thing I want is for all of us dead if we mess up on this mission. I know it's not going to be as easy as it sounds, but it's all or nothing, Hiba thought to herself while heading to check on the other's behalf.
***
(Six Hours Later)
Inside the Prison of Leserado, Crystal Aruba had remained asleep for the last six hours. She was in ruined clothing from the dress she wore last night after Black's attempted onslaught.
The view of her eyes were as blurry as if a fog had blocked her sights. She didn't know where she was at exactly. That is until a suspect of the group came to have a word with her.
Appearing before her was none other than The Grim Reaper himself.
"Hello, Crystal Emilie Aruba," Black's bold, but dark voice had made the young prisoner feel traumatized to the roots of her stomach. "We finally meet face to face."
Crystal replied silently, "Where am I exactly?"
"At the forbidden city - Tomb of Leserado. There's a lot of things about this ghost city that a people feared talking about. They don't want to scare others by telling the stories about this place so to a certain degree, it makes a lot of sense," Black informed, releasing the cell of his own will without even using a key.
Crystal seemed rather scared and calmed at the same time, for an odd reasoning, she felt a sign of relief, realizing that Black wouldn't harm the girl unless if it's for desperate measures.
"Can I ask you a question?" Crystal puzzled herself as she slowly stood from the ground she slept on and walked outside the cell. "Are you really a man of your word that nothing will happen to Lola and my friends?"
"Your 'friends?'" Black asked; regarding Hitachi, Sonya and Alex's lack of acknowledgement for the girl's existence. "Last I checked, your 'friends' aren't that fond of you, my dear. The last seven years, they have never even try to act like your friend. What do you think the definition of a friend is?"
The air seemed to have breezed down in the direction to where the two wanted to go and the appearances are as the symbolism of a sudden enchanting and sinister image of an Angel and Grim Reaper both staring in opposite sides.
"What is a friend to you, Aruba?" Black asked once more as he summoned a large table with a board set of chess.
The teenager gawked over in the direction to where the table stood. She felt in her heart she knew what he wanted to play; not only to prove her knowledge, but also her skills to learn new things is always a price for her.
"Well, it seems you don't even have an answer for me, Aruba. But three rounds of Chess. I know for a fact that you're one of the top ranked Chess players at your academy from seven years ago," Black's been absolutely aware of Crystal's character and how she's evolved over the years of growing up with Lola raising her. "So, I'm going to release you from this cell and we're going to play a few rounds of Chess."
Before she could proceed in leaving her cell block, Crystal wanted to make a proposal to Black. The horrendous Reaper was on the verge of understanding where the youngster wanted to her mind to.
"But before we begin, Crystal," Black sat on the side where the throned chair was against the wall. He took the young gal's hand and gently placed them both on the table, one on each side of the chessboard. Black sighed before asking, "Has Lola ever exposed you to the truth about Diamond Aruba?"
He felt her hands vibrating, hence that her body wasn't prepared for the inevitable secrets Black had to tell her.
"I see," He concluded that Lola had no spoken her mind about certain things that needed to be uttered a long time ago. "Well, I'll make you a deal. I know you're very skilled and good with strategy when it comes to this game."
"What k-- What kind of-- What kind of deal," Crystal stuttered in the most feared way. She didn't know rather to trust the infamous Black Hinura or to oppose his offering. "What kind of deal are you talking about?"
The first thing Black showed was his skeletal face after swiftly whipping his cloak back, "If you defeat me in all three rounds, you're going get the full story of what has happened in the past. But... If I prevail over you, I will explain to you not only the powers of the Diary Symbols that are resting within you, but also you will learn the truth about why I abducted you in the first place. So, I've placed you in a very conflicted situation."
The room went completely black with nothing but a shading light of a figure looking onward. In Black's perspective, winning a chess game is as if people we're to try win a puzzle piece and learning the true picture.
"So, what will it, exactly. If you win, you get the vivid detailed story about what's happened fifteen years ago. Or if you lose, you must learn the capabilities of the Diary Symbols at all cost," Black added before getting the game started; either way, Crystal will exposed to the truth that'll either mess up her mindset as a child or destroy her trust for Lola. "But I need you to be mindful of the choice that you make. Every hero or heroine had made choices that not a lot of people are very fond of."
He soon removed his hands away from the future warrior.
"Black. There's one more thing that I must learn, regardless if I win or lose," Crystal proposed. "I've heard so many stories from people ahout these creatures called the Avarian Beasts. If I win, will you explain to me what they are? Before I collapsed, I heard you asking Lola questions that she has no knowledge of."
Black seemed convinced that Crystal is a lot smarter and more realistic with her emotions than Lola had shown her to have. It was all thanks to his manipulation games that he's been able to easily provoke Crystal to ask him questions regarding his plots.
"That's in the 'if I win' category. There are several things that I won't explain in laymen terms, regarding that aspect," Black broke into a clear tone. "Now, here's how the rules of this kind of chess game goes. Each pawn of yours that I remove from the board, I'm telling showing you the Art of Anticipation In Combat. It's the essence of strategy and that's something that I need you to be aware of within the next month; seeming that you're a
fast learner."
"But why are you trying to train me when I had Lola to do that for me?" Crystal bellowed angrily, but lightly. "I don't understand any of this."
"Patients is what helps develops maturity. Now, you may go first. You'll need all the help you can get," Black uttered as Crystal seemed dense on which pawn of thirst row to move.
She's won several games of Chess over the years, but when it came to a crucial and brute situation, this type of activity of training was in a class by itself. Slowly, still struggling to move, Crystal's hand seemed hesitant. When it took her nearly a minute to make the first move, she noticed Black's expression hadn't changed to a look of impatients.
"Pawn to E3," Crystal finally made her move; the sound of the pawn landing on the first spot thoroughly echoed throughout the silenced hallways of Leserado's Corridor, located on the other end of the hall.
***
Chapter 12 - Black's Art Of Anticipation
***
Crystal had cooled herself down. Not wanting to make any fatal mistakes that gives Black the crucial advantage. Knowing how she wants people to think she's losing, that's when she triggers her trump card. Black had seemed surprised that was her first move, seeming that's his opening move.
He moved his pawn over 6H without hesitating. Within a few moments, Crystal remained calm and learn that she's won several matches as a Chess player during her younger days at the Ujikadaka Academy. Winner the golden trophy three years in a row.
"If you're waiting for me to release a variety of characters on this board to make the same move as your pawns are making, then be mindful of what I'm capable of doing," Black tried to psych out Crystal's concentration. He saw her move the same pawn from E3 to D3. Hmm, I've recognized this strategy before.
Black motioned his 7H while contemplating which art of techniques he'll use against Crystal for each pawn he eliminates. Little does this brat know, but she may not realize that trying to an opponent's strategy against him or her is extremely futile.
Intoxia Warriors - Mizuka Blood (Book One) Page 13