In the bustling and rumbling of the awaking city. A young man walks forward on the sidewalk. He walks onto the sidewalk of the street, which leads to the building where he usually goes. Meet Nortes L. Angeles. 24-year-old young man who is an ordinary person with a job and goal in life as similar to the people around the world. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, without deliberately, he no longer gazed upon the familiar presences he usually saw, there were multiple of buildings from any direction roads he always took, people who were walking from road to road, the chaotic noises of the city which always awake in the daylight until the darkness of the skies has came, but now—Everything's blank and empty before his eyes.
Upon the sudden change of scenario.
He began to gaze over any directions, but unfortunately, it was still blank and empty, Like he was now in a realm of the void. Completely nothing but filled emptiness, blankness, and nothingness, and no items nor creatures, even his fellow humans, are in sight. His mind began to panic; the blood flowing through his veins was rushing throughout his body, as his heart was pumping aggressively, in the same manner as getting chased by a killer.
He has not yet check the above, and so he raised his head upward, yet the result's still the same: just nothing but a blank. His mind has begun to miss the warm rays of the daylight, casting onto his flesh. The body ache in desperate to seek the light but it remind itself that the past doesn't return.
"Hello?" He spoke. The voice carried by his words sent echoes throughout the empty void. But nobody's answer. The only one who received his calling was his own voice, carried by the echoes he made a second ago.
The silence is growing louder.
Following... a certain figure slowly materialize then appear in front of Nortes. At first glance Nortes recognise the figure before him. He take a steps forward, and then he grasps the familiar person's shoulders.
"Bro... is that you?" Nortes asked. It is truly unbelievable to see his friend appear in the empty space realm. His mind is starting to spiral into more questions with his friend's included questions.
"It is me, Nortes." His friend has finally said a word. And there is no doubt that he is actually the friend he always knew.
Nortes removed his hands from his friend's shoulders. Its moves behind his head then react in absolute confusion, then opens his mouth to speak a word but eventually cannot because of the joy and relief of having a familiar face to accompany him in the empty space. In other words, he was lost for words to say cause of overwhelming joy and relief.
"I'm so happy you are here. You already know that I REALLY hate without you by my side. Even if it is in a second." As the realization hits his head. He quickly opens his mouth to confess the question that had been swelling around his mind since the beginning.
"How the HELL you are here?! And also, where in the world am I?!" He frantically cries.
His friend notices he is panting heavily and murmuring while ruffling his hair. He knows what is going on with him. He takes a step forward toward him and pats his shoulder.
"Calm down. Calm down."
Nortes throws his bro's hand from his shoulder. His bro comforts him again; however, rates slaps his bro's hand away again. It flinged to the side.
"I can—NOT!!!" Nortes snapped out. "It's not helping." He put an end on raffling his hair as he raise his head to glance directly to his bro's eyes.
"Please, bro. Say something that can help me calm down. Anything! Just please as long as it is positive." He pray and hope he shall receive a good news to settle down.
His friend began to tapping his chin, showing a sign in which he is thinking on helping Nortes in panicking from the sudden changed of scenario.
"Here it is." After a long pause of silence, Nortes's eyes shines in aspiration. He is in thirst for anticipate the news in which his friend is about to say.
"Nortes."
"Yeeeaahhh~?" Nortes response in sing-song tone. Yet, remain in anticipation in hearing the news.
"You sadly died." His friend spoke went straight as in no dramatic pause sequence needed to add an effect.
Crack!!
Even so, the news has caused an effect on Nortes. He is starting grit his teeth then Nortes's friend can hear a grumbling coming from him, resembling a spoiled brat who didn't gave a toy from his parent he wanted.
He shoot a beam of glare at his friend.
"Oh no." His friend has forseen this will happen and yet he decided to piss him off although he knew the outcome. Truly a perfect banter between friends.
Nortes sent a slap directly to the face of his friend. "That is for broken my expectation." It landed in the cheek. He throw another slap. "And this, is for wasting my time on waiting." He throw another slap. "And this, is for almost got me a heart attack." He throw another slap again. "This! is for ruined my mood!" He throw another slap. "And this! For owning me 20 won!" (Won is South Korea's currency)
"I actually don't have any debt of money from you—" His friend got cut off from receiving another slap.
———————————————————
"You died." Nortes's friend proceeds to said to him the same topic previously.
"Dead? How? Who? Where? When? Whom? Tell me what was happen!"
"You died from the car accident." Nortes went silent from that news. He pinch his forehead for him to calm down, but there's something wrong. As he pinch his forehead again slowly, he felt the sensation of touch. His head perk up in realization. He look at his friend again.
"I feel a touch... I still have my sense of touch?" His voice lilt in absolute confusion.
According from his friend he died from the car accident and yet he felt the sense of touch. Moreover, his friend had suddenly appeared in this realm of full of nothingness. It is really strange for a person who appeared without any warning nor even a slight announcement of his arrival. Therefore, he took his friend's words in a large grain of salt.
"That is quite excellent for you to began to realize of the condition you are having." His friend pause a quite minute as he resume, "Answer me: are you sure that this is the afterlife you usually believe?"
"No. Because if this REALLY is the afterlife I won't felt pain." Nortes answered straightly.
"Exactly. Truth to be told, you are not in the afterlife. You, Nortes my dear friend, are currently in the realm which it so-called the white void." His friend swing his arm to point at the blank horizon. "Simply by its name alone, everything you see in your eyes, in any directions, it is all just nothing and white, which it is pretty obvious." He clasped his hands together after explaining then shrug while never land an eye contact upon Nortes. He fell his hands after unclasping it, falling it to its sides like a pendulum which is about to stop swinging.
"So this is it, huh?" He look at his friend after hearing his explanation. He nods twice before to speak again, "I'm stuck here!" He spread his arms apart expecting a trail of wind to blow toward him. Unluckily, there's none has come.
"Ahem." His friend let out a cough as it has attracted the attention of his friend, Nortes. "Your life can be re-established." Though, his friend's voice is audible and clear as a speaker, Nortes couldn't understand any of it at all. He response—
"HUH?!" He said in absolute confusion while his ear pointing at his friend meanwhile his hand is at behind of the ear.
"It means I am capable to resurrect you." His friend told him in specify way. It's pretty understandable that a few people can't understand a definition of word in evocative word. As Nortes for example.
"You?" He pointed his finger at him. "Able to bring my life back? ...I'm not going to believe that. I understand that you trying to cheer me up and tell you what!-your timing is sucks. I'm not gonna fall for that." His voice lilt of doubt and distrust.
"Believe me or not, Nortes. The main point leads the same. You may trust on I'm going to say next or I'll leave and let your soul be bound here for eternity."
Nortes examine the face of his friend. Upon he seen his friend currently expression. He read the word in the face of his friend: Absolute serious.
"I'll hear you out, bro." Nortes surrendered. Nortes withdraw his stubbornness by force to survived. By the matter of fact the reason behind he had surrendered by utterly not from the intimidating but from the threat.
A small smirk occur in his friend's lips then swiftly erase it. Returning to his usual nonchalant expression. He began to explain, "As I stated earlier I am capable to resurrect you however it has changed."
"What change? Go ahead, Explain." Nortes order upon seeking the sudden altered of the plan.
"An unusual occurrence has struck. It is seemly to be responsible to the change of my proposed course of action." His friend tapping his chin while thinking of an another way to resolve this unusual case he had encountered.
"There is got to be sort of another way." Nortes stomp his feet against the white floor. "I have so many plans to fulfil. I won't accept this—I'm still a virgin and I haven't experience sex yet. I refused to died as a virgin."
"Typical of you, Nortes." His friend took the moment to smile at his comment. "What was it again..." Afterward his friend resume in thinking of the solution of the problem.
"I want to get a hug and get pamper from my future wife—It completely ruined my plan!-" Nortes's calm demeanor has break, shifting into swing of frustration and anger. "I hate this!" He mutter in cursing his fate.
"Nortes. Are you surely prepare on what I'm going to say?"
Nortes rose from the blank floor of the realm after he uncurl himself against his legs when his friend tell him a question.
"Let me hear it."
"If my sense is correct you are going for the good news. Therefore without further ado, you might like this—I shall send you to an alternative world." Nortes's friend pause for quite longer for him to get interest at the cliffhanger he has set.
"Alternative world? Be specific, dumbass." His eyes are starting to shine in enthusiasm despite under the pissed expression.
"This world is based in the series of your favourite genre. I assure you will recognize the hint I'm giving you." His friend resume to extend his words further. "The one that goes- reborn into the world of wonders. Magics are alive. The scent of free from pollution. The world inhabited—" His word got cut by Nortes.
"—a cleanse water. Clear as sapphire sky. Machines were made to assist their masters. Flames glides among the people. The currency they are using are gold as amber, silver like aluminum. Vines sways by the help of the passing breeze. Assassins walks in the shadows. The time of their world is unlike than ours. Ravage beasts relentlessly hunting to survive..."
Nortes gazes to his friend after he ended his respond. His eyes flows in disbelief. He assure to himself in which his friend must be pulling a prank, even since the beginning of his arrival. A prank of acting sort of a God. Or... this might be a total dream, his very own mind is toying him... Yet, he doesn't sure either the current event is happening before his sight is true or false...
...The young man smirks in delight.
"No matter, who is playing with me this time, neither it is YOU or my damn brain. All can I say is I began to love where this is going."
"So you have understand my hint. I can tell from your expression. Smiling in the same manner as the child who received their wish." Nortes's friend responded. The voice carried in his words were pleased and relieved. He was anticipated for him to be dense. In addition, to ask sort of questions which can lead them into an endless cycle. Fortunately, thanks to Nortes's mind, Nortes's friend has saved enough saliva for his upcoming speeches.
"Nortes. I shall ask you: what is my current intention to you?" His friend await his response.
"You are going to reincarnate me into the fantasy world!" Nortes cried in rejoice.
Nortes had an obsession on inserting himself into the fantasy world, mostly Isekai. He imagine the scenario of he was part of the story. Moreover, he read over countless of fantasy genre in mostly manga, manhwa, and novel. Also he much prefer to read those rather than the animation adaptation, in fact.
"Exactly." As after his friend responded. Nortes raised his hand.
"Dap me up, brother!" He exclaimed.
CLAPPP!!!
Upon their open-palm collided to each other, it made a loud smooth sound wave spread across the realm, echoing until it meet its end. They pull their hands away afterwards.
"My fantasy is about to be real!" Nortes rejoices. "So, before you start sending me there, can you give me an OP skills for me?"
"I couldn't give you your desire sadly. The only capability I hold is to resurrect you." As His friend added. "Are you planning to follow the route of a HaremProtagonist? "
"Egk!" Nortes sticked out his tongue in disgust. "Heck No! Those are not interesting and boring. You really trying to kill me by intentionally mentioned that?" His expression turned into disgust. "Don't do that again! -Anyway, I guess I will confess my idea to you. Here it is: my intention when I got an OP(Over-power) skills I won't hesitate to becomd the villain." Nortes's expression turn into devilish in the flash. "Hahaha! I will rob a bank! And oh, I could kill a king. Then the kingdom of his will be mine. Hahahaha! Oh I have better idea!—Increases the taxes to the MAXIMUM! Hahahahaha! The people of mine will have no choice to live in the street-Hahaha! Moreover, I will do what politician's do. Do you want to know what it is, my friend?" He look at his friend. His lips curled into evil wide smile remained. He had now became like feral possessed by an evil spirit.
"Go ahead." As His friend stated that he shall continue.
—"I SHALL STEAL THE MONEY OF THE GOVERNMENT LIKE A CORRUPTION WOULD DO! HEAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
His friend is starting to questioning himself that it is truly a blessing he died and didn't became a politician.
—"Plus! I shall increase the percent of the economy! So that the money of the people have no choice but to buy foods. When that happens everybody will devour themselves. It is a win-win situation that BECAUSE I have more money and I SOLVED OVERPOPULATION!!" Nortes resume his sinister laugh.
His friend gazes to him with a usual look of a normal day for him. It was started as the day they got along and the bond of their friendship got deeper. Nortes got comfortable and so he showed his other side. Thus his expectation has changed on Nortes. His friend seen him as the spawn of demon-No, the devil. With the glance of his action he is a utterly manifestation of chaos itself. Every words that came out of his mouth it have the potential he will instantly getting arrested.
"I should cancel reincarnate you, Nortes." His friend stated with high audible to rival against Nortes's monsterous chuckles.
When Nortes heard that as he ended his villainous act. He sprint forth toward his friend as he kneel down front of him.
"Nooo!!-Please nooo!!! Don't do this to me!!!" He cries.
"It is for greater good." His friend had already seen much possibility he shall be the villain of all villain, the menace of the menaces. He will be responsible for the atrocities Nortes shall committed although he hasn't reincarnated yet.
"That was a joke! I tell you!- A harmless joke." It is indeed a mere joke. However, it sent him the shiver of creeps. His friend assume him, he might have possessed. In other word, it was pure spine-chilling. He has a potential to become the villain, though Nortes hasn't notice it yet. "I know it was wrong but please I beg you! Don't cancel the reincarnation!"
His friend observe Nortes thoroughly to see any signs of he was pretending as the outcome was he was truly erase his villainous Persona. He sigh then speak,
"Arise. I shall reincarnate you."
In a moment Nortes has stood before his friend with a smile of innocent.
His friend gives him a side eye, "You never change, huh? Nortes."
"What can I say! This is myself, dumbass. So come on, my patience is thin, reincarnate me now. Right now." He teased him, with his act of a brat.
Nortes's friend come close to him then Nortes stated-
"Before you send me there. I want to make sure: when we will meet again?" Nortes asked. A melancholy is slowly possess his eyes. He leave a last response and the last question he ever asked to the friend whom the fact is the only friend he had.
"The truth is, I am not quite sure. But there is one thing for certain. By fate alone shall decide to allow us to intertwine again." Nortes's friend's lips swiftly smirk. "Are you feeling the loneliness?"
Nortes answer with a laugh. "No. Just a little.
Even if I have new friends in that world, I won't forget you. You were my only friend. The friend who can handle me being myself."
His friend chuckles rather than to answer back with a mourn. "I am too will never forget you." He pat his shoulder. "Without further ado, just hold still."
Nortes freeze himself by the command of his friend. Yet deep down he couldn't hold his excitement building within in him.
"Accept this as your gift of departure, Nortes." His finger reach to Nortes's forehead. Open his palm to press it against the forehead then resume he wishes to say. "I wish you dearly: May your journey shall be baptize by blooming blessings and fortunes..."
...
"...O, Roving Outlander, from the other land."
Those words were the last words Nortes shall ever hear from his friend's voice. After he swipe his palm in downward across his face, forcing his eyelids to fall to close as the curtains falls.
Nortes soon awakened from the darkness. When his eyes have finished upon adjusting from a long close. He is no longer in the realm he was in and now he is in a room filled with expensive items. His hands instinctively moves, the mind announces to him that fabric is smooth as it like you are resting in a sort of a cloud.
"This bed..." Nortes hop off. He spun around as he got surprised he was sat on a luxury bed. He observe its design, it is unlike from the bed of the world he live in. It is apparently a royal bed judging by its design. He moves his hand to feel the fabric again, genuinely, it has the same quality as the hotel's.
He walked quickly toward the window as his eyes got flash by the ray of the daylight.
"Augh!" He groan in agony. Fortunately, it was a mere minor problem. He blink several times until the eyes have adjusted itself from the sudden flash, his jaw drop into the floor upon how beautiful of the scenery can be seen through the window.
Across the trasparent glass of the window is a vast garden inhabited with mass majority of flowers and plants, including it has a plant sculpture. The Gardeners are working efficiency, gentle, caring of the plants, especially the other green inhabitants.
Nortes whimpers upon the gorgeous he witnessed. He rose his arms upward.
"It is so peak." He answered dramatically. Once in his life, he never truly saw a majestic scene lies front of his sight. Since he was always saw many buildings and less nature's offsprings around the metropolitan area as the resident of the city.
Nortes turned around as he received a greeting from the exterior of the room's image. The aesthetic is extremely similar to the era of a certain country with a royal approach.
"The room is much fancy compare to my world. Well... I 'was' there." Nortes unconsciously respond. His mind yet froze from the sight after he awakened.
Thus, the realization had strike Nortes. It tells him of the fact—
Nortes's eyes shine brighter and more alive.
"I HAVE BEEN REINCARNATED TO THE OTHER WORLD IS REALLL!!" He cries out in rejoice, along with his hands rose toward the ceiling in triumph.
His cries might be able to hear through the room.
________________________________________
A minute ago...
Before his awakening...
A young man stood beside the door. He wears in all black; a black colored cloak covered under the dark grey shirt, from the top to foot, everything are black as moonless evening.
He took a step forward then spun around to face his front view at the large traditional windowpane (Right side is the door and the left side of his is the window).
His navy eyes gazes through the transparent glass, roam over the warm scenery of the vast garden. Behind those empty glimmer, it have the mixed of melancholy and pang of conscience behind those glimmer of life. His consciousness had lost in his own world. Until, it has ended when he heard an incoming footsteps coming from behind. It echoes across the empty corridor.
The youth man spun around to face the holder of the footsteps. He got greeted by the presence of the figure he knew, and also the one who wielding the footsteps as it has ended. The silence has immediately returns into the corridor.
"Mikhail. You still stayed at your position I see." The figure has spoken. It leave a hint behind the calm tone, a melancholy, and grief.
The youth man spun around as he faced the window again, seemly uninterested. The familiar figure steps forward then stopped. Following the trail of silence. The silence is getting louder. The figure's eyes dazzle in understanding even though the youth man hadn't say anything just yet. The figure wear a black colored dress with a short skirt. They share the same theme. Curious, what occasion they are having today.
"Lieza. If you could be so kind, once more, to leave me be... in solitude..." The voice broke the silence in the corridor. It was from the youth man. He has a natural-black hair with a two white highlights can be locatable in the bangs.
"I could, Mikhail. I suppose it will be the best if you put an end to this meaningless action you have made." Lieza's voice still remains her calm understand tone but the serious tone has followed. Scolding him yet the understanding and concern remains. Her mind is experiencing a some kind of storm but differ for her in which it is new. Its a storm of mixed emotions.
"Your feeling is understandable. I know." Her hands clenched into fist in each sides of the dress's skirt she currently wore. "-But that doesn't mean you will always be like this."
"You understood me and yet you couldn't understand me." He turned over his head to hover above his shoulder while his attention unchanged toward Lieza.
"It is easy for you to say, Lieza. While for me, it is not. This 'feeling' lies within me. It is new. I died yet alive. My eyes can see the light and yet always see the darkness. A sword pierce through me yet I'm standing with my own foot." Mikhail confessed upon describing the feeling he's having at Lieza.
"I am happily appreciated to your concern to me by the way. And as you know... I can see through behind the mask you are wearing."
The burnt orange hair youth girl smile.
"Looks like you knew me too well, Mik☆." She slipped out a tone of cheerful. "Ah~ the memories have come to visit. What we did together. Our shared moments." She recalled the past. With a bittersweet of nostalgic linger in her voice. Soon, the melancholic has begun to take over the expression.
"Without him. It is empty." Her voice trails of grief.
"It is my fault. I should be the one to put the blame..." Mikhail grit his tooth upon his mind recalled the event yesterday. "I failed and put ashame to my role as his Sentinel." He pour his frustration into his right hand then curled it into a fist. Rather than throwing a tantrum. He has already accept the past, the unfortune fate has came, and it still futile. Unable to march forward into the present time lies front of his sight. It is indeed woeful.
"Nobody. No-one. You hear me, Mikhail! Nobody will took the blame of his death." Lieza step forward. "You are not alone, everybody, including me, are continuing weeping upon his death. My mother too! She's weeping over the tragic event even to this day. She couldn't sleep properly!" She grasped his collar.
Mikhail's eyes widen. In that point he saw within her eyes, telling him, she is suffering too. She resolve her inner conflict by herself, taking the burden alone.
As she blink the tough glimmers in each of her eyes have returned. She let go of Mikhail's collar with a slight push.
"Just you know. It's like I'm scolding you and your attitude on the behalf of Aecieulette. Good grief!" She shook her head. Then afterwards once her head become steady, she smiles. A smile without negativity has blossom.
The black-haired youth's eyes lighten up upon realization. His mouth slipped out a light chuckle.
"You are right, Lieza. If he was here with us he would have scolded me." His usual nonchalant faded into a slight joy.
"I feel better now." He confessed. "Thank you."
Lieza huff out, aching her back to rise her chest. "My pleasure." As she laughs arrogantly.
By the cause from the confession the spirit of Lieza has become prideful. But her prideful dies when they hear a voice.
"I HAVE BEEN REINCARNATED TO THE OTHER WORLD IS REALLL!!!"
Mikhail and Lieza went silent when they heard a voice coming from the other side of the door which it is behind Mikhail.
"You heard it too, right?" Mikhail ask the burnt hair girl for confirmation.
"Yes and don't you ever remind me that!" Lieza curtly stated. "It is giving me the shiver." She hug herself.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
Mikhail turn around to face the door once he heard an incoming footsteps. But nobody's there except the corpse. The shrouded in mystery has turn into spine-tingling horror.
THUD! Kablam!
The door opens in a thundering rumble.
Mikhail's eyes can't accept it what it saw.
"I AM ALIVE!!!" The figure screams in joy, arms are reaching up high to the ceiling while rushing ahead. It is heading toward Mikhail.
With a quick reaction, Mikhail instinctively jump to the side to avoid getting bump as Lieza did too, but in opposite side. The figure has rushed pass the two of them.
Mikhail and Lieza were froze and bewildered upon witnessing. They gazes over the figure until it is farthest away from their eyes able to see, also the voice has become quiet in the corridor.
"This can't be..." Mikhail paused. "No... this must certainly be true."
Lieza heard a muttering coming from her confidant. She turned her attention at him.
"I need to see it for myself." Mikhail thought. Afterward he made a decision in which he will never regret, he push aside the doubt looming around the mind.
Mikhail commence pursuing the figure. Leaving behind Lieza in the action. However she refuse to be alone so she follow Mikhail in his pursue toward the mysterious figure.
"Wait for me!" While in the moment of pursuing she has come to realise that it was a good thing she currently wear a dress in which doesn't have a long skirt. As a matter of fact it's pretty imperfect for a chasing moment. She gave a thankyou to herself.
"Ha! Ha! Haha!!! I MISS THIS!" The thrill of the blood coursing through the vein sending to the heart as it pumps continuously. The sense of freedom found in the breeze blowing through him.
The figure was none other than Nortes Angeles. Lost in his own world by himself to rejoice the success of the reincarnation and celebrating his dream has came to life while rushing toward any directions, entering corridors, all have led by his instinct itself to choosing numerous directions randomly.
"I feel so alive!" He past a few statues in display across the corridor.
"Hm?" In the corridor, a maid halted her march on hearing the loud voice. Beside the maid is her colleague, the colleague maid notices her fellow maid's behaviour. It caught her interest.
"What's the matter?" She kindly asked on the sudden quiet linger in her fellow maid.
"Ssh~..." The maid with long ponytail, shush her fellow maid with an index finger pressing against her soft lips. Her darkish green hair tied in ponytail swung in every motion she made, she turned her head around as she return to focus at somewhat. The blond maid keep it in mind as she went silent.
The maid with ponytail drown herself in her own sense. Not too long as she hears of numerous sprinting is slowly getting audible. It seemly approaching towards them.
"ARF! ARF! ARF! ARF! ARF!"
"A bark?" The blond maid went flabbergasted. "But this household doesn't had a dog."
Indeed. The estate doesn't have its personal dog. Those barks are owned by—
The maids sees a familiar figure, sprinting toward them at top speed.
"My Lord?!" The maids exclaimed in bewildered. Their eyes shone in disbelief upon seeing with their own eyes.
A corpse is moving.
Their instincts kicks in, quickly leaning against the nearby wall as they evade the corpse, they were saved by their sense itself.
"My Lord! Don't devour us!" The blond maid shouts in fear unconsciously.
The corpse ran past them, without giving an interest nor an eye contact.
Mikhail is the next person to approaches toward the maid. He took a quick glances over the maids like he is checking on them if there's something particular has change.
"No bites. No wounds. Their attire are untouched. Check. Perfectly fine." Mikhail said in his own world.
"Pardon for the intrusion, Ladies." Mikhail left a few words before he ran past them. And he still hasn't lost the walking corpse in his sight.
"Sentinel Mikhail?!" They shouts in surprised, they haven't expected he would be in involved in the chase.
"What is really going on?" The maid with a ponytail said. Those two haven't aware of the conflict has bloom throughout the estate yet.
After the young lad past them they sense a figure which is approaching toward them. They simultaneously gazes back, they sees a figure with a burnt orange colored hair swaying in the same rhythm as the motion, like a maple leaves swinging when the breeze flew by.
"Lady Lieza?" The maids simultaneously answered in bewildered again, once again never thought Lieza would be involved in the chasing case.
"Excuse me. I have no time to talk to you two in this situation, everyone." She already ran past the maids who still leaned onto the wall.
"Augh!" Lieza cried in frustration. "I hate this!" She is deciding to surrender to her body in which it is about to stop in chasing after the walking corpse and Mikhail. But she needs to move forward despite the feeling of fatigue. She must get to see the outcome by herself.
"Strange..." Mikhail mutter while chasing the walking corpse.
"Shake it like it's heat!-OVERDRIVE!!!" Nortes chanted, yet his voice reverberates across the path. He began to do a maneuver toward the left then dash forward directly, at the end he see the glimpse of a silhouette, the imagine become clear. It is a staircase that is leading down.
His lips shift into a sly grin when his mind has made an idea once he saw the staircase.
Once he reach the edge of the staircase he swiftly leans forward over the railing as he land his bum onto the rail.
"Flip the downside, Up to the top notch! Whatever haters do, I top that!" Nortes said as he slides the railing. His inner child became happy upon making the idea (he made it ever since his childhood) has come to life.
"-!" Mikhail has reached at the staircase too, witnessed the walking corpse slides in the railing. The cries of cheer from him can be heard.
"Guards! Block the entrance!" Mikhail command with such authority. At the main entrance of the estate can be seen two full-armored guards in full preparation, freeze at each side of the doorway. The guards heard the voice of the figure they recognized and they see the corpse is close at the end of the railing of the staircase while Mikhail is descending by using the staircase than the corpse used.
THIINNG!
A fierce collision of the base part of the weaponry of two guards. One has an iron polearm while the other one has an iron axe.
"As you ordered, Sentinel Mikhail!" They shouts in simultaneously, lilt in cold and rough.
"You shall not pass!" The guard with an iron axe resumes.
"Do it like this, do it like what!" Nortes reach his hand toward the floor to land his palm against it. Then he execute changing the direction of his movement, began to drift toward the side. Toward the right.
"Do it how I did, but now I do it like what?!" Nortes still chanted in a certain tune. He has entered another empty corridor which is peaceful to fill it with his chaos.
The guards were surprised of the corpse's act. It was certainly odd. Mikhail has now reached the end of the staircase, also noticed the guard's body languages.
"There's no time for us to lack and sloth. Let us pursue after that corpse." Mikhail glances at the guards who are now recovered and also recovered their compose. As when Mikhail began to rush forward to resumes the hunt, it accompanied by the two guards.
"Wait!" Lieza has reached the end of the staircase but eventually her body is at its limit so she instictively sat at the stair floor to refill her stamina.
"Alarm all guards to block all the entrances around the estate." With a swift finger gesture, the guards were seperated from Mikhail, as they took different routes.
The tension become thick. The chase is still on. Mikhail's gazes locked at the corpse's back, it is futile to escape from his sight. Nortes maneuver again then again but the sentinel hasn't lose the sight of him. Somehow like a predator hunting its prey, refusing it to escape from its gazes. No matter where the prey goes, the hunter is always follows. He will rest later when the prey has killed afterwards.
"-Arf!" Nortes bark as the voice quickly died out when he enter the new corridor. Mikhail paused himself to examine around, the result was the corpse is nowhere to be found. For the first time, Mikhail has failed and outsmart by someone. As the guards returns but now they are multiplied: thus six guards have accompanied Mikhail.
"The undead is still here. Scatter apart!" Mikhail command. "It is impossible for him to escape within our grasp."
After when the guards lefts, Mikhail received a sound of interact of material. He surely feel the corpse took the other route silently. It seem he has underestimated of the intelligence of the corpse's as he rush into the other corridor.
"Hahaha..." A mere slight audible laugh reverberating when the silence follows. Nortes finally came out of the shadow, his lips transformed to a contentedly smirk.
"That guy fell from the oldest trick in the book. So priceless..." Nortes casually walking through the corridor which he decided. A minute ago, he was hiding from the shadow before he tapping the little shelf thus he fool Mikhail with ease.
He walks through the corridor and at the same time taking the moment to gazes over the image of the interior's designs. By the sunlight of warm visiting through the windows it made the scene look much warmer. Nortes feels an intense emotion of nostalgic hugging him in bittersweet ending although he hasn't been ever saw it. His mind has acquainted the past that didn't existed. Truly the emotion is working its own way beyond our understanding and very rarely we doubt to ourselves it might fool us.
A chirp of tune visiting his ear, it grabs his chin to change his attention to the right. He received a greeting of the glamorous view of the vast garden. It is indeed the very same garden in which he ever first saw before. And still Nortes can hear the birds chirping in grace.
"So this is what it feels like I'm in the past..." Nortes mutter to himself. Without hesitation his legs marches forward, letting the flow of freedom guiding him around the garden. He explores around until he stopping by to mesmerizing the view of the small lake of the garden. Nortes is completely aware he grew an attachment to the view, and he sat at the edge of the lake, his stamina is slowly refilling itself naturally from the chasing as the solitude flew over to accompany him.
"So this how it feels like, huh, Pops?" His eyes shine in realization. "The answer behind your wish to stay in the past than our future..." He huff then smirk. "I understand you now."
"Hm?" Nortes notices the reflection of himself on the lake's water however it is unlike than he was. He holds lime greenish hair in messy state and have an odd-looking eyes: both has spiral line around the red pupils in the aquamarine-green color eyes. And also it has a long tail flowing over the nape. He fell fascinated in its image.
"This is amazing..."
Eventually a footsteps can be heard from behind, Nortes slowly turn over his head, a vicious aura greet him with cold chilling feel. At that moment he encountered Mikhail. Again.
"I finally found you, walking rotten undead." His one eye shoot a glare, carried a frustration and annoyance.