PHASE 28 - UNINVITED VISITOR KEEPS BARGING IN!

I can feel the tension building from those ex-lovers. I somehow felt that my chest has been lightened up, and I don’t feel hatred from these two anymore. Hearing Kristoff says that Amy loves me lifted my ego and removed the frustrations in my life, but I still don’t know what to feel.

Love is really like a box of chocolates. Some people have nuts, and some people don’t…. Errr I mean, like chocolates, sometimes it can be bitter but at the end, you will realize that it’s still sweet.

Since Amy is already here, I have to change the topic immediately to remove the awkward tension. “What happened to you? How did you get those injuries?” I asked the bedridden ‘rival’ of mine.

“I was attacked by a Cursed Guardian named Black Flame two weeks ago,” Kristoff said with a laugh. “It’s funny that you’ve been here for thirty minutes and you just bothered to ask that.”

“As if we care about you in any way. Your wounds would recover in days, so no need to worry.” Amy commented on the same serious expression. “Let’s go, Y’all.”

As Amy turned away and went outside the room, I looked at Kristoff’s smiling face. He waved his hand saying that he’s fine. Then Tiara and I went out.

Helena was waiting for us outside, and she seems to be busy in staring someone’s biodata. I can’t paint her worried face. On the other news, Amy is heavily stomping her twinkle feet as she marched away from the corridor. These two have negative vibes on them.

Good thing Tiara made a stunt to remove the gloomy atmosphere around our group.

She put a banana peel on the ground and jumped on it. Of course, she slipped and her butt crashed on the ground, making a loud thud! I didn’t have my active, and even if I did, I wouldn’t catch her. She should suffer from her own idiocy.

“Ahahaha…” Tiara scratched her head. “The cartoons are right.”

<>

We stayed in a four-star hotel near the Black Cross Mansion. Actually, we can stay for a night for free since our Lord Freya is a VIP in the whole organization. We even had fabulous Italian cuisine such as cheesy lasagna for our dinner. High Guardians surely make it easy.

After our dinner, I decided that I have to talk to Amy. I have to clear what has happened in the past two years.

Our unit has a veranda that shows the colorful skyscrapers of Myrrh City. The view is so wonderful that I could mistake those city lights from those stars in the sky. And the ocean breeze makes it easy to relax.

I was alone with Amy, but none of us spoke a word. I don’t feel any awkwardness at all. I can’t see Amy’s facial expressions because it’s quite dark here. We’ve been staring this view for too long, so I think it’s time to break the mood.

“So… You love me, huh?” I muttered.

“O-O-O-Of course not!” Amy finally showed her glowing strawberry face. She then hammered my forehead over and over, but it didn’t hurt me because her force is that of a five-year-old kid. “I told you not to believe whatever that playboy says!”

Her hitting stings a bit, so I held both of her hands to stop. “About what happened two years ago… Did I really attack you?”

Amy bowed as she slowly lowered her arms. “Y-Yes. You’re quite scary at that time. I didn’t want to hurt you. I was glad that Kristoff managed to kill that Eidolon.”

“I… I’m sorry,” I said.

Thinking that she watched over me when I was away, and even go as far as to assign Tiara to watch over me makes me feel guilty. All I did was to blame her for the acts she didn’t commit. Her lies are just a bitter pill to make me safe.

“Stop that gloomy attitude.” Amy wiped her eyes and smiled. “What’s past is past. We have to move on and go forward.”

“Y-Yeah.” I shifted to a smile. “What’s our mission, Lord Freya?”

“Stop giving me honorifics, it creeps me out.” Amy rolled her eyes and then she gazed upon the city. “We have a task to investigate about the organized group of Cursed Guardians. They call the organization the New Order. Bad news, I don’t have any idea where to start. Good news, we will meet the new member tomorrow. Oh! And also, our task force will be named Aether Crusade. Neat, right?”

“It really feels like we’re the Justice Friends.”

“Right, right~” Amy winked. “Your childish dream to become a superhero has come true. I can still imagine when you had an eighth-grade syndrome and used to run like Naruto in the hallway all the time.”

“That’s the only thing I wanted you to forget.” I cringed.

<>

We returned back to the living room and noticed that Helena and Tiara haven’t moved at all. They stayed in the sofa, both staring at the pictures.

Tiara is daydreaming while she has the photo of her twin on her hands. She has this smile of hope in her. Knowing that she has a sibling makes her cheerful.

Meanwhile, Helena has this hopeless poker face. Her eyes are blazing serious, but I sense a bit of anxiousness over her. I peeked from behind and saw the picture of an emo man that has the same hairstyle as shounen anime main characters, but his face is a tad American.

“Is that your boyfriend?” I asked.

“Yes… I mean...er… No! He’s just a childhood friend.” Helena was flustered and as a result, she hid the picture. And she tried desperately to change the topic. “W-Well, I heard from our leader that we will go to the beach tomorrow. We’re going to buy a swimsuit in the night market.”

“Oh yeah! I nearly forgot about it!” Amy butted in. Then she turned to Tiara. “Let’s pick our swimsuit, Tiara.”

“S-S-S-Swimsuit?” Tiara’s face was all red. “D-D-Does that mean we will play at the beach tomorrow?”

“Of course!” Amy replied. “This will be your first time to have fun at a beach, so we have to make it special. We will buy the best swimsuit in this town!”

“Y-Yaaaay!” Tiara pumped her fist.

I was about to raise my hand and give a recommendation, but Amy cut me.

“Ric will stay here.”

“You took the words off my mouth.” I said. “I have to watch the newest episode of Game of Thrones to avoid spoilers. Anyway, I never had any slightest desire in accompanying you three in your shopping bullcrap. Get lost, you three...”

“Grrr…” The three girls stared at me with contempt.

<>

It’s been five minutes since the three girls left, I’ve been stargazing at the balcony and waiting for myself to get sleepy from this night ocean breeze but it seems that my brain is active.

Moreover, I feel that I’m being watched.

“You’ve been celebrating for two days straight, huh.” A chill went down to my spine as I heard that voice. I turned around and saw a white-haired teenager sitting carelessly on the railing. “Is avoiding Tiara’s death really that of a big deal to you?”

I materialized my katana and pointed it at the man who I recognize as The Outsider. He didn’t flinch or even move an inch. He doesn’t feel threatened.

“You know you can’t graze me, because I can freeze everything with my .” He maliciously smirked. “I’m not here to play with you anyway.”

“Why are you here?” I tightened my grip on my sword.

“I want you to form a contract with me, in exchange of changing your doomed fate.”

“I don’t want to negotiate with a Cursed Guardian. We have evaded Tiara’s death flag. We are the ones who can defy our fate!”

“Is that so?” The Outsider tilted his head. “I made all the efforts in the backstage to change your friend’s destiny, and here you are, being stubborn like a kid.”

The Outsider stood up and balanced on the metal railings as he walked around me. I don’t sense any intent to fight in him so I disengaged my katana into its gem from inside my watch.

“Very well… “ He made an eerie glare at me with his crimson eyes. “You will see a horrible with your own two eyes. Time will come and you will reject my offer two times. And when you see the third death, you will kneel on the ground and beg for my power. Hahahahaha!”

His strong deep voice echoed around the place.

Then he vanished like a bubble. That guy should have used his ability to freeze time to walk away.

I don’t care about his threats. No matter what happens, the Aether Crusade will fight destiny.

It’s no use to worry about that now.

Because tomorrow is a beach episode! Hurrah!