Chapter 29: Confessions

Amphere Harrison

Aside from the flowing water in the fountain, Reina’s steps towards us are the only noise that can be heard inside this ruined cathedral. She was emitting an intense aura that gives off pressure to Airi and me. I can’t read her. Did she hear everything we just talked about? Is she going to fight us?

“Richard…I thought you were dead.” Reina’s eyes glimmered, but that didn’t make the pressure disappear.

“I-I…” Richard muttered as he turned away. “I was…”

“You were killed by Kyle Leviticus.” As Reina released those words from her mouth, Richard clenched his fist and trembled. “And you were revived by the Crimson Priests. Is that right?”

Just how much did Reina overheard? “How did you…?” I cried. But she cut my sentence off.

“You were the one who discussed it in class one or two years ago. It was your report, remember?” She gave off this oblivious smile at me. The way she said it made me doubt my own memories. Of course I remember all that!

And then she continued. “Aside from that, I knew all along that you three are involved in Arcadia.”

There was a chill down on my spine. I know Airi felt the same way too. A Chevalier Unit, who is in charge of capturing or defeating Arcadia, already knows our secret. Since Reina tailed us, they should have an idea that Airi and I are connected to the terrorist group! What should we do? Killing her is not an option, unless she’s going to kill us too.

There are three of us here. I highly doubt that she didn’t bring Eva in this place. Eva might be waiting outside, ready to back her knight up once Reina got in trouble. I’m not even sure if we can defeat Reina. Airi and I readied our hands to draw our sword, but then Richard came between us and the blonde knight.

Reina smiled and looked at me as she rose up her hand. The pressure aura surrounding her faded, and somehow my fears for her disappeared. “You’re secret is safe, Neo Black Phantom.”

“How did you…?” I cried but I was cut again. “Your sloppy movements three nights ago made me remember your moves in the tournament. It’s not that hard to spot identical battle patterns, at least for me. Don’t worry; I’m the only one who suspected you as of the moment. Rudolf and Kyle didn’t know.”

Making her say it makes me a lot more uncomfortable. So I’ve been under surveillance by her for a while now. If she already knew from the start that I’m the new Black Phantom and never said it to anyone, I think I could trust her.

Then she turned to Richard again. “I also knew that the teleportation circle was you’re doing. I know your magical prowess since we were four, Richy.” Richard became embarrassed as he hears his long lost nickname from his childhood friend.

But then she continued again. She raised her index finger. “I will keep your secret for one condition. I knew that Richard and Airelina are members of Arcadia long time ago, but I don’t feel like having all you Arcadians slaughtered. I don’t have any grudge on dragonoids, Arcadia, or the Black Phantom. I only wanted information from you.”

“Information about what?” I said.

“Information about the Crimson Dragonfly.” Richard sustained Reina’s subject. “Reina’s mother was one of the victims of the Vanilla City incident. She wants to know who or what the Crimson Dragonfly is.”

My whole body froze. So I was right after all. The Crimson Dragonfly is the one who made Vanilla City a wasteland. According to Croft’s researches, fifty thousand people died in that incident. A gigantic abomination took all those lives as it wreaks havoc in the so called dragonoid-friendly city.

The way Richard said it makes me realize that he knows nothing about Crimson Dragonfly after all.

I turned to Airi, who is trembling and sweating nonstop. She is the one responsible to those lives. She is the Crimson Dragonfly. But something doesn’t add up. Airi didn’t want to kill innocent civilians, as what I saw three years ago when she tried to evacuate all other people before making the power plant explode. The only thing that links Airi to the Crimson Dragonfly are the Black Phantom; Alder’s words.

“Let me ask you one thing. Do you even know your dragonoid?... Do you really know the Crimson Dragonfly?”

Aside from that, I have no other proof that Airi is the Crimson Dragonfly. The picture Rudolf sent me was a fifty-meter metallic dragonoid with crimson flare wings, a Monolith Dragon. There is no way a Futuretech Dragon would look like that. I highly doubt any of it.

“I’m sorry, we don’t know anything about the Crimson Dragonfly. It’s all news to me.” I replied coldly.

“As I thought, you don’t know anything at all.” Reina said. “You’re too innocent to know anything.”

Airi’s expression brightened. There’s no way I would reveal my partner’s identity even if she is really the Crimson Dragonfly. Airi will be immediately murdered by Reina if I said the wrong thing. Besides, I have another excuse to myself if ever Airi was really the Crimson Dragonfly.

Futuretech Dragons are hard to control. If ever Airi has the ability to transform into a Monolith Dragon and slaughtered thousands of humans and dragonoids, she might as well be the victim. She might have lost control over her power during that time.

I pretty much have the whole story stuck in my head. The only questions remaining are how did Airi become the Crimson Dragonfly? And Zac… What exactly is his role? Who is he? Why did Airi tremble when she heard that name from Alder?

Reina took of her gloves as she turned to Richard. Then she leant out her hand. “Hand.” She said in an imperative manner. Richard’s cheeks blushed, and somehow hesitated at first. But when he saw Reina’s serious expression, he couldn’t just reject it.

Richard followed Reina’s words and locked up hands with her. A few seconds later, Reina’s white cheeks reddened and then jumped to Richard with a hug. This is truly a romantic sight between lovers who were separated by time and destiny itself.

“I really missed you, Richy.” Reina’s voice is shaking, and then she uttered a loud cry. “I thought you were forever gone.”

“I’m already here for you, Rei…” Richard also had his tears flowing out from his crimson eyes. “I am here to fulfill my promise to you. I will never leave you again…I promise.”

Airi and I were both touched with this reunion of their separated hearts. I can sense this intimate feeling between them, and also I can estimate their compatibility rate at a hundred percent. Their chests are glowing as of the moment, and I fear there will be an emergence of a seven-meter Portal Dragon if either of them starts chanting the pact.

I noticed that Airi slowly moved closer to me. And then she whispered. “Thanks for keeping my secret, Amphy. This is why I totally love you.”

Looking at my partner dragonoid, I realized that she became a lot more beautiful than we first met. Her rosy cheeks made her adorable that became the pleasure of my eyes. Her eyes glimmered like ruby gloss that gives off the reflection of my face. Our face attracted each other closer and closer like opposite poles of the magnet.

“I love you, Amphy. Totally!” She screamed that made her voice echo throughout the cathedral.