“Huh?” Aldwin asked, not sure if he heard her right. “How do you know about their base?”

“Apparently they sent out an invitation letter for everyone in the city. Pretty nice of them right?”

Aldwin sighed. “Rose.”

Smug grin appeared on her face. “Oh so i’m not allowed to be sarcastic while you are?”

Aldwin sighed one more time. “Whatever you want.”

“In all seriousness, we detected a strong trace of magical energy that we believed originated from the Warrior Faction.”

Aldwin furrowed his brow. “Who say that?”

“One of the intelligence team. why?”

”That sound like a trap to me. If they are professional i don’t think they would leave a trace behind unless they plan to bait people into their base.”

“Because it IS a trap.”

“What?..... So you intend to face their trap head on. Then do you know about their strength? What kind of spirit they have?”

“No.” She answered promptly.

Her quick answer made Aldwin confused. “Did your head bump on something Rose? You plan to attack an enemy base that is definitely a trap without knowing their power?”

“Yes.”

“Ho-” 

“Before you continue. This is a well thought plan. We don’t expect to win, the purpose of the attack is to draw as many member of the warrior faction and their spirit into the spotlight and to gather as much information as possible. That’s why we will only send our strongest member to increase the odds of surviving the trap.”

“Let me guess. That ‘strongest member’ include you and me in there?”

“Of course, what do you expect after showing your power by fighting with Hector?”

Aldwin buried his face on his palm. “What a hassle.” He stopped moving for a few second, thinking.

”Why the warrior faction, If we go by your logic to save the innocent people, shouldn’t we focus on the devil faction? Even if we knew where the warrior faction are, so far they haven’t done anything to threaten innocent people.”

“That may be true, but that’s only because we’ve only encountered the devil faction. We don’t know what the other faction have been up to. Looking back in history, the other faction were never that different, their end justify their mean.”

“And what about the Heroic faction?”

“What do you mean?”

“Does the Heroic faction always a holy one? Fighting for the best interest of the innocent, saving those in need..”

Rose glared at him. “What are you implying Aldwin?” She asked with irritated voice.

“I don’t know. Maybe your ancient order of heroic faction isn’t as noble as you think it is.”

“How dare you?!” She yelled. Aldwin often complained as made a sarcastic remark, but what he just said went too far. “What do you know about the heroic faction huh?! What right do you have to say such thing?!”

“I’m just saying that you holy order might not be as holy as you think it is. Maybe yes the order is, but what about its member? Do you think they do it out of caring for others, or do they do it for themselves?”

“Just say your point.”

“No, i’ll let you think about it for yourself, i’m just going to stand watch.” He turned and jumped to the church roof again.

Rose punched the church wall in frustration. Thinking back, it was always like that in the past few days. They were on good terms and suddenly Aldwin said something that get on her nerve. She got mad and he walked away, then they made up and it repeated all over again.

Now that she was sure that Aldwin’s goal had something to do with her, she can’t take lightly what he said and what he did.

“What are you trying to do Aldwin?” She mumbled.

“Nothing.” Suddenly Aldwin answered from the roof.

Her face flushed red, she never expected any answer from him.

-----

“Rein, what happened to you?” Friede asked as she ran down the stair.

She had just woken up, recovered after a long day yesterday. She expected Rein to be waiting for her, but what she saw was Rein lying on Elis’ thigh, grunting in pain. Normally he would have blushed and maybe pushed Elis away, but his pain was so excruciating that he didn’t even notice it. His body drenched in sweat.

She ran to him the moment she saw him, she didn’t even noticed Albert and Xandra there.

“Fri-Friede, you’re awake.” Rein said with a painful smile and a hoarse voice.

“What happened to you?”

“Nothing, just the usual day of being beaten to pulp by this world.” He let out a pained laugh. “How about you?”

She smiled hearing his concern “I’m fine. I slept through the morning after all.” She finally notice Albert and Xandra. “Oh Albert you’re here too.. And you are?”

“Xandra my lady. I’m lord Rein second spirit.”

“Lord...Rein?” She slowly turned her head to Rein.

“Not that i want to be called like that, but she’s persistent about that.”

“Sorry i'm late. I’ve talk things out with Aldwin. Don’t worry about him as long as i’m here.” Rose suddenly entered the room.

“Rose, you’re here too?” Friede was surprised.

“Friede you have wake up.” Rose was also surprised in turn. A smile appeared in her face, but it disappeared the moment she saw Rein’s condition. “Rein how’s your condition?”

Rein didn’t answer. Instead, it was Elis who answered. “The pain is getting worse, but his overall condition is getting better, and he’s sleeping right now.”

“Didn’t i hear his voice just now?”

“Yes. He have just fallen asleep the moment you enter the House.” Elis answered. She stroke Rein’s hair that was wet from sweating.

Friede smiled bitterly seeing that. Something burn in Friede’s chest. A flame of jealousy and envy for Elis. She didn’t notice it before because she panicked when she saw Rein’s condition. Now that she have calmed down, the situation was clear as a day. Of course, she musn’t let her emotion show, after all that was what she have determined to do after finding about Rein feeling for her sister.

“So. What’s the lunch for today?” Rose asked.

“Ah! Now that you say it, i just remembered that we don’t have enough food for all of us. I wanted to tell Rein earlier so he can buy more in the grocery store, but then this problem with Aldwin happened. Just wait here, i’ll go.”

“I’ll go. Just give me the list of what i have to buy.” Rose said.

“Eh? But i can-”

“No! You take care of Rein and make the preparation for lunch.”

Albert gave up. He wrote down the list of ingredients he needed to make lunch and handed it to Rose.

---

“Where are you going Aldwin?” Rose asked as Aldwin approached her. She was just about to leave Rein’s home.

“I’m your spirit. I have to protect you.”

“I’m just going to the grocery store. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

“Rose… I feel something bad is going to happen.”

“Oh yeah? And i feel that nothing bad will happen. Women’s intuition is better than men’s.”

“Rose.”

“Shut up! Can’t you see i’m angry with you?! You stay here, stand guard, and don’t do anything to Rein, Albert, or their spirit! That’s is my order as a summoner!”

Aldwin looked at her in the eyes and saw that no matter what he said she will not budge. Not by a mile or an inch “Fine then, but if something happen and i’m proven to be right, i will mention it every time you try to argue with me.”

“As if i care about such thing. Hmph!” she turned her head away from him.

------

“That should be all.” Rose checked the list one more time and looked at her watch.

It has been twenty minutes. The walk itself only take less than five minutes. As much as she doesn’t want to admit it, she wasn’t that experienced in buying ingredient in grocery store. She only make her own food a few times a week, the rest of the time she bought it from restaurant or store. And when Aldwin appeared, she never make her own food again because what he made was far better than what she could make.

She sighed. She wondered why did she wanted to go to the grocery store in the first place instead of letting Albert do it. Then the face of Friede came to her mind. Yes, that was the reason. She couldn’t stand seeing the way Friede look at Rein. It was a pained, bitter, conflicted expression.

She left the grocery store and began walking back to Rein’s home while still thinking about Friede’s problem. Her mind wandered everywhere, so much so that she wasn’t paying attention to where she walked and bumped with a man.

“I-I’m sorry!.” She apologize.

“It’s fine, but please pay attention when you’re walking. There’s a lot of car passing through this street, it would be dangerous if you don’t notice a car .”

Huh? Rose thought.

The voice sound awfully familiar. Even though she had apologized, she wasn’t paying attention to the man’s face. She looked at the man’s face.

Rose gasped and jumped backward.

Her grocery bag fell to the street, but it wasn’t the time to think about such thing.

Her heart pounded hard and her hair stood on ends. She prepared a spell, and despite her best effort she couldn’t help but to shiver.

Stood before her was a man around Rein’s height. His shirt was buttoned all the way to the neck. That, combined with his hair that covered his eyes made him looked geeky. Of course that what she would thought if not for her deadly encounter with him before.

“Wh-What are you doing here?!” She shouted at Lucifer. 

She observed the surrounding. She knew that it was a dangerous thing to do, but she have to know where the his master was. 

She couldn't see Elizabeth anywhere.

“Just like you, buying groceries.” He raised his hand and showed to her a grocery bag he held. “Don’t be so tense. I have no intention of fighting you.”

“Do-do you think i would believe that?”

“No.”

Something flashed in front of Rose’s eyes. Then her vision turned black. No, it wasn’t her vision that turned black, she didn’t lose consciousness, but something black have covered her eyes, or at least covered most of her vision.

She took a step back and everything became clear.

Lucifer had brought his feet up to her face, but stopped milimeter away from crushing her face.

“Good thing you don’t believe me. If you have relaxed because of that i would have killed you.” Lucifer added. He retracted his feet. “Actually even if you relaxed i won’t be able to kill you.”

Something was stuck in his feet, stabbing him through the tight. An arrow.

“You should be grateful. You have a loyal and protective spirit.” he grabbed the arrow and pulled it out, splattering blood everywhere. The way he pulled it out with a quick and swift movement with full confident almost made Rose think that it didn’t hurt at all. “Not many have that kind of spirit.”

He took off his shirt and tied it around the wound, using it as a makeshift bandages. He then walked away as if nothing had happened, leaving the still dreaded and confused Rose behind.

Only after he was out of sight did Rose lower her guard. Everything happened far too fast for her mind to comprehend, but she knew she have to hurry back to Rein’s house.

------

“I told you.”

That was the first thing Aldwin said when she returned. Usually Aldwin would say something like that with a mocking grin on his face, but right now his face was dead serious. Only then Rose realized what had happened. It was Aldwin’s arrow that stopped Lucifer feet.

“From now on you’re going to hear about it over and over again for the rest of your life.” He added. The usual smug expression returned to his face. "Be ready for it."

She walked pass him without even taking a look. Her head hung low so that Aldwin couldn’t see her face, which was flushed red. “Thank you.” She whispered.

She whispered when she was already quite some distance away from Aldwin. She didn’t want him to hear it, but considering Aldwin hearing abilities, he probably heard it. The fact that Aldwin chose not to say anything made her thanks inside her heart.

----

Darkness have fallen over the city, that include Rein’s house and the church.

Aldwin and Rose have returned to her home and they were probably scouting and patrolling the city. Albert had also returned home, he was away from his home much longer than what he had promised his spirits, making them worry over him.

That mean the one left in Rein’s house were Himself, Friede, and his spirits, Elis and Xandra.

The pain Rein felt have became better over time. He was sleeping soundly on his own bed inside his room. Inside the room next to his, Friede stood motionless, staring at the mirror. Her expression was flat and her eyes showed indifference. However, the same couldn’t be said for her reflection in the mirror.

Her reflection face was elated, showing a sadistic smile and sadistic stare. A frightening sight for anyone to see, like a scene directly from horror movie. Yet, it was not a ghost, or some other supernatural forces working on her. No, the thing on the mirror was the other side of her, her darkest desire, her true self one could say.

Friede was always a special among special, but not in the form that anyone other than her could see, or could comprehend. Even among the mages in the world, there was no one in the current age that could hold a candle to her might. Even Rose who was considered by many to be genius was nothing to her. Though she never showed it to anyone or tell anyone about that because she was, special.

Among countless legend, folklore, and others of that kind, there were many heroes, sages, warriors, mages, who possessed incredible magical power since birth. Whether they have the blood of dragon in their veins, or they were born from mating between god and human, they all possessed untold amount of magic in their body. Yet, even those people couldn’t match Friede in term of pure magic capacity.

Friede did not posses a blood of dragon or the blood of god. Instead, she posses something much more powerful, the blood of an Eldritch being, and not just any Eldritch being. The blood that ran through her vein was the blood of a Great Old one who slumbered in the sunken city of R’Lyeh.

Yes, her form on the mirror was the personification of that blood. The blood of Ctulhu.

She raised her arm and looked at the back of both hand. On the back of her left hand was a symbol of Dragon, and on her right was a symbol of the wolf. Both the exact same shape as Rein’s, but hers wach much darker.

“Do i really have to make a contract with that weak and pitiful creature Mistress? It felt... disgusting.” The voice came from a kneeling woman behind her.

Lustrous pitch black armor covered her body. Her skin was pale white and her eyes silver. It was Xandra.

A chuckle came from behind her as if to reply Xandra’s statement.

The chuckle came from the bed, where a woman, with black hair with a tint of blue at the end of it, lied. Her feet was not that of human, but a hooves of goat. Four curved horned came out from her temple, two curved upward and two downward. On her forehead was a third eyes. It was Elis, or more appropriately, Shub-Nigur.

“How can you not love such an adorable miserable little human?” Shub licked her lips. “Clinging to his sanity so hard when there are no hope. I wanted for so long to just push him over the edges so i can finally devour his mind, but at the same times i want to see his cute face when he despair, and his cute face when i gave him hope. Over and over again. Ahhh~ What a sight.”

Elis stare became blank. She opened her mouth wide and a drool came out from it. Her hand started to rub her body and private part.

Seeing her like that Xandra can’t help but to look away. “Still i can’t comprehend why must we make a false contract with him.”

Friede turned her body to face Xandra, but the image on the mirror still face the same way. “Because I-we love him. The false contract is to ensure we know where his position is wherever he go. Is that not enough explanation for you?”

“Deepest apology my mistress. However, since we could take over his mind or change his memory completely, why should we do this?”

“I want him to love me-us back with his own heart. I will only resort to that method if for some reason his mind shatter before i could make him mine.”

“If that is the case shouldn’t we kill the woman who claim to be your sister? She is after all his target of affection.”

“No. Rein is a like an ice carving. Beautiful but brittle, he have endured so many tragedies in his life that he developed a dependency to another person to keep his own mind from shattering. If iris die before i could change Rein dependency from her to me, then his mind will shatter and all we have done would be meaningless.”

“I understand.” She stood. “Then what about the woman and the man that came here earlier?”

“Albert… he’s not a problem. Once they may be best friend, but recently their relation have been strained, so killing him shouldn't be a problem, but keeping him alive might be more entertaining.” She looked at Shub behind her. “His spirits are the one who killed both of you in your previous life. Though with me here they won’t posses any problem.”

“Of course. With you pwer we could easily win this war after all.”

Without minding Xandra praise, Friede continued. “Rose…. I can’t say anything about her. I pretended to be her friend in the past, but she seems to take it seriously. What a stupid human. Devour her if you want, but the problem lies in her spirit… Aldwin. Do any of you know anything about him?”

Her question brought Shub back from her fantasy. “No.” She answered promptly.

Xandra shook her head. “But even him shouldn’t be a problem. Even if he is an A++ rank spirit, compared to us Eldritch being-”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Shub interrupted.

“And what make you say that?” Xandra asked with eyes of hostility. Her pride didn't allow her to acknowledge the strength of something other than an Eldritch being.

“I don’t know. But facing him give me chills.” She sat on the bed. "He also have the same sword as you didn't he."

"Now that you said it. No human should be able to wield my sword no matter how strong he is."

"Maybe he's also one of us."

"No. If he is we would instantly know."

Friede raised her hand, signalling both of them to stop speaking. “I don't think he will be any problem, but to be safe both of you musn't underestimate him. I will tell you what to do about him latter.”

They nodded in unison.

Shub stood from the bed. Her face beaming with smile. It was an honest innocent smile, like a child smile wanting a gift from their parent. “Then mistress. Shouldn’t i be rewarded. I have taken care of him quite well haven’t i? I even gave him nightmare about losing you every night so that he could yearn for you in his wake.”

Friede turned to look at his true self in the mirror. “You’re allowed to hunt tonight child.” A ghastly version of Friede’s voice resounded in the room. The normal Friede added. “But you must be careful not to reveal your true self to other spirit. Kill any witness.”

Shub tilted her head to an impossible angle. Then her smile widened such that it touched her ears, literally.