- The Crimson Red Flower Seal -

The Crimson Red Flower Seal was the seal where one will use the shinsu to form these transparent flowers and veins.

The seven flowers and the veins there will not be able to be broken by force. No matter how strong you were, no matter how many times you attacked them, it will not be broken. There was only one way to open this seal which was to sacrifice one's blood. When the flowers and the veins were filled with the blood, they will turn from white into crimson red and became the Crimson Red Flower.

Charlotte raised her palm and then pushed it to one of the seven flowers. The flower, like what she expected, was sharp enough to hurt her palm and then let her blood flow inside it.

Celeste and Estelle were both surprised by her sudden movement and urged her stop immediately. But if Charlotte stopped in the middle of the way, then she doubted whether she will be able to hurt her palm again. Truth to be told, the thought of hurting her own palm was already scary enough. She had to gather the courage before doing this.

"Don't tell me.......that this is the method to open the door?" The quick-witted Estelle guessed it.

Charlotte nodded her head.

"The Crimson Red Flower Seal....no matter how many times you attack it or how strong you are, there will always be one method for one to destroy these flowers and veins which is to sacrifice your blood to fill all of them" Charlotte explained.

"But will your blood be able to fill all these?" Celeste asked worriedly. She looked again at the door.

She would have sacrificed more than half of her blood to open this door.

"It won't be a problem, I guess" Charlotte said. "It won't take my life, but I might have to ask you to carry me back if I collapse later on."

Estelle looked at the door, especially at the nearest flower. She thought for a moment before she extended her hand and cut her own flesh.

Both Charlotte and Celeste were surprised to see her blood flowing inside as well.

"What on earth are you doing?!" Charlotte asked her.

Celeste also sheathed her sword back and then did the same thing as well.

Both of them pushed their hands to the closest flowers.

"Why are you following her as well?!" Charlotte asked Celeste.

She did this because she didn't want them to get hurt. She planned to sacrifice her blood a little so they won't have to hurt themselves. But what they were doing right now?

"Don't get us wrong" Estelle answered. "You are too heavy. We don't want to carry you later on."

"But-!"

"Alright" Celeste cut her words with her usual soft and gentle smile. "Since we come all the way here together, then let's sacrifice our blood together.

And besides, if you are hurt, how am I supposed to face Altaira?"

'I should have been the one who said that. If brother knows that his girlfriend lost her blood because of me, he will snap my neck on the spot!'

Charlotte let out a sigh.

"I wonder what will happen if the three of us sacrificed our blood together" she said to the two others. "Will something bad happen?"

"Stay positive" Celeste answered. "And even something bad is going to happen, we could face it together right?"

Charlotte just nodded her head before lifting it and watched how their blood flowed inside the flowers and veins. It seemed like she didn't have to wait for long before they will be full.

When the three of them had finished, the three of them pulled their hands back and took one step backward. Charlotte herself looked at her right palm that she pushed on the flower and when she looked at it, she felt a little surprised.

The wounds and the cuts on her right palm looked exactly similar with the flower on the door. She thought that her hand will bleed without stopping and become messy but it was cleaner and tidier than what she thought would be. She wasn't complaining though, since it was better to be cleaner and tidier. It will be easier for her to deal with the cuts later on.

Celeste insisted to use her small and tiny blue butterflies to heal their palms. Charlotte at first thought about rejecting it, but now that she thought of it, she had rejected Celeste twice. And this wound wasn't that big or serious either. If Charlotte rejects Celeste's good intention once more, then it might hurt Celeste's feelings.

Her blue butterflies were rather gentle in doing their job. Not only that they glowed in the dark, they also gave her the warm sensation. She felt quite comfortable and watched the butterflies to heal her wounds until they completely disappeared.

"Whoa, there's no mark left" she said and looked at her palm in amazement.

"Your ability never cease to amaze me" Estelle said to Celeste.

Celeste just smiled when she heard that. She humbly replied, "You're exaggerating it. If we are looking for someone with the most interesting ability, then Bam would rank the first."

"Ah yes.....his rapid improvement is indeed something dangerous" Estelle agreed. "But I prefer something soft and gentle like your butterflies instead."

"Have you played enough?" Noah asked with the irritated look. "Can't you free me now?"

Charlotte looked at him and nodded her head. She clapped her hand and cleared her outfit from the dusts as she stood up. She also picked up her fan and then headed to the door.

She opened her fan and then swung it to the flowers.

The crimson red flowers shattered and fell on the ground.

Charlotte thought the blood would splash everywhere, therefore she jumped backward just in case she would be drenched by blood. But unexpectedly, the blood didn't splash. It seemed to have froze inside the flowers and when the flowers and veins were shattered, they just fell on the ground in pieces.

Charlotte bent down in order to pick one of the pieces. She looked at it from back and forth.

"It's too beautiful that it makes me feel a little sad when you break it" Estelle said to her.

"Can't help it" Charlotte said. "The friend who I want to save is someone short-tempered and impatient."

When Charlotte said those words, she looked around to look for Noah. Noah had disappeared; he must have returned inside the room behind the door.

Charlotte looked at Celeste. For a long time, she has been yearning and missed her brother. The reason why Charlotte chose Celeste to help her because she wanted to let the two siblings had their own reunion, just like she and Altaira in the Test Floor.

"Let's open the door" Charlotte said.

She put both of her hands on the door and then began to push it and opened it.

Inside the room, there was a lamp hanging on the wall, illuminating the room with its green and dim light. On the floor, there were lots of violet chrysanthemum petals that Noah would always use in order to save her.

The room was quiet and cold. It was also lonely for the white haired man who was trapped inside the room.

His hair was white as snow, his dark purple eyes were mysterious and cold. For hundreds of years he was trapped there and today has never been this lively and this wonderful for someone who desired for his freedom again.

A smile formed on his lips as he said, "You're here."

"Yeah. I've come.....to take you out, Noah."

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Bam was still worried of her sister.

It has been around twenty minutes yet she didn't come back. What if something happened to her? What if she encountered a strong enemy? What if she gets hurt? What if she gets lost? What if Celeste and Estelle failed to protect her?

He was worried that he can't bring himself to sit down quietly like Altaira and kept walking in circles.

Hwaryun didn't bother to remind Bam to calm himself down anymore, so as the others, including Khun. Just like Bam, he was also worried about the three of them. But even though he was worried, he wasn't as worried as Bam who had just finished his fight and still remained restless.

Bam had made up his mind. If in 5 minutes Charlotte didn't come back, then he will go to pick her up. He did that to respect his sister's decision as well. But somehow five minutes suddenly felt like a year for him. Should he change it become ten seconds instead?

"Why aren't they back yet?" Estrella asked.

"They are probably on their way now" Altaira answered, opening another bag of chips for him to eat.

"If only Bam is as cool as you......why aren't you worried of Charlotte and Celeste like Bam?" Raisin asked.

"Rest assured, my sister has nine lives" Altaira replied. "She will survive and come back."

There were two types of brothers, Raisin had learned it today. The first type was the type who will get anxious if his sister left for too long while the second type was rather the chill and the cool one, believing that his sister will be safe and sound.

He could only shake his head. This wasn't something that he couldn't change anyway.

'The longer Celeste and the others stay outside there, the longer we should be staying here' Raisin silently thought.

Time was essential for them. They only had one month to get the two slayer candidates improve. Raisin didn't mind if they returned a little bit late but still, they should be hurry.

And speaking about the devil, she finally back with three people with her.

"Charlotte, who is this?" Bam asked when he met the one extra person whom she brought back.

"Ah, this is the friend who was trapped in the Hell Train" Charlotte answered and began to introduce the said friend. "His name is Noah, Celeste's older brother."

Raisin who glanced back at Altaira could see that he was choked on his own snack when he heard that.