Chapter 12:

Discussion

Power of Fear


Somewhere in a dark place. It had a rocky terrain with lava flowing through the cracks.

"We have made a breakthrough in all of our frontlines. It would seem that the commanders have disappeared somewhere." Said a hooded figure, bowing down in front of a throne.

"Huh? No clue what that Julius is thinking, but whatever, good for us." Said the person seated on the throne laughing.

"Aren't you worried this could be a trap, my Queen?!" The hooded figure stood up.

"How dare you speak to the Queen like that! Know your place." Said a man with beautifully long purple hair.

"Eh? But you are standing before me too, Lancelot." The Queen pointed out.

"O-Oh, I apologize, Your Highness!" The purple-haired man whose name was Lancelot bowed down.

"Hahaha! I'm just messing with yall!" The Queen jumped down from her thrown.

"My Queen, you mustn't come down your throne! We are not worthy of standing on equal footing." Said the hooded man.

"Shut up with the formal talk, Merlin! I know how much loyalty you have for me."

The hooded figure, Merlin, gave a sinister smile.

The Queen, who they were referring to, looked like a teenage girl with a black face and black hair that was tied into one short ponytail.

"By the way, where is Mordred? Haven't seen him in a while."

"He is in the Vatican city... I am not aware of what purpose exactly." Merlin answered.

"Hmmm... he'll be fine! It's not like Pope Gilgamesh is around anymore." The Queen answered while stretching.

"He is still alive, your majesty! You reversed his power of fear from 'for' to 'against'... but he was also known for his strategic decisions." Lancelot explained.

"Oh, but I heard Aina had slain him." Merlin said.

The Queen stopped stretching and looked at Merlin in anger.

"You know very well not to mention that name in here... in front of me... "

As she said that lava started to burst upwards.

"My apologies... my apologies..." Merlin said with a smile.

"My Queen... actually, today I arrived here to ask for permission to leave the palace temporarily."

The Queen calmed down.

"For what?"

"I... cannot tell you."

There was silence in the throne room for a moment. Lava had stopped flowing, too.

The Queen smiled.

"Hmm... how interesting. Do what you wish."

Lancelot bowed down.

"I, Lancelot, a member of the Knights of the Round Table, will make the great Queen, Arthur proud!"

Back at the mansion.

Everyone was sitting together for a discussion around a giant table in the middle of the room.

Ketsuki stared at Akashi who he last saw wearing a maid outfit and was now wearing a nice black suit.

"Is there something on my face?" Akashi asked Ketsuki.

"Nothing... Nothing..."

"He saw you 'train' in your room." Kiara said while reading her magazine.

There was silence for a moment.

Kajra clapped his hands to turn everyone's attention toward him.

"I think we should start our discussion on what to do next."

"Hmmm? Where's Aina?" Akane asked.

"Aina is busy currently. Anyways she doesn't enjoy our discussions much." Jin answered mysteriously.

"Just start already." Yowa groaned.

"Indeed Mister Yowa. I believe we should first introduce our powers to Mister Ketsuki."

"That is an immense waste of time... just for the benefit of one person." Kiara said.

"No, I think it's quite important. Ketsuki just awakened his powers, so for better efficiency, he should know as quickly as possible." Kumojoshi said while entering the room.

"That's quite right Miss Kumojoshi... Miss Kiara, would you start with yours please?" Kajra pointed at Kiara dramatically.

"(She definitely has something pervy related.)" Ketsuki thought.

"Ugh... Fine." Kiara stood up and put her magazine on the table.

She put her hand on the ground and pulled out what seemed to be a skeleton.

"Fear for the dead." As she said that she pushed the skeleton back into the ground.

"Holy shit..." Ketsuki said with amusement.

"I'll go nex-"

"Fear against falling." Ketsuki immediately cut Akane in the middle.

Akane who was flying sat down on the ground sadly.

"Correct answer..."

Ketsuki felt a bit guilty.

"I shall go next!" Shika said while standing on the table.

Shika pointed her finger at Kumojoshi and shot an air bullet at her screaming, "FEAR FOR HOES."

Kumojoshi dodged it easily and angrily shouted, "ITS HOLES NOT HOES!"

Emi gave a disgusted look at Shika.

"Now now! I'll go next." Kajra said while drinking wine.

"You need to drink that wine to activate your power or something?" Ketsuki asked.

"He just really loves to drink... I think." Ken said while just wearing a towel and brushing her red hair.

"I don't think that attire is... appropriate." Akane said.

"It's perfect!" Kiara and Ketsuki shouted at the same time and then gave each other a thumbs-up.

"I feel like a special bond has been formed." Kumojoshi said laughing.

Suddenly a loud noise came out of nowhere.

When the noise stopped Ketsuki looked at Kajra whose right hand had changed into an elephant's trunk and it seemed to be the source of the noise.

"Let's get back to discussing shall we." Kajra said smiling.

"I'll kill you if you do that again." Ken gave Kajra a death stare.

"I-I have a fear for animals." Kajra said while hesitating, feeling Ken's angry gaze.

"That's... Something." Said Ketsuki.

"Akashi!" Akane called out.

"Yes yes..."

Akashi got up and pulled out the sword which was sheated and near his waist.

"The fuck?"

What came out was a tank that was attached to the tip of his sword.

"Do not put that down there, you will have to pay for the table." Ken said like it was a usual thing.

"My power is the fear of the unknown... whenever I pull out my sword a random object pops out at the tip of the sword. While I hold on to the sword the object feels weightless." Akashi explained.

"That's... That's... SO FUCKING COOL!" Ketsuki shouted loudly.

Akashi attempted to put his sword back inside his sheath and the tank reduced its size so that the blade could fit inside the sheath.

Ketsuki kept asking Akashi numerous questions.

Then everyone suddenly went quiet.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Ketsuki asked.

"It seems they have tricked us..." said Jin while looking at his newspaper.

"This strong divinity... Where did Aina go!?" Kajra asked.

Suddenly a gigantic white hand broke through the window and hit Ketsuki who got knocked out cold but still somehow alive.

"Akane! Take Ketsuki quickly and run!" Yowa shouted who had fallen off his wheelchair.

"It seems we both know what they, the Cycle of Months are after." Jin said who was bleeding a bit from his forehead.

"Yeah... Aina's only weakness..."

Somewhere in a dark place with mirrors.

"My, my... it seems they are attempting to stall me in a maze. I didn't think they would stoop this low... please protect my Ketsu till I get back..." Aina said sadly...