V1C27

"You are quite the courageous one, appearing in this time axis not feeling afraid that Time might write you off" The elder lady muttered while keeping her eyes closed, Matteo did not have a chance to say something as the elder lady continued. "I see, so we really did face our destruction at the hands of the Demon King... And you seek to meet the one who brought you here huh? But she is not here" Hearing what the Elder lady just said Matteo shook his head wondering just why would he be brought here.

"If you wish to leave this axis you will have to find three objects that signify her past, this present and the future... What those are, even I don't know" The elder lady opened her eyes, Matteo thought for a moment while looking at the crimson strand of hair in his hands. "Hoho, so you found her future boy. Never thought you would be lucky with that since it would have been an impossible task to find her future in the past if she is not here" Matteo nodded as he stood up, "Thank you for your kind advice

The elder lady smiled brightly, "You really are different from your predecessors... I will only give you one advice, don't reject the hands closest to you" With that Matteo turned and left, 'The only clue I have about her would be the palace' Matteo thought as he moved between the people, this was the second thing he found bizarre is the fact that the people ignore his existence but when he touched them they will be able to see him then which is quite troublesome, since his clothes and looks are foreign they will think strange things... Like Gods

The palace was built far more detailed compared to any other structure, not to mention the size in width, length and height. The gates were closed and the only way for Matteo to enter would be to use his Authorities, "Come to me, spells of the world carved into the book with disinherited knowledge" But strangely instead of a grimoire, a relatively large magic circle appeared in front of him on the ground "Manifest before me thy wonders and let the world know of the sorceries which is forgotten."

The Magic circle shone brightly for an instant almost blinding Matteo in the process, when the light diminished what was revealed was a short little girl with chin-height length blond hair, blue eyes wearing a black witch hand and a black magician robe that was decorated with pink and purple. She held her staff while timidly looking at Matteo who was unresponsive from what he just witnessed, "U-Uhm... Nice to meet you at last Master, I am the Singing Spellbook" Hearing the little girl introduced herself Matteo collapsed on his knees sweating bullets.

'Now I can't tease my father about kidnapping little girls if I committed the deed for real!!!' Matteo thought while holding his head, then he looks at the girl "I will call you Aika, why are you in this form?" Hearing that Matteo gave her a name the girl momentary forgot his question and began to jump happily with a big smile on her face "Aika! My name is Aika!" Aika was truly happy as she felt that fate wanted her to manifest in her true form to meet her master, Matteo, however, felt complicated as he was beginning to consider how he is supposed to explain this, to his father.

After a while Aika finally calmed down as she began to answer his question, "I am not sure why, but the laws in this space had made me appear in my initial form before I began to develop as an Authority you used me as in the future" Matteo caress his chin wondering what she meant so AIkai continued, "The more we are used by different Campiones, the more our forms will change to adjust to their preferences. Master did not have a preference which made me able to switch between this form and my book, but I thought Master will get in trouble if Master is seen kidnapping little girls

Matteo felt an invisible arrow struck his chest as he felt illusionary pain, 'It's painful, to hear a little girl say that to me' Matteo thought before a bright idea come in, "Can you grow bigger?" Aika stared long and hard at her master before shaking her head, "Master already acknowledge my form the moment I appeared, so I can't change it" Hearing this was like a pseudo death sentence, "I Hate the past met!!!!" But then Matteo smirked as he realized he could call out his other authority but then he realized, "That's correct Master, the other two authorities you have are from Gods so powerful that the world can't contain them. Their power only manifested with you"

Matteo sighed feeling defeated but he still stood up, "So can I still cast magic through you?" Aika nodded at Matteo's question, "Master has to hold my hand" Matteo almost choked from his own breath out of shock, not about now but for some reason he imagined doing this in front of Erica and his father, 'They're not going to let me go off this are they?' Matteo thought while Aika pouted "Does Master hate me?" Matteo shook his head as he gently took Aika's hand while patting her hat.

"Calm down Aika, it's not like I don't like you. I just have a complicated situation waiting for me" Matteo spoke with a gentle voice although there is some grumbling at the end of the sentence, Aika nodded "Master, leave it to me! I will handle it" Matteo was surprised but for some reason, his Campione instincts told him if he were to leave it to her, it will get dangerous in a different meaning. "Well let's leave it for now, Aika cast wind magic so we can fly over the wall there"

Aika nodded as she chants extremely fast before a magic circle appeared beneath her and Matteo, while he was under the impression they are going to fly but in reality. "BOOM!" "GYAAA!!!" Matteo unconscious screamed out of shock before grabbing Aika into his embrace "Why have you done this? We should be flying not be sent flying" Matteo scolded the little girl, Aika began to sob lightly forcing Matteo to stop as he gently pats her back to calm her down. 'Where is my grimoire! I miss you' He thought.

While mid-air, Matteo looks at the lawn at the side of the palace with a paved walkway where guards are patrolling. 'There is no one, good' Matteo thought as he felt he and Aika went through another barrier once again, when the two of them landed on the ground Matteo decided to ask her about that experience just now. "Aika what was that feeling?" Hearing her Master's question Aika puffed her chest with pride, "Master, that barrier stabilizing your existence within the space. It means you can now be seen by others"

'Dannazione' Matteo cursed in his mother language while he looked around carefully, there was no one in sight other than the tall building wall painted in crimson red with a single black line drawn in the middle of each floor. "Aika use presence detection spells and let me know if any enemy comes" Hearing her master command Aika nodded while climbing onto Matteo's back with a happy smile, Matteo held Aika balanced on his back with his left hand while he began to move towards the opposite direction of the entrance gate.

When they came near the end of the building wall, in front of them was a massive park filled with blooming flowers and surrounded by ancient walls, there was even a small size lake in the middle with a four-way cross-bridge built over it. There were a few guard posts that could be seen from the distance, but for some reason, there are no guards. Matteo did not recklessly walk out into the park before Aika gave him the signal that there was indeed only one person in the park, this person appears to be in the far northern end of the Park.

"Let's first enter the palace" Matteo muttered softly as he followed the building wall with his right side facing the park, soon they came across several sliding doors which appear to be the entrance to the palace but there were two guards standing there. "Master, those are Chi practitioners. Some magic for example magic that gives their target abnormal condition will be ineffective against them" Aika explained this ahead of time so Matteo would not bet his luck on Magic to help him here. 'Guess we can go check out the person in the north while thinking of a method to pass this checkpoint' Matteo thought.

"Master, I feel traces of magic being used" Aika muttered as they arrived near the four-way bride, Matteo paused for a moment as he began to look at his surroundings. His instincts were not screaming so it meant the magic used was not dangerous, the moment he took a step onto the bridge once again he went through another transparent barrier. But unlike the other two that made him feel complicated, this one did not make him feel anything at all.

"Master, this barrier is only to isolate their presences and magical auras" Aika answered while Matteo moved across the bridge following Aika's direction, soon they came across a man wearing a black ninja outfit. 'Japanese? Just what bloody timeline am I in' Matteo thought, Aika supported him by casting several physical enchantment spells. By the time the Ninja realized someone was behind him he was already smacked hard behind the head slamming his face into the tree he was hiding behind from to peek at the sides.

"Master, you alerted his companions" Aika muttered with a disappointed voice, Matteo smirked as he was getting tired of playing hide and seek here. Thanks to his experience in using the singing spellbook for so long Matteo was accustomed to controlling his mana, he began to manipulate it to course throughout his body. Feeling how his strength increased some more he gripped the knocked out Ninja and threw him in the direction Aika pointed the next ninja was coming from.

"What the hell!?" Matteo heard a feminine voice before she screamed as she fell off from the tree with the knocked out ninja on top of her, before she could move Matteo already placed his foot on top of the body over her. "Are you ready to answer some questions?" The female ninja stared at Matteo with wide eyes before yelling in Japanese "Demon! The Foreigner Demon really is here!!" By the time she finished her sentence she bit on something within her mouth and died.

"Master, she died from the poison" Aika mumbled not sure how she is meant to feel since the only feeling she possesses is towards her master, Matteo nodded as he once confirmed he was probably in a very old timeline. "Can you read this sleeping guys memory?" Hearing her master's orders Aika nodded as she smacked the head of the sleeping ninja while chanting, by the time the spell was completed Aika furrowed her brows.

"Master I managed to retrieve some information although the brain melted upon contact with my mana. It appears an Emperor had requested their services to kill the Red Demon of Khotan" Aika turned to Matteo who nodded as he finally understood some things, "Red Demon Huh? It really is that Gremory"