CHAPTER 14: THE INTRUDER

Nighttime finally came and Rafiz could feel the presence of the dark man getting closer to Ryam Town. He didn't show his anxiety but rather stayed calm so that Kairi and the others were unaware of the man's arrival. Only Rafael knows.

Last night...

"Dark Spincer." Mentioned Rafael to Rafiz when they were the only ones in his study.

"... He must have come to kill us all. This time I will slaughter him first!" Rafiz balled his hand tightly.

"Be careful. He's more experienced than you." Rafael told him.

"Father, is there any way I can defeat him?" Rafiz tried to calm down.

One mistake could lead everyone to danger.

"Dark Spincer, what do you know about him?" His father asked instead of answering.

"His ability is phantom. The weapon he has, the double sickle rod, allows him to control the speed of his phantom."

Rafiz still remembered how many people were killed at once during that one attack from Dark Spincer in Afli Village.

"Correct and night is his domain. You would need to enhance your sense around you. I know you can walk in the night without vision but this is Dark Spincer we're talking about. He is second in command of the Deorc Star user."

Rafiz went silent. He wants to know his father's opinion.

"You only have one slight chance to defeat him. And that depends on the speed you have. If you're faster than him, you might win. Dark Spincer is almost forty years old. His senses might have deteriorated a little. That would be his only weakness."

Rafiz closed his eyes and understood his father's explanation. Can he do it? The answer was he must win no matter what!

Rafiz remembered his father's words and waited for Dark Spincer's presence. Meanwhile, he serves customers and also does his work in the tavern calmly. When the time showed past eleven o'clock, the person he was waiting for appeared in front of the tavern door.

Rafiz walked over to him first before the other waiters.

"You are already big and tall. I almost didn't recognize you." The person's grinned.

"You too..." Rafiz glared. The person was Dark Spincer after all.

He came out of the tavern and was followed by Dark Spincer.

"Huh? Who's that?" Kairi saw them and was confused.

He has never seen that person before and why does Rafiz go out with him?

"Kairi, please send this dish to table eighteen!" An employee at the cashier cut in his thoughts.

"Okay!"

Kairi returned to his work. He would ask Rafiz later. Maybe it was Rafiz's friend he didn't know about.

"Where did he go?" Asked Virgo who also noticed Rafiz was not around anymore.

"Did he go to the toilet?" He wonders.

"Virgo, Pegasus, Rafiz have gone out with someone. He looks very serious," said Aries. "It seems like he was in trouble with that man too."

"Let's follow them..." Pegasus suggested but Rafael's yell startled them. They had to do their work first.

"Looks like we can't leave here yet." The three of them thought.

Kairi kept looking at the tavern door, waiting for Rafiz to return. But one hour has already passed. Even Rafiz's shadow can't be seen.

"Dad, I'm taking a break!" Told Kairi to Rafael.

He didn't wait for Rafael's reply because he didn't want Rafael to stop him. So, he left quickly.

"This boy... I hope they will be okay…" Rafael thought, a little uneasy for his two children.

Kairi hurriedly looked for Rafiz. The night hindered his sight.

"Apparently, I have no other choice." Kairi closed his eyes.

He felt a change in his eyes and when he opened them again, the iris of his eyes turned green. He could also see around him clearly like the night was still daylight.

"So, this is my Knight Seeyer's ability?" He thought with amazement.

He looked around but he was not able to pinpoint which direction Rafiz had gone with that person.

"Rafiz, where are you?" He was worried and turned to look at the sky.

"If you all are there, can you help me find him?" He whispered.

He thought the stellar's spirits could hear him. And he didn't wait long because something appeared. The twinkling of small starlight gathers together and playfully surrounds him before they show him towards a path.

"Is he that way? Thank you so much!" He left quickly in that direction.

Kairi didn't realise that two big full white and full black wolves were looking at him from the sky. Their eyes glowing gold with wings flapping gently. A moment later, they disappear.

Meanwhile, Rafiz and Dark Spincer have moved away from Ryam Town.

"We've been looking for you for a long time, Dark Lordany. It seems your heart is no longer for Dorothia," said Dark Spincer.

Dorothia was their country. It was under the Deorc Star's control. Rafiz didn't reply back, instead, he summoned his two blades which he used to kill Roy and Don and then swung them at Dark Spincer. His hidden black chain emblem emitted a dark glow under his shirt.

"Seriously? You don't even let me dine first? I want a black forest dessert." Dark Spincer joked with him.

"You won't have it!"

Dark Spincer repelled it with his summoning weapon, a long black-coated iron rod sickle with blades on both ends.

"Sigh… You've changed again. I did warn you!" Dark Spincer split his iron rod into two and threw one of them at Rafiz.

The rod sickle spinning fast towards Rafiz. Rafiz dodged as he ran behind the trees.

"Are you trying to repeat the same thing as I did to Afli Village?" Dark Spincer smirked before he got serious.

"Looks like I have to destroy this town after I kill you. Oh, yes, Rafael is still there. Hope he entertains me after you."

Dark Spincer's threat made Rafiz angry. He emerged from above Dark Spincer with both blades swinging at him. Dark Spincer resisted his attack with another rod sickle.

He uses only one hand while the other hand recalls the first rod sickle he threw. It returned to his hand again. After he pushed Rafiz away, he connected the two rod sickles into one.

"Your fierce expression is so beautiful, Dark Lordany. It's a pity you're not on our side." Praised Dark Spincer.

"Dark Lordany?" Kairi said slowly.

He just arrived to listen to Dark Spincer's sentences. His eyes widened.

"Rafiz..."

When Rafiz avoided Dark Spincer's attack, he saw a dark chain emblem coming out from Rafiz's neck collar.

"That is... The emblem of Deorc Star user..."

Did this mean, all along, Rafiz is one of them? The truth caught him unprepared.

"But why are they fighting with each other? Aren't they in the same group?" He was confused and turned his attention back to Rafiz and Dark Spincer's battle.

Rafiz and Dark Spincer retaliate against each other. The unfortunate trees around them fell one by one.

"Damn!"

Rafiz made a mistake because he accidentally tripped on a root. This allowed Dark Spincer to stab his weapon into Rafiz's body. Rafiz dodged as he turned his body to the side, causing Dark Spincer's weapon to pass him.

At the same time, Rafiz swings his blade at Dark Spincer's head. Dark Spincer moved backwards but Rafiz's blade slash his neck slightly. A drip of blood flowed from the wound.

Dark Spincer jumped backwards. He touched the wound on his neck and laughed out loud.

"This is the second time someone has managed to hurt me. You're getting stronger, Dark Lordany."

"Shut up!" Rafiz replied and attacked again.

"Your anger will obscure your view."

Rafiz knows there was some truth to it but he has long held a grudge against Dark Spincer for killing Reo. He would not let Dark Spincer live.

Dark Spincer shook his head. He could see the rage in Rafiz's eyes. It made his heart so excited to see Rafiz trying to kill him. But he will not allow that easily. He released another ability, his phantom. When he swung his weapon, the air sliced with multiple shadows headed towards Rafiz.

There it is! The phantoms! Rafiz thought while increasing his focus on them.

Dark Spincer was now seriously fighting him. Since he knows that phantom was a ghostlike blade, Rafiz will avoid it instead of repelling it with his weapon. This was because a phantom attack will go through any object.

He might get heavy injuries just from one attack. He has tried many times to attack Dark Spincer but his attack was blocked or stopped by Dark Spincer.

Is his strength not enough? What should he do to defeat Dark Spincer?

A sudden blow to his head startled him. Blood flowed from the wound on his head and blackened his vision for a moment. One of Dark Ries' phantoms had moved behind him and successfully hit him.

"Rafiz!" Kairi gasped in horror.

The hidden attack surprises him. He could see something emerging from the Dark Spincer's blade before disappearing when Dark Spincer swung it. A moment later, it reappeared and headed for Rafiz's head.

"What is that thing?" Kairi was scared of Rafiz's condition.

Rafiz was leaning against the tree behind him while his eyes were closed. More and more blood was flowing from his wound. The pain had obstructed his thinking and movement.

"Rafiz!"

Kairi could not sit still anymore and ran to Rafiz when Dark Spincer prepared to end Rafiz's life. Dark Spincer was startled by his presence. He also saw Kairi's eyes were glowing green and they reminded him of something.

What? So, he was with him?

He turns his head to Rafiz again.

"Dark Lordany, you've been hiding him, haven't you? You've made an unforgivable sin. But, let me deal with that green-eyed boy first before I punish you severely." He said before he disappeared.

"Green-eyed...? No! Kairi!" Rafiz forced himself to move. He realised Kairi was in the area.

Ignoring the dizziness and fatigue that began to envelop his body, he also disappeared.

"Huh, where are they...?" Kairi was startled when he couldn't see them.

"Rafiz?"

He was unaware of an attack heading towards him from behind until someone turned his body and hugged him tightly. The sound of stabbing into something soft was heard. Kairi, who was stunned, slowly looked up.

"Rafiz...?" He called before he was sprinkled with some blood on his face by Rafiz's cough.

Kairi's expression whitened.

"Rafiz!" He yelled anxiously.

Someone behind pulled his sickle blade from Rafiz's body causing Rafiz to lose his balance and fall on Kairi.

Kairi immediately held him. His eyes widened when his hand touched Rafiz's back. He brushed it before his movement stopped after touching a small hole. His body shivered in fear with eyes slowly forming tears.

"Run..." Rafiz whispered.

He felt it hard to breathe. The pain was too much for him to handle. So, he said his last words before his surroundings turned black.

Kairi didn't run like he was told. Rafiz's situation makes him speechless and dumbfounded. Dark Spincer's voice made Kairi look toward him.

"Sigh... I told you already. Being close to someone makes you weak. You're really stubborn, Dark Lordany."

Dark Spincer shook his head and pointed his weapon at Kairi.

"It's all your fault, boy. If you let Dark Ries kill you before, Dark Lordany won't find you and die now."

The blame startled Kairi. He knows the reason why Rafiz and his village were attacked. It was because of him! He was Queen Siarah's heir and the next Bright Star's leader. His presence endangers everyone around him.

He also remembered his old memories after returning from killing Dark Ries. It came to him suddenly during his head recovery. But, he never mentioned it to anyone. He doesn't want to worry about his family or his friends.

In the Knight Seeyer clan, Kairi and everyone else were hidden assassins. How they got these jobs was because, since Queen Siarah's ruling period, Knight Seeyer was her hidden guard and assassin. Queen Siarah has chosen some members at that time and named them Knight Seeyer, the protector of mortals for the Syarantonia Kingdom.

Their glowing green eyes were given by Queen Siarah stellar power to help them see in the dark. The next generation was born with this ability and also kept to this period. Secretly, without anyone knowing except them, Queen Siarah actually has married one of them. Her children were hidden in Knight Seeyer and Kairi was one of her descendants.

Kairi and other children have been told of Queen Siarah's stories many times. Although, no one knew which one of them would be the heir since no one evoked Stellar's power for 500 years, each of them was still trained to become an assassin.

Her story was a fantasy to Kairi until the day Dark Ries came to annihilate them. He managed to escape but his village was destroyed. No one survives except him.

From that memory, Kairi finally remembered his real name, Equiterance Ordany.

"Why? Why did you have to hurt everyone around me? I am the one you, Deorc Star, are looking for!" A tear slowly breaks free from his eyes.

Dark Spincer didn't answer and stared at him. His job was to kill anyone who disturbed Deorc Star's activity. Moreover, Kairi would be the biggest obstacle in their plans. For this reason alone, he lifts his rod sickle and swings it at Kairi.

His attack failed because it was repelled off by Pegasus that appeared suddenly. Pegasus returned the attack and Dark Spincer had to jump backwards and landed far away. He saw Virgo and Aries also appear on each side of Kairi and Rafiz.

"Everyone..." Kairi didn't notice they had arrived.

"Tsk, what a nuisance. The Bright Star brats are here all along." Dark Spincer harrumphed darkly.

"Dark Spincer, leave! We will not let you harm one of our own!" Barked Virgo with glaring eyes.

Dark Spincer laughs loudly.

"You three think you can defeat me?"

It was funny. He was, after all, stronger than they combined.

"Not just them..." A voice sounded, startling everyone there.

"Well, well, a formal Dark Lordany. It has been a long time..." Dark Spincer turns at the voice's owner.

"Would you like a plate of dessert before you go?" Rafael smiled.

Dark Spincer just smirked. "Maybe next time..."

After the sentences, he disappeared. He leaves not because he thought he could not defeat them but because he respects Rafael as the formal Dark Lordany. He will give this one chance to back away but next time he will not.

"Wait!"

Pegasus and Virgo yelled and then wanted to chase him but were stopped by Rafael.

"You won't be able to defeat him. Just let him leave." Rafael reminded them before he looked at Rafiz and Kairi.

"Dad, Rafiz... His injuries..." Kairi sobbed.

Rafael and his friends' presence makes him feel so relieved.

"It's okay, Kairi. The attack did not hit his heart. He will be okay after we treat him." Rafael said calmly.

He carries Rafiz gently into his arms.

"Let's return. Don't worry. Dark Spincer won't come for now. He would probably take his time to report to Dorothia." Rafael told Virgo, Aries and Pegasus.

He then left the area with Kairi following him.

Virgo, Aries and Pegasus turn to look at each other. They just found out that Rafael and Rafiz were the formal members of Deorc Star users. They were glad that both were friendly to them. Without hesitation, they also return to Ryam Town.