CHAPTER 33: OUR LAST TIME

Sometimes, I remember my old memories when I was with my clan. But old memories were not as happy as now. Back then, I had no friends. Even my siblings were not friendly. I'm the youngest but more like an outsider to them…

When you were born as children of Knight Seeyer, your fate had already been decided. Your task was to complete all the assassin methods taught by the elders of the clan. Playing during practice was not allowed.

If we don't concentrate, that's when our lives are at stake. The chief or you can say my father and elders have no sympathy for the weak.

Knight Seeyer must have no flaws and they will be trained until they can no longer move. There was nothing more exciting than finding other boys in training and battling them.

If you were strong, you could escape but if you were weak, your body would become a victim of their attack. Death often occurs too many times to count and that would mean you're very weak.

Better dying than living if you're going to repeat it again...

The days with my clan took away the joy in my heart. My freedom was also limited. When it was all gone, there was no more concern but a strong desire to live.

Meeting Dark Ries aroused that desire but at the same time...

I preferred to be killed.

I don't want to exist when my hands have snatched away so many lives during my mission that were hired by outsiders. Sometimes at night, I would wake up and look at my hand in panic, imagining the sticky blood on my hand even though it was clean.

Nightmares… It always haunts me when I am full of joy during the day. How painful it was when I recalled everyone I killed including Dark Ries's painful moment.

I didn't tell Rafiz or others but Aries probably knew because every time we met, her face would show sympathy and sadness but hidden behind her encouraging smile.

If I was given a choice, I would no longer want to remember anything that had happened in my clan or anything related to them...

I want to forget it...

"Kairi!" Screamed Rafiz and their friends when Dark Hartina pulled something out of Kairi's forehead.

The light smoke came out slowly before forming a light green crystal ball on the palm of Dark Hartina's right hand. Slowly, Kairi's eyes closed tightly and slumped into the ground in front of Dark Hartina.

"Sleep, Kairi. You won't feel any pain again after this..." Dark Hartina said in his mind.

His task of erasing Kairi's memory was finally over. At the same time, he helps Kairi forget all his painful memories but so do all the memories after he meets Rafiz and the users of the Bright Star.

As he wanted to walk away from Kairi, he saw a drop of Kairi's tears fall to the side of his eyes. His heart suddenly ached.

"Huh? What's wrong with me?"

He felt strange but ignored it when Rafiz came attacking him angrily.

A few moments ago, Kairi and Rafiz helped their friends to attack Dark Hartina and Dark Howlan.

"Agi!" Rafiz called his name.

Agi, who understood what Rafiz wanted, summoned a small portal. He put his hand inside and took away something from it.

"Catch!" Agi threw the thing at him.

Rafiz grabbed it and wore it around his neck. Everyone who didn't know Rafiz was a formal member of Deorc Star was shocked by the chain emblem on him.

Leo and Auriga's eyes sharpen at Agi who shrunken beside Cygnus but behind his back, it was sweating profusely.

Oh, man...

He was sure he was going to be punished after this was all over. Hiding a Deorc Star member among them deems a heavy charge even if you were a Bright Star user.

Kairi swung his swords forward simultaneously with the swing of Rafiz's manifested blades. Their swipe of power gave birth to a light beam headed towards Dark Howlan who was fending off Virgo and Eridanus.

Dark Howlan, who was aware of their attack, continued to rotate his weapon. In front of the rotation appeared a field protector, destroying the light beams. However, Kairi and Rafiz did not stop and attacked him together.

Just looking at Rafiz's power emblem, they recognize him as Dark Lordany at a glance. Only he was among the fifteen generals of Deorc Star who wielded two blades.

"Since when?" Leo asked, startling Agi and Cygnus, who was cured.

"Erm... We've known since Rafiz tried to protect your majesty from being attacked by Dark Spincer in their village, Ryam. But they've been together for five years and Rafiz has been protecting him all this time." Agi explained truthfully.

"And he knows your majesty is the heir of Queen Siarah?"

"Yes!"

Agi and his friends have already seen Rafiz devote his life to protecting Kairi.

"Hm... I need a full report on him after this. Don't worry, I won't imprison him. His action here, fighting with us is the evidence that he is on our side..."

Agi and Cygnus were relieved to hear it before returning to see the match in front of them. Cygnus, who felt better, started to fight with Dark Hartina. Agi followed behind.

Kairi and Rafiz's movements were synchronised while attacking Dark Howlan. They were used to training together so they knew each other's habits. They would exchange looks with each other before one followed the other action.

Dark Howlan escapes a direct thrust from Kairi's one sword but Rafiz who knew he would jump away was on standby and hit him from above. Dark Howlan opens his mouth to attack Rafiz.

Kairi, who knew Dark Howlan's power, immediately went to slash his other sword on Dark Howlan's head. Unfortunately, Dark Howlan wasn't that easy to stop. He released his aura, pushing both Rafiz and Kairi away. Then, a loud howling was heard.

"Oh no..."

Virgo and their friends thought about Dark Howlan's power of nature. A moment later, an earthquake shook the place they were in. The buildings around them crack and fall one by one. Screaming of people was heard from their surroundings.

"You bastards!"

Eridanus went to smash his knuckles on Dark Howlan. A blazing starfield appeared on his knuckles and smashed the shield Dark Howlan had made to protect himself.

At the same time, Virgo shoots him while Kairi and Rafiz swing their swords at him. Their anger can be seen from the aura they released.

"You shouldn't focus too much on my mate, you know."

A voice sounded in everyone's mind except Dark Howlan, Leo and Perseus before a sharp shrill scream blew their mind. All the soldiers who could not stand the sound collapsed and fainted. Only Kairi, Rafiz and the Bright Star users were still awake even though their minds were still ringing.

Virgo, Agi and Cygnus vomited blood. Blood also flowed out of their ears and noses. Libra began to feel her vision getting blurred and succumbed to the blackness that enveloped her.

"Libra..." Eridanus caught Libra's falling body and slowly lowered her to the floor.

He also didn't last long and fainted. Agi, who also wanted to lose consciousness, hurriedly chanted a healing spell. But he didn't have time to do so when the tip of Dark Howlan's weapon pierced his chest. Blood splattered all around him and startled everyone there. Agi's eyes widened before he slumped to the ground.

"Agi!"

Kairi and his friends were shocked. Since Kairi was the only one who has healing powers besides Agi, he slowly ran toward Agi and Dark Howlan. Rafiz followed behind to protect him. They both were slow because they were affected by Dark Hartina's scream.

Leo used his power to blast Dark Howlan away from Kairi and Rafiz to get closer to Agi. Perseus used her blinding illusion ability to cover everyone who fainted and was injured.

"Such a beautiful lady. Are you Leo's wife?" Dark Hartina asked from behind her.

He appeared suddenly, making Leo and Auriga startled. They were sure Dark Hartina was on the other side after the scream.

How can he appear beside Perseus?

"Perseus!" Leo used his fastest speed to reach her.

Dark Hartina put his palm towards her but when Leo wanted to hit him, he was gone again. It was like a fake Dark Hartina standing there just now.

Dark Howlan smirked. "The trick personality..."

"Dark Lordany. How long are you going to stick to him?"

Rafiz swings his sword in front of him where he hears Dark Hartina's voice but the body disappears and bewildered Rafiz. His few seconds give an opening for Dark Howlan to assault Kairi with a kick to his stomach.

Kairi who saw it was unable to stop it because his body was weakened by the scream just now. He only managed to fold his hands on his stomach and let his body follow the kick force.

As a former assassin, a skill was learned to lower the damage by the body by following the force of others' attacks. His body was kicked away towards a ruined wall and crashed onto it. He vomits the blood gathering in his mouth.

"Kairi!"

Rafiz wants to get near Kairi but Dark Howlan appears to stop him while Dark Hartina was seen by them appear near Kairi. Rafiz's heart thumped heavily in fear.

What is he going to do?

Due to the Dark Hartina trick, everyone else was slow to respond to Kairi's situation. Kairi glared at Dark Hartina but he was defenceless against a power that enter his mind. He was startled when Dark Hartina's tears fell on his cheek.

Dark Hartina quickly wiped them away and continued his task. He could see Kairi's painful past as he collected Kairi's memory.

The screams of everyone around them were heard but he ignored them. He then pulled Kairi's memory out of his head and shaped it into a light green crystal ball.

After distancing himself from Kairi, Rafiz attacks him repeatedly as Rafiz's hand tries to reach for the crystal ball on his hand.

"Tsk! Tsk! No way, Dark Lordany. I can't give you this!" He said with a small chuckle.

"Give it back!" Rafiz shrieked like someone hysterical about something he lost.

"What's in Dark Hartina's hand?" Virgo stood up with anger in his eyes. Agi's injuries infuriate him.

"I think that's Kairi's memory," Cygnus answered with a bad feeling.

Virgo who heard it widened his eyes. He glared towards the crystal ball.

"Cygnus, we can't let them take it!"

"I know!" Cygnus also stood up again before they ran towards Dark Hartina.

Leo appears behind Dark Hartina in the blink of an eye as his hand clenched into a fist and swung toward Dark Hartina's head. Dark Hartina was shocked by him and could not dodge. He survived when Dark Howlan summoned the ground below to make a wall and protect him from the attack.

Unfortunately, Leo's punch to the hardened wall was destroyed easily by him. Dark Hartina had to fly into the air while dodging the attack of Dark Lordany who jumped toward him. His right arm was slightly injured due to the blow of Leo's just now. He almost dropped the crystal ball but exchanged it with his left hand.

Aries and some medical experts appeared soon after and proceeded to help Agi and everyone that was injured. The physicians, despite realizing they were in danger by being there, still do their job to stop the bleeding of Agi, Libra and others.

The palace guards and soldiers from other places also arrived and Perseus ordered them to gather the wounded so the physician could save their lives.

Auriga arrived at their side with Kairi in his arms. He had gone to grab Kairi while everyone diverted Dark Howlan and Dark Hartina's attention to him.

"Check his condition!" He ordered the two nearby physicians.

They went to Kairi and examined him. Auriga stays with them to ensure their safety. Aries ran to them. She was stunned when she found nothing in Kairi's mind. No memories, nothing. Such a thing happening froze her in her place.

"Dark Hartina, what are you delaying! Quickly destroy it!"

Dark Howlan yelled at Dark Hartina as he dodged Virgo and Cygnus's assault when he tried to protect Dark Hartina. They were angry at him after all. So they changed the target to him and let Rafiz and Leo get the crystal ball.

"I know already!" Dark Hartina replied and jumped away from Rafiz and Leo.

He looked at them moving towards him. Then, look at the light green crystal ball in his hand. He sighed before clutching his hand that held the ball.

He feels like he was doing his duty but something in his heart dislikes it very much. He doesn't understand it. However, has no choice but to destroy the crystal ball as Dark Revier ordered him to. When he clenched his hand, the crystal ball cracked.

Rafiz shook his head in disbelief. The crystal ball that had all Kairi's memories finally shattered and disappeared in front of him. Unknowingly, tears of despair flowed out as he realized what he had lost. His memories with Kairi all this time... It can never come back again.

Kairi would never remember who he was and their friends anymore. His anguish scream sounded and after that his dark aura came out of his body, enclosing him in it. If the eyes could kill, Dark Hartina would have been long dead.

"Dark Hartina, you bastard! I will kill you! Argh!!!"

"Then, come on, Dark Lordany! I'm here!" Dark Hartina replied with a cynical smile.

"Come kill me if you think you can!"

Dark Lordany was no longer someone he knew. While Dark Lordany was still with Deorc Star, he would always try to get along with Dark Lordany because only Dark Lordany would not taunt him with cruel words.

Yes, they don't need to be friends but Dark Hartina wants to befriend Dark Lordany.

He knew Dark Lordany's thoughts from the reaction of Dark Lordany's eyes even though he couldn't read Dark Lordany's memory. Only Dark Lordany showed mercy to him when others didn't. Because of that, he tried his best to spend time with Dark Lordany.

However, one day, he heard that Dark Lordany went on a mission with the Dark Ries and never returned to their headquarters.

"Your majesty, please allow me to find Dark Lordany! I think he may be attacked or injured by the Knight Seeyers!" Dark Hartina asked for Dark Revier's permission.

"Hm? Are you worried about his condition?" Dark Revier's words startled him.

He forgot if anyone was doing the mission that was ordered upon them, the others should not interfere or help them. This was to train them to fight independently.

"Dark Hartina, you haven't answered my question." Although Dark Revier's voice was soft, his verse carried deep meaning.

"My apologies, your majesty. I'm not at all worried about Dark Lordany but if Dark Lordany still hasn't returned, it's likely he's in trouble. I'm just asking your majesty to allow me to make sure he returns here safely." Dark Hartina hardened his heart to ask again.

Dark Revier was silent for a moment. "If so, just wait and see. The generals who can't come back are weak. I don't need such a person by my side. Dark Hartina, you don't have to go pick him up. Let him come back on his own."

"Yes... Your Majesty... I apologise for bothering you at this moment. I'll take my leave now." Dark Hartina bowed respectfully before leaving the royal conference room where they were.

Dark Hartina was frustrated for not being allowed to go looking for Dark Lordany.

"I hope you are safe, Dark Lordany..." He prayed in his heart.

Back to the current time, he looked at Dark Lordany angrily. All this time he has been waiting for Dark Lordany's return but instead was stabbed behind his back! He has betrayed them all!

What's the point of his prayer then?

He laughed out loud remembering it.

"If I'm given a choice now, I want to kill you too, Dark Lordany. For betraying my trust in you and making me always thirst for our friendship. Thank you so much for shattering my dreams... Haha! I really am weak..." he said slowly as his laughter got smaller.

"You also left me with no choice but to erase your memory too!" He continued it in his heart.

He believes if he erases all of Rafiz's memories too, he can make new memories with Rafiz like he always wanted. That was his decision. Because of that, when Rafiz attacked him, he grabbed both of Rafiz's hands holding the sword and then hit their head together.

At the same time, he uses his power, forcing it into Rafiz's mind to collect all of Rafiz's memories. Rafiz's mind barrier was already weakened due to Kairi's circumstances so it was easy for him to destroy it.

"Huh? What is he trying to do?!" Thought Virgo, Cygnus and Dark Howlan simultaneously after seeing his action.

"Damn it!" Leo knew Dark Hartina's intention and tried to stop him from doing so.

He was able to grab the side of Dark Hartina's shoulder while swinging his punch towards Dark Hartina's face. His eyes widened as his punch didn't hit Dark Hartina's but instead hit the dark blue crystal ball that appeared suddenly. The crystal ball shattered like the other one.

Dark Hartina smirked at him and jumped away while lifting the unconscious Rafiz into his embrace. Rafiz's blades had disappeared the moment Rafiz closed his eyes.

"Dark Howlan!" He called as he flew swiftly into the air with Rafiz in his hold. "Our job is done!"

"Finally!"

Dark Howlan vanished from view before appearing next to Dark Hartina. Both disappeared together from the place.

"No way... They have captured Rafiz!" Aries was stunned before falling to the ground in despair.

"No! Rafiz!" She cried.

She might not know what will happen to Rafiz but she can guess that Rafiz might die or live in suffering from this moment on. They would never let go of him since he betrayed them.

Virgo and Cygnus let go of their weapons in sorrow. Virgo even smashed a wall beside him because he was infuriated with himself.

He was weak!

Fighting against only two Deorc Star already has all their energy depleted. Doesn't this show how much difference in their strength and power was against them?

Although Kairi was still with them, the memories of Kairi and also Rafiz who was no longer around pained him. He felt the loss of both. Tears poured out of his eyes.

"Argh!"

Cygnus by his side has red eyes. He sighs while looking around at the damage that was done by their enemies.

As for Leo, he went back to Perseus's side. It was impossible to feel glad that the enemies were gone. His eyes show how much he blamed himself for letting these to happen in their city.

Perseus brushed his face with a look of sadness. She understood him more than anyone. She hugged him tight but could not tell him it was not his fault to comfort him. Leo won't accept it.

After all, they both carried the burden of the entire Syarantonia. They not only lost their new friends but also their people. For the first time, these were the heaviest casualties they ever had in their life.