CHAPTER 36: EMBLEMS

Rafiz stares in front of him with darkened eyes. His mouth bleeds a little blood, trickling down his chin that already grows half hair.

"Tsk! Seriously! I mean seriously! You need to aim here! How many times do I need to tell you?!"

Dark Sethan barked at Rafiz while pointing his thumb at his emblem. He was angry because Rafiz missed it again and again. They were both standing in the punishment area which also has turned into a training area. It was outside of Rafiz prison building.

This was the first time Rafiz was brought out since his verdict. He couldn't peek around because of Dark Sethan's assault.

Rafiz frowned. Does Dark Sethan think it was easy?

Dark Sethan was moving bizarrely and hitting him in the place his wounds still did not recover. It was impossible to focus or counterattack. His body has been hurting since the last punishment a few hours ago.

Dark Undria wasn't available today to heal him when Dark Sethan felt it was boring to punish him. So, he suggests a battle. Rafiz wasn't able to refuse because Dark Sethan came at him suddenly with his heavy punches.

It hit him hard on the chest, making him vomit some blood out from his lips. Looking at Dark Sethan with a bit of irritation, he wipes his lips before he rushes to attack Dark Sethan. He didn't even realise his eyes had turned vertically purplish.

Dark Sethan smirked and felt excited. Rafiz finally got serious with him. Yes! This was what he was waiting for!

Resentment!

Although Rafiz wasn't actually angry, he still must fight back. Dark Sethan has been telling him to sever the emblem chain from his chest.

He was confused at first but later knew the reason. That emblem has an unknown monstrous power that he can feel when he was close to it. Such a thing, what exactly was it?

Rafiz try many times to reach for it but it was impossible with Dark Sethan stronger than him. Dark Sethan avoided it when Rafiz thought he was almost reaching for the emblem. Such a sight amused Dark Sethan a lot.

"Yo, this doesn't look fair." Dark Reammut voiced out to a person next to him.

"Yeah... He's having fun doing this kind of thing." The person chuckled at Dark Sethan's hobbies.

"Wanna beat him too, Dark Chronos?" Dark Reammut pointed at Dark Sethan and not Rafiz.

This was because she felt irritated like Rafiz. It was like she was the one who got played instead.

Dark Chronos shakes his head. He has short wild black hair with eyes the same colour. His height is about 1.87 meters, taller than Dark Reammut.

They both wanted to visit Rafiz who got punished because they were bored after patrolling some places. Now, she wants them to fight Dark Sethan the 3rd rank? They might get their ass handed to them.

"Tsk, you're boring. By the way, what's that guy doing there?"

Dark Reammut stared at Dark Hartina who was hiding in the shadow of the wall opposite them.

"He's always been there, don't you know? Since Dark Lordany starts his verdict." Dark Chronos looked hopeless at Dark Hartina's behaviour.

This was another person who he thinks has a caring side for Rafiz. Such feelings weren't supposed to be born in any of them. But, they were human after all, not a doll. It was impossible to have no feelings. Just like him. He cares about Dark Reammut's well-being but Dark Reammut didn't even notice it. So, he sighs in his heart.

Dark Hartina, who was watched by his comrades, trembled a little when he saw Rafiz get punched by Dark Sethan again. The trembling doesn't come from excitement but hostility against Dark Sethan. It's just... He can't stop such a battle due to Rafiz still being under Dark Sethan's supervision. He could only watch it.

"Haha... If the heir is here, he would have been furious like a bulldog again." He chuckled while remembering the angry Kairi when he had held the wounded Rafiz.

"Why can't I be like him? Kairi... He's so much better as a friend." His eyes turned dimmed.

Suddenly, he felt something from his inner shirt pocket and took it out. His eyes widened and quickly looked over Rafiz. Rafiz's circumstances startled him. Not just him, but everyone who was there.

"What the hell is that?!" Dark Sethan muttered because he finished kicking Rafiz away a moment ago.

Rafiz hit the wall behind him. He slowly lifted his body and looked struggling to stand again, when his aura changed suddenly. His vertical purplish eyes glow brightly with some aura released from him.

Not only that, something ghostlike was circling Rafiz with its three long tails. The appearance was unknown because it was all black like a shadow with the same glowing vertical eyes and stood on its four legs. It was hissing at them loudly but Rafiz doesn't seem to notice it.

While in Dark Hartina palm, Rafiz's emblem chain was buzzing and also releasing the same aura as Rafiz.

"What's going on?! He shouldn't be able to release his power when the emblem wasn't on him!" Dark Hartina was confused.

Rafiz who they saw has stood up, his hands suddenly appear as two ghostly blades. It doesn't have true physicality but it was enough to pressure them all.

"This! This was like that time!" Someone gasped.

"Dark Spincer, what'd you mean?" Dark Reammut asked after he saw Dark Spincer appear beside them.

It seems Dark Spincer was watching the battle within his shadow silently. He wondered who else was there.

"Remember that I destroyed Afli Village?"

Both she and Dark Chronos nodded. That was Rafiz's former home but was annihilated by Dark Spincer.

"At that time, Dark Lordany changed like this too but the shadow of that thing wasn't visible. It appears after I kill his best friend." Dark Spincer explained.

"Then? Did he fight you?" Dark Chronos frowned. He sensed trouble coming at them soon.

"No, Rafael was there. He fights me and then flees with his wife and Dark Lordany. Dark Lordany fainted after releasing that aura so I wasn't able to know how strong the manifested power was. Maybe now we can find out." Dark Spincer grinned.

Dark Reammut and Dark Chronos look at each other and shrug. They turn to the situation in front of them. Rafiz has moved to attack again but this time his speed has increased. He also moved like an animal on four legs while his hands didn't stop swinging his blades at Dark Sethan.

"What kind of fighting style is this?" Dark Sethan laughed while he counterattacked.

To him, Rafiz's style still has lots of loopholes. It's just he was getting irritated with it. It wasn't like before where he could hit Rafiz. This time Rafiz would disappear before his punches or kicks hit him.

Dark Hartina swallowed. This Rafiz doesn't look like a human anymore. It's like a wild beast!

His hands which were holding the emblem were still trembling. He gripped it hard because the emblem looked like it wanted to get closer to Rafiz. A moment later, he heard a small crack from the emblem. He quickly checks it. His eyes widened in surprise but a hand suddenly held the emblem.

Dark Hartina slowly looked up at Dark Revier who appeared beside him. His knees almost went down because of Dark Revier's fierce glowing eyes.

"Give it to me."

Dark Hartina slowly released the emblem to Dark Revier. He watched Dark Revier putting his aura into the emblem and it closed the crack until it looked new again. Then, Dark Revier's eyes went to him.

"You see nothing... Do you understand?" He warned before he disappeared with the emblem.

Dark Hartina who was no longer under Dark Revier pressure stumbled to the wall and held onto it while panting hard. His body sweated profusely and trembled in fear. He slowly turns to Rafiz who was defeated by Dark Sethan once the emblem loses its aura.

Rafiz seems confused because his blades disappear, same with the thing that helped him fight. Dark Sethan ended up kicking him to the wall after seeing Rafiz lose his blades. The kick was too much force and he fainted immediately. Blood trickled down from his lips again.

Dark Sethan walked to Dark Hartina. "What did Your Majesty do to you just now?"

He doesn't look worried but seeing Dark Hartina's circumstances make his voice sound in concern. Especially when he and everyone there sensed Dark Revier appeared next to Dark Hartina and heard his warning to him.

"Its... Nothing..." Dark Hartina shook his head before he quickly disappeared.

What he saw and what Dark Revier told him was something he can't say to anybody. He appeared again in his room in one of the palace buildings. Slowly he fell down on his knees and panted again.

"Oh my god..." Tears came out of his eyes.

"Does everything Dark Revier told us before is a lie? Is that why our emblems shine before...?" Dark Hartina thought quietly.

"Kairi..." He whispered in guilt.

A knock on his door shocks him. He stood up and wiped his face. Slowly, he opened his door and saw a tall man outside. His sharp silver eyes stare at Dark Hartina.

"Your Majesty has ordered me to bring you with me on our mission."

Dark Hartina stood frozen. His eyes darkened.

"Dark Revier!"

Dark Hartina had no choice but to follow the man. He doesn't know what Dark Revier wants to do with him but he guessed he won't come back for a long time. Maybe not in one piece...

While he followed the man to the assassin headquarters building, he quietly thought about everything happening since he worked under Dark Revier.

"Until now, I have been questioning why we have powers and where did it come from? I never thought Dark Revier could do this to the emblems. But... Bright Star only left with 20 stellar users left. We have 15 dark emblem users. How come there were three emblems then?"

Dark Hartina was confused. While he was thinking, he suddenly hit someone. It surprised him because the person suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Dark Kurumi?"

Dark Kurumi looked at him. He has seen everything that transpired in the training area. His eyes glinted.

"My lord?" The man looked at them.

"Ledeigh, I need Dark Hartina power to help me in a bit. Do you mind?" Dark Kurumi turned to the man.

The man with dark green hair slowly frowned.

"I have been ordered by Your Majesty to take Lord Dark Hartina with my mission."

"Ah, but he wasn't really needed in your assassin team. Your team after all was trained directly under Your Majesty's guide. Your team is already strong enough without the help of us, dark emblem's users." Dark Kurumi smirked.

Ledeigh contemplated for a moment before he nodded. Truly, they really don't need Dark Hartina, the mental ability user. Why did Dark Revier want them to take Dark Hartina away from Dorothia?

It confused him but since it was an order, he just followed it. Now, someone had a true use of this mental ability user, so why not give it to him. He was after all hated all the Deorc Star users. They were too arrogant just because they have power. Yet, couldn't even defeat anyone from his team.

Better let Dark Kurumi have his comrade than disturb him and his team harmony. So, he let Dark Kurumi take Dark Hartina away.

Dark Revier who was sitting on his throne rubbed his forehead.

"Ledeigh..." He sighed but since Dark Kurumi can watch over Dark Hartina, he doesn't need to eliminate him yet.

"Where are we going?" Dark Hartina asked because Dark Kurumi brought him outside of Dorothia's royal city, Luguom.

"I have things to do. You just shut up and follow." Dark Kurumi chided him.

Dark Hartina glared at him. "I want to go back."

He turned his head towards Luguom city but shuddered at the thought he wouldn't live well from this moment on.

"Don't return if you fear it..."

"Huh?"

"Change yourself or you can't return here. I won't remind you of this again."

"What is he saying?" Dark Hartina got confused again.

He watched Dark Kurumi back then and looked at the city. He gripped his hands hard before he followed after Dark Kurumi. He had no choice after all. He also missed and worried for Rafiz.

"Dark Lordany, please still be yourself. Don't change. Don't lose yourself to our Deorc Star darkness... After all, everything isn't like it seems." He prayed silently.

Somewhere beyond the aurora light...

"Aunty Atiana, what're you looking at?" A child asked a lady.

No, not a lady but a female in the body of a cat who stood on two legs. Her fur was white with golden pink stripes. Her one tail swings excitedly while her blue vertical eyes watch the starlight above. The child has the same features as her, only a height of about 65 centimetres while hers, 1.64 meters.

Atiana's whiskers moved with her ears. "Aunty just felt his aura again..."

"Who?"

"Aunty's mate."

The child's eyes rounded cutely. "Then, do you know where he is, aunty?"

Atiana chuckled. "No, Perkiln. He was too far... Far from our universe. We may not be able to meet each other."

The child's ears folded in depression. He was sad for his aunt. Atiana hugs and holds Perkiln in her bosom.

"I am lucky enough to have a nephew. I don't need a mate anymore."

"No! No can do, aunty! Our mate is our half. You won't be complete without him! You have to find him, aunty!" Perkiln scolded her.

Atiana laughed. "Okay, okay. Now, go back to your mother. She would be very worried right now."

"Goodnight, aunty," he licked her cheek before Atiana let him go.

She watched him run into the forest towards their hidden base. Then, she sighed.

"Really... I don't need a mate with everything happening now..."

"Lady Atiana!" A male cat appears next to her in a panic.

Her eyes sharpened at him. "They've found us?"

"We need to leave!"

"Go!"

She and the male cat disappeared immediately. Perkiln who was running towards the base was caught by her. She hugs him again. Seeing her so serious, Perkiln's ears folded again and hugged her tightly. His expression shows fear.

"I wish the bad guy would leave them alone." He thought in silence.