Arc 6.29

"Orb, let me tell you how things have broken down over the last twenty-four hours. First, all members of Virtuoso and the Gpd who participated in the deal have been apprehended, which included the boss of Virtuoso."

"That's great news!"

"I was quick to call Tetra, so it took no time at all, but about five hours after he was caught, he was found dead in his cell."

"Huh, How?"

"He was informed of the fact that the higher-ups in Elpída were working with the aliens, since he knew that and a bunch of other sensitive information, he was killed in his cell. So, Tetra couldn't get any information from him.

A few other people, such as Gpd officers and other higher-ranking members of Virtuoso, were also killed. They probably knew if Tetra got his hands on any of that information, he probably would have wreaked havoc with the remainder of his lifespan, so all people who know are being silenced."

Ivana says, "Wait, boss, doesn't that mean we are also targets now?"

"Yes, that would be very accurate." The idiot trio start to panic. "Don't worry, guys, I was planning to leave Elpída anyway. Iancu caused too much trouble here for me to stay any longer, and let's say I don't really have a reason to stay here any longer."

Elia, getting really close to him, says, "Bos,s this messes things up for me."

Getting up, Avram walks to the side of the room and picks up another box.

Giving it to Elia, she starts to jump for joy, and says, "This is the gravity wave engine prototype that can turn fluctuations of gravity into an energy source."

"That should keep her tamed for some while. Erratically, I say, "Avram, all that information is important, but please tell me how the kids are, how is Morrigan?"

Looking at me, he says, "All kids who were involved in the kidnapping are safe, with the only exception being Morrigan, who was taken by the aliens."

Hearing this, I try to rush out of the room, but Avram stops me, saying, "Where are you going?"

"Isn't it obvious to go save him?"

Throwing me back to my starting point, Avram says, "Orb, that barrier is impenetrable."

"I am a legacy, I am not like the rest of you, I can make a miracle."

"Orb, we already had your friend Cyrus try, even the big blast the robot let out couldn't even make a dent. Orb, it is impossible."

Hearing this, I fell to my knees in defeat, slamming my fists against the floor, "Why did this happen? I was so close to grabbing him."

Getting close to me, Avram goes down on one knee, and asks, "Orb, do you have any idea why you passed out?"

"When I was getting close to Morrigan, his hood went up, and I saw he was a beastkin. After that, my body felt lots of pain with images going through my head, and I fell down unconscious."

Avram looks over at Elia and says, "Encyclopaedia, what do you think about this situation?"

Letting out a sigh, she says, "Orb, you inherit everything from your legacy, their powers, their physical traits, and even their memories and experiences. So to put it simply, you seeing a beastkin caused memories and sensations from your legacy to awaken. You simply saw and felt something your legacy when through, and whatever you saw and felt was so painful that it left you in that state."

"So, the reason I passed out was because I couldn't bear the pain." Hearing this, I continue to slam my hands against the floor. "I promised him I would keep him safe and the reason I couldn't do that was because I was too weak, FUCK!"

Kicking me in my stomach, Avram says, "Don't curse in my house, you brat." As I lay on the floor, he picks me up by the head and says, "Come with me."

"Let me go."

"Shut up, idiot."

As I am taken out of the room Elia says, "Sucks to be you," with a smile on her face.

When we reach the next room, I am thrown inside, and what I see are the kids climbing and playing with Suzuka Atalanta and Cyrus.

"You're a dragon!"

"Can you fly?"

The kids are treating Cyrus as a toy, but he doesn't seem bothered by it.

"You're so pretty."

"Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Atalanta is getting praise while looking very happy.

"I heard you're the one who beat the aliens, how cool."

"Your tails are so fluffy."

"Let's be friends."

Suzuka is on the floor with her hands covering her face; it seems the praise is too much for her.

When the kids see me, they run over to me and jump on top of me.

"Ninjaman, you're alright."

"Thank you for saving us."

"We knew you would never lose."

At the door, I see a beaten-up Iancu, with bandages covering him, walk into the room. "What happened to you?"

"Just got into a little fight, but it is nowhere compared to what you and Suzuka went through. Sorry about these guys, they were just really worried about you."

As I stare at the kids smiling faces, Avram says, "Stop focusing on your failure, it is thanks to your efforts that everyone is doing alright here."

Stretching out my arms, I grab the kids and give them a big hug, "Thank god you're ok." Turning around, I look to Avram and say, "Do you know any way to get all these kids out with me?"

"Orb, you can't be serious, there are hundreds of them."

"I can't let them stay in this country any longer, so I am going to take them with me. I promised Morrigan I would protect them."

"Whenever anyone leaves this city, they have to pay a toll, and if you wanted to take all these kids out, you would be broke."

"Atalanta, didn't you say you found the location of someone who could take us out of Elpída in secret?"

"I said, I had an idea of where that person is."

"Useless bitch."

"Hey, stop being mean to me!"

Facepalming Avram says, "I know who you're talking about." Moving to a lone door in the room, Avram opens it, and out of it falls Ai. She is tied to a chair with tape over her mouth.

"What is she doing in there?"

"She came here looking for Suzuka, but instead tried to attack the kids here. So I beat her ass and locked her in the closet."

Avram rips the tape off of her mouth, and when he does, she says to him, "This is abuse; all I wanted to do was hug the kids."

"Say that without making that perverted face, and I will believe you," Avram says, facing her in the kid's direction.

Looking over at the kids, she starts to repeat herself, but in the middle, her facial expression changes to that of a pervert. Seeing this, Avram hits her in the face.

Looking up at him from the ground, she says, "You used to be so nice when you were a child, now you're just a rotten man."

"I don't want to hear that from you."

Looking away, she says, "Don't worry, when you die, I will take care of Iancu. Isn't that right, Iancu?"

Iancu, hearing this, cowers behind Elia, then mutters, "Never again," while shaking.

Looking at Ai, I ask, "What the hell did you do to him?"

"Back when he was a baby, I used to watch over him at night."

"YOU USED TO SNEAK INTO MY ROOM AND STARE DIRECTLY AT ME WHILE. I still have nightmares."

Letting out a giggle, Elia says, "Hilarious, I should try that sometime."

"There is a special place in hell for you," Iancu says.

"A completely pure and pious angel such as myself could never go to hell."

"That dementia really set in early."

Twirling around, Elia hits Iancu with a kick right in his temple, knocking him out. "What was that Iancu, speak up, I can't hear you."

Taking a second to look around me, I have a thought: WHY ARE ALL THE GIRLS AROUND ME SO WEIRD! I miss Maple.

"So why did you let me out?"

Walking over to her, I say, "I heard you're the one who can sneak people out of Elpída." Bowing, I say, "I need you to help me get all these kids out."

Making a serious face, she says, "Orb isn't that really stupid of you."

I am slightly shocked by her words. "Just under twenty-four hours ago, I almost ruined you and all your people, and now you want to take on even more people. You should know your limits."

"But I can't just leave them here."

"Of course you can't, so I have an alternative."

"What is that?"

"Let me have them!" Ai says with her perverseness leaking through her face.

"No!"

"Oh, come on."

"Not a chance, look behind me, you're scaring the kids."

"Orb, she may have a point," Avram says.

"Look at that face and tell me that again."

"While she may be a crazy, perverted, insane stalker, she is rather good at taking care of kids. I am sure if you give the kids to her, she will take care of them."

"Avram, I thought you were a cold-hearted vampire, but you still have some humanity in that dead heart."

Letting out a sigh, I say, "Ok, I will entrust them to her."

Grabbing me from the back, the child named Fionna says, "That woman is scary, we don't want to go with her."

Looking over at Ai, she says, "Don't worry, I can deal with this."

Snapping her fingers, suddenly someone in a ninja costume, just like the one I was given, comes out of the shadows and says, "Master, you need me."

What the hell, I didn't even notice she was here. Taking a second to get a closer look, I realise she is the person who brought us up on the bubbles to Elpída.

"Sugiru, help me."

"Yes, trash!" She says with a peppy voice.

"Did you just call me trash?"

Immediately responding, she says, "I don't recall saying trash."

While Sugiru unties her, Avram says, "How long has she been here?"

"Thirty minutes before I got here."

"Didn't you get here twelve hours ago?"

"Yes, I did, and she has been patiently waiting here for me."

Looking over at Sugiru, Avram says, "Hey, do you want a job from a respectable employer?"

Tears start to fall from her eyes as she says, "Yes, please."

"No, Sugiru is mine," Ai says giving her a hug. After that, she walks over to the kids and says, "Lookie here, anyone who comes with me gets to learn how to be a ninja."

The kids' eyes light up as they run towards Ai and say, "Really, can we?"

"Oh, course you can, all you have to do is just give me a hug."

Bending down to their height, Ai hugs all the kids while making a face that she should be sent to prison for. Under her breath, she mutters, "Works every time."

Going over to Avram, I say, "I am having second thoughts."

"Just ignore it, this is the best option for them."

Letting go of the kid's Ai says, "Sugiru, go make preparations for getting all these kids out."

"Yes, garbage," just like the ninja she i,s she vanishes.

Ai walks over to me and says, "So Orb, about what we discussed earlier, have you decided what option you're choosing?"

"Sorry for this, but I still haven't talked to everyone about this."

"What are you guys talking about?"

"We found out there is a good chance Cyrus's sister is in the kingdom of Jedidiah."

"Really!" Cyrus asks.

"It is only a chance, so it isn't confirmed."

"I see," Cyrus says, but a smile is still visible on his face.

"Isn't that the country with a sandstorm around it?" Avram asks.

"Yes, so getting in is our problem."

A smirk appears on Avram's face and he says, "Well, I'll be dammed, I never thought I would have to opportunity to ever use it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry, you will see, EVERYONE FOLLOW ME WE ARE HEADING OUT."