Piece 2 (part 2)

"Is it… really… you…? Millis…?"

Mom asked with such horrified eyes, trying very hard to not believe it. Dad looked completely broken behind her, unable to move even a single muscle. However, I only placed both of my hands on her shoulders.

"It's me… Mom. Dad."

Mom quickly covered her mouth from the shock, and she pulled her hand away from my face. Dad has finally started moving again, but not in a way I thought he would.

"HUEEKKK!!!!!!!---"

Dad hurriedly got up and ran to the corner of the room. He quickly puked everything that was in his stomach for the last ten years, which I found rather odd since those are not rocks.

Mom placed her hand back to my face and pulled my chin back to face her. Her face seemed to show me that she has started to process everything, and she is trying her best to accept what is happening.

"H-How… How old…" Mom tried asking, but her words were unable to be properly conveyed. It made sense considering her shock was far too unbearable, which is why I have to be there for her.

"I'm twelve. Mom… I'm sorry." For whatever reason, I apologized to her. I quickly realized that was a mistake, because she quickly started crying heavily again.

"No… It's not…"

"It's my fault." From the corner of the room, Dad is still facing the wall. Mom turned her gaze away from me slightly after Dad spoke, and Dad seemed to have an idea of what happened.

"In the first place, 'Medusa' was very unstable. I should've known--"

"It's not your fault. It is what we needed to do. We had no other options…"

"Wouldn't it be better if we just died fighting…?" Dad muttered so coldly without turning around, still having his face facing the wall. From the looks of it, he is very much hating the situation, so much that he'd even think of just dying.

Mom seemed to be having trouble responding. She is way too shocked by everything that her logical way of thinking is dysfunctional. I realized that if this goes on, then the two will just continue to blame themselves.

"How is that better…?"

My voice was heard by them loud and clear, and both Mom and Dad turned their attention back to me. Now, I don't feel sad or happy anymore. I'm just annoyed that this is the way they reacted after seeing me.

"Ten years.…I've been longing for my parents for ten years. And now, they're in front of me, and what are they even saying right now??"

"W-Wait, Millis… Ten years?" Mom asked again just to be certain, as if she couldn't do the calculations in her own head when she asked for my age. Her expression seemed to be different than before, because she looks more serious now.

Mom then turned to Dad in a concerned manner, and Dad quickly realized the issue. Dad finally stepped away from the corner, and he stood in the middle of the room again to stare outside. His expression then turned into an even more enraged one, and I can only guess why.

When Mom and Dad got sealed in stone, it was all done because they wanted to seal something else. They sacrificed themselves while also taking down the enemy with them.

And now, they have broken out from the seal. As such, what they wanted to seal is naturally…

KREEKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KKRRAAAAKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Loud sounds of cracking can be heard in the world outside of the castle. I quickly turned my gaze to the source, and my eyes turned wide open.

The bright red scales that are illuminated by the newly arrived moonlight. The gigantic fangs, alongside the massive-massive claws that are on its legs. A pair of glimmering, raging, red eyes that is gradually turning more and more alive by the second. As they all got unsolidified from the stone, those characteristics weren't exactly the scariest part of all this.

It is… the pressure. The deadly, heavy, and powerful pressure that the dragon is emitting. It is so very powerful that it made me just want to collapse and faint.

However, I wasn't alone.

PAT!!

A hand landed on my shoulder, and all of a sudden, I felt so much better. I did not feel afraid of the dragon any longer, and I realized that the hand on my shoulder must've done something for that to happen.

I turned my surprised gaze to my mom, who was staring at me with a soft smile on her face. Her calmness made me realize exactly who they are, and why they are so special.

"It's gonna be okay, Millis. You don't have to be afraid of anything, anymore." Mom said to me with such a soft voice, and I realized that what she is saying is exactly what I've been wanting to hear for a very long time.

Dad arrived next to me on the other side of Mom, and he too patted his hand on my shoulder. "Millis… Or should I call you Vermillis? Verm?"

"Milly…" I told Dad about my nickname, and he looked so… disgusted?

"Who named you that? Millis sounded so much nicer."

"Well, Grandma did…"

"Either way, I want to apologize, Milly. Your Mom and Dad… we've made a terrible-terrible decision. We… abandoned you."

As he apologized, Dad seemed to be having problems trying to speak what is on his mind. I can tell that he isn't like Mom because he is much more communicative. But, when faced by such a situation, even he can become staggering with his words.

"We never wanted to leave you, Milly… We're sorry." Next to me, Mom also apologized, and I can't help but feel very uncomfortable hearing them apologize.

From the distance, the cracking sound coming seemed to be getting louder and louder. The dragon is beginning to be able to move casually, and its mouth was opened very widely.

"RRROOOOOOAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....."

The loud scream of the dragon god has once again shook the lands of this continent. I felt the need to close my ears when the dragon screamed, but surprisingly, it didn't feel as deafening as I imagined.

I noticed that both Mom and Dad had their hands on my shoulders, and I can't help but realize it was them who was actually causing me to not faint right away.

These two… they are certainly very strong!

"M-Mom… Dad…"

"Ignore the big angry Lizard. You are more important to us than anything. So, please tell us, Milly. Would you like to… give us another chance?"

Dad said as he shook his head to the silly dragon, and I only started pondering. I turned my glare to Mom, who was waiting for me with the same smile. A hopeful smile, hoping that everything will be better from now on.

And seeing their smiles, I can't help but imagine just how things would've been had they never left. I would've lived my life peacefully, and I wouldn't need to suffer the way I was.

However, it's certainly not too late for us to start over. If anything, we might be able to find something else that is even better than if they never disappeared.

I… cannot wait.

"Yes!! I've been waiting for you two for a long time!!" I said cheerfully, completely speaking out what is within my heart. I started crying again without realizing, from just purely how happy I am.

And seeing that answer, Mom started tearing up again while Dad laughed. Dad quickly grabbed my entire body and lifted me up, and he carried me in his arms.

"W-Woah, you're heavy! How old are you again?" Dad commented after lifting me up, and I was too confused as to how quickly he lifted me.

"I'm twelve… And no one needs to pick me up anymore." I said slightly annoyed at him, but Dad only played and moved me around as if I'm a baby.

"I can't believe it! My two-year-old is now a two-ten-year-old!"

Two-ten?

"Hey, he's staring at us." Right next to us, Mom mutters after realizing something. Dad and I turned our glares towards where Mom was looking, and we both realized the angry face of the dragon god that was only a few hundred meters away from us.

W-Woah… wait, that guy isn't going to--

"SCION OF DEATH!!! PUPIL OF ELSIA!!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BODY!?!?!?"

The dragon god angrily screamed at us as he opened his mouth widely, and I realized he is charging up a powerful magic. I turned super afraid seeing the powerful sun that was emerging from the dragon's mouth, but Mom and Dad only seemed to be staying calm.

"It's okay, Milly. Your mother's got this!" Dad said to my ears confidently so I could hear him, and I turned my gaze to the red haired woman next to us.

Mom is already focusing forward, and her eyes are locked with the dragon that is in the distance. She lifted both of her hands facing the dragon, and I noticed a beautiful golden light appearing out of her body.

T-Those are… angel wings!!

Behind her back, a pair of bright golden wings made of light appeared. The wings flapped powerfully, gathering energy on her body as she charged up her own mystical magic technique.

VWOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A gigantic red fire blast was fired towards us from the dragon, and I didn't want to close my eyes. Such a power could very easily destroy a kingdom or an empire like this, but something tells me that it's going to be just fine.

The pressure in the air rose by ten times. I felt very shocked when the tension rose that rapidly, and my gaze turned to the source of that power.

" 'W H I T E W O R L D' "

A magical word was muttered, and everything around us turned bright white. The angel that was standing nearby has turned everything around us completely white and golden, as if enveloping the area around us in a golden ball. I noticed that this is exactly what happened, because the fire blast never reached us.

The world around us shook powerfully. The flaming breath of the dragon god has arrived on the protective barrier that Mom casted, and I noticed it was because of her that we're okay. 

Beforelong, the barrier dissipates. It turned transparent before finally disappearing completely, and I was able to see the view outside.

The castle… was completely gone. Everything around us was completely melted, even the ground in front of the dragon was melted.

Far behind us, a mountain was completely split in half. The fire blast completely sliced the continent, and I'm worried that if this continues, so many people are going to die.

However, my worries are for nothing.

"Woah. My magic is completely back." From her position, Mom commented while staring at her hands. The golden wings are still on her back, and her eyes seemed to be shining gold as well.

She really looks… like an angel.

"Oh, really? Is it because ten years had passed that your condition became normal again?"

"Probably. The curse is also gone, and I can move my body around just fine."

"Well, great! Then, you can take Harbinger down by yourself, right?" Dad suddenly said jokingly, and Mom turned her cold annoyed glare to him.

W-Woah… Her gaze is very sharp. It reminds me of when Grandma was staring at me after I dropped her favorite coffee mug, but fifty times colder. She really is the Red Bloody Empress…

"What are you saying? Are you just going to hold Millis in your arms like that?"

"Well, you got Harbinger covered, right?"

"No, you fight that thing. You're stronger than me. Let me hold Millis!" Mom then started fighting for me, but Dad only walked backwards to avoid her.

"What?? Let's not forget who got wounded so badly because they fell into a trap! We wouldn't be in this situation, then!"

"Huh?? Who was it that said his magic was incomplete and filled with flaws???"

"W-We wouldn't even need to use the magic if nobody got hurt!!"

As the two argued, my gaze turned to the dragon that was in the distance. For sure, it is getting angrier and angrier as it continues to get ignored. I became afraid of seeing that thing, and yet these two are bickering like newlyweds.

Sure enough, their dynamic is amazing. But, this is out of line.

"You two!! There's a dragon staring at us!!!" I shouted while still being carried by Dad, and they quickly realized the situation.

VWOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The dragon god fired yet another fire breath at us, but Mom isn't quite ready. Instead, the one who bailed us out is Dad, who still had me in his arms.

" 'B L A C K H O L E' "

In an instant, a gigantic black circle appeared in front of us.

The black circle completely ate the fire blast whole, absorbing it without it ever touching us. After a while, the black circle disappears, revealing the empty air space in front of us.

He… completely absorbed the fire blast?

BOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Far in the distance, a powerful blast of explosion occurred. I noticed because it was quite bright, and it lit the dark skies so brightly.

That was Dad's magic. His ability to transport objects elsewhere. He can even move magic blasts… Truly a godly display of magic.

"She's right. How about this? I'll be taking her to safety, and you just keep Harbinger busy while I--"

"Fine, go… I'm itching to punch something, anyway." Mom said to Dad in such an annoyed tone, and I can't help but feel like I want to cry from how beautiful she looks. 

She is just so damn cool… Can I ever be like that? She's my mom, right?

"All right, then. Millis… Or Milly? Milly." Dad said to me, and he seemed to be having problems trying to find the right nickname for me.

I turned my eyes to him, and what I found was the pretty smile of the most beautiful man alive. But… his words aren't exactly the prettiest.

"Want to see your Mom and Dad beat up a dragon?"