21 CHAPTER 21: Serpentine Circus (2/2)
(”Nassus...is this the Goddess you wanted to save?”).
Meanwhile, in the world of Himenea, Zeran and Mai were now treading along the dark woods dyed in the basking moonlight. The woods they were walking along weren't any normal one, since the pine trees were embarked in the color of snake-like silver that seemed they were alive in cold reptilian skin. More than that, thanks to the sparkling hallowed trees, the lunar rays of celestial moonlight were more intriguing and vibrant to see, as the place was renowned as the ”Luminous Serpent Woods”. Later, Mai opened up a question to Zeran while, she wasn't looking at him directly,
”So...what have you been doing exactly?”.
He replies,
”Hmmm...err sleeping at the couch with pillows, eating Ru's delicious food—”.
Mai didn't look pleased when she heard that from him. So she interrupts him with a pissed-off look on her face, while she was turning her face away from him,”Ugh...I MEAN...what are the other things now? Since you are a king now...”.Though, in her mind, she felt convoluded with a mix of disturbance and concern for Zeran, since she can't believe that a king would act like a certain lapdog in the midst of a huge crisis,
(”Honestly...he's really acting like her PET...even though he's a KING!”)
(”AND WHY AM I FURIOUS ABOUT THIS?!”).
Zeran, suddenly stopped. There was a long groaning sound coming from him, while he was twitching his forehead with his right hand, and soured face, proving a pissed look. Mai had paused from moving aswell, as she noticed that he took a short stop. Zeran explained with all of his being and expressive gesturing arms, that would seem he was telling nothing, but the truth,
”Like I said...I'm no longer a king!”
”I don't know if you heard of this...but that wretched 2nd EX-wife FAE of mine framed me, cheated on me and then overthrew me...”
”Then this UNUSUAL RU...SAVED ME but, ENSLAVED ME and ordered me to retrieve her artifacts!”.
Mai sighed and her angered face had calmed down a little. She continued to walk straight but she was closing her eyes and felt the senses of moonlit path along her slim feet. She proved an obtuse chinned-up look with her stretched arms joined together behind her back, as her response to him. Then, she said with great emphasis,
”Hmmmm...I see...”
”I thought you were having a UNIQUE LOVE AFFAIR with RU and conquer the other nations by allying up with her...”
”While being undercover...”.
Zeran felt more utterly disturbed, as he had heard her utter conclusion and he scratched his head. He continued to walk upon the dusty glistening trails basked in midnight. He tried to catch up to Mai and he expressed with all of his might,
”Sigh...to be honest...all the things you said were all utterly and ridiculously wrong...”
”Heck...do you even see me as a ambitious harem maker creep?”.
Soon, he was in his own imaginary world yet, it wasn't very warming to observe, instead, the scene was dark and the deathly air was near his ethereal body. He saw Goddess Arseia giving him a terrified and disgusted look, that would let anyone feel the insane chills. She looked down on him and she saw that he was wearing a banner that says, ”HAREM KING! JUST LIKE DAD!”. Suddenly, he saw her mom brought out a razor sharp scythe, that'd seem it was directed at him. Her look to him was cold and expressionless. He felt chills across his spine and scared for his utter judgement as he had witnessed all of those.
Thankfully, he had snapped out of his unique daydream sooner or later. He sighed and continued to walk along with Mai in front of him. Though, the strange thing he noticed in a glimpse was that Mai was wearing a weak smile on her dazzling face, that made him to look dumbfounded. Her expression was the very reply to what he had said previously. That sudden moment, the air felt heavy and chaotic blackened spheres emerged around the two of them. The mist of dread was encroaching their very feet. The two of them paused for a second and readied their individual weapons. Zeran with his golden claw and Mai with her shining crossbow loaded with a glistening steel arrow. Sometime soon, twenty snakes tinged in mercurial silver emerged from the spheres. Zeran left out a confident smug on his face, as he was eager for battle. Suddenly, Mai shot an arrow high into the darkened sky and casts out,
”ARTEMIS RAIN!”.
Thereon, several numbers of falling arrows of radiant starlight showered upon the silver snakes, striking them down and crushing their very existence fast. The snakes weren't able to escape their demise and ended the skirmish in an instant. The spheres dispersed along with the erasure of the snakes. Zeran felt dumbstrucked since, the battle was gone too fast, not even letting him taste the bloodshed of the soulless monsters. His face was very hilariously shocked to observe, turning him to refer in his thoughts,
(”Somehow I feel like...I lost my balls...”)
(”From a damsel in distress...to a violent valkyrie...”).
He turned his sweaty face to Mai. Thereupon, he witnessed the smug of some kind of evil valkyrie proving her dominance over him, as if he had seen the other side of hers. He was gravely shocked in slience that seemed he wanted to erase the previous expression he had seen on her face in his recent memory. The atmosphere was turned mute. Soon, the two of them sheathed their weapons, for Zeran he transferred it back to his dimensional inventory in a snap magically and his face was somehow back to normal. As they continued to trudge along one-sided route, they saw a huge and vibrant circus tent blocking the vast area, that was flashing out vibrant lights reaching above the winding sky. Sophistacated people and interested aristocrats wereentering the circus in a small crowd to experience the glimpse of entertainment held inside. Mai snapped her fingers. Thereon, magical wisps gathered around her and turned her valkyrie plated armor into a luxurious silver dress with a shoal, ladden with a pearl necklace of glistening starlight in an instant. Zeran witnessed another side of Mai, that seemed there was still an ounce of the beauty even though she had changed drastically, turning him to look awe-strucked in silence. She tossed her whole crossbow to Zeran, signalling to keep it with him in his handy inventory. He did as he was told to and the two went their way to the circus grand entrance. They were barred by a pudgy circus freak wearing a masquerade mask, shrouding his identity, such as he was a bouncer of sorts. He asked them with an uninterested tone,
”Ticket please?”.
Mai replies,
”Certainly”.
She brought out the shimmerring monochromatic ticket that Ru gave to her before. The masked man swiped it from Mai's hand, although they were still not given any entry, since the masked man still asked them a few questions, with a guessing gesture, that would seem he's quite suspicious of the two,
”Names and relationship with each other?”.
Zeran felt nervous for a second and sweat more from his face, since he doesn't want to tell their broken relationship, even though both of them were together at that moment. Though, he tried to utter a response yet, Mai clinged unto his shoulder. Then, she said it straight with a convincing look, her expression was very lady-like, truly elegant to witness upon, revering like they were a newly-wed couple,
”The names...Maria and Zero...”
”We are just a married couple exploring the glimpse of otherworldly experience...”.
Zeran was shocked as he heard those made-up names in a whim. He felt awry but, he was wearing a fake grinning smile to go along Mai's plan. The masked man was convinced and had stopped being suspicious and let out a nice smile for the two. He granted them entry to the eccentric and grand circus tent yet, he noticed in a glimpse that the two of them weren't wearing any rings, signifying that they were a married couple but, he didn't mind it that much. As Mai and Zeran entered the place, they saw more smaller tents hidden under the huge tent. Zeran had no choice of words, since it wasn't any normal circus as it had different variants and kinds of entertainment going-on in the inside. Mai and Zeran sneaked to the dark corners where noone could see them. She suggested to him to bring out her weapon. He did as he was told to. Soon, Mai changed back to her platinum valkyrie armor. Then, she shot at the sleepy-looking guards, turning them to fall in deep slumber forever. He didn't mind her ongoing sneaky onslaught, but his face says otherwise. Later, they went to the huge vacant area that seemed there was something amiss, since all of the tents were occupying the very space at the large tent. Zeran was dumbstrucked since there was nothing but a vacant lot, although Mai casts out a magical spell,
”REVEALING LIGHT!”.
Suddenly, a black circus tent revealed in front of them and as soon as they entered the very dimmed place. Zeran's expression looked scarred and filled with immense shock. His hands were clenching and revealed his veins of rage. He gritted his teeth and exclaimed out loud,
”Wha-what's going on here?”
”WHY ARE THERE KIDS IN THESE CAGES?!”.