190 Chap 190: Our Reunion

Okay, so I'm sitting on a new issue now. Thinking back to earlier with the guardian spirit, he made me an offer since he had also wanted to visit the fifth realm again.

But going back meant I'd only be able to see Asmodeus, who's still locked in the dungeon of the forgotten demon, I think? I don't know, after the vision with Izumi, I have no clue if he's still in there or he "escaped" three years ago.

Then again... The guy's obsessed with me since I'm like his son or something? So I don't think he's been set free.

So that means, if I went back I'd only be able to see him.

But that's where my confliction comes from right now.

Because when we got to the coven's town, I got bored and it got dark, so I snuck into their archives to kind of steal some manuals, and hopefully gain a newer skill.

But when I was looking at the books there!! And realized I couldn't read any of them, and they weren't even in the same language the girls speak, or even the one Nurma speaks, then thids thought came to me of another ability type.

Looking at my hands as these misty markings wrapped around my fingers, I have the ability to harness souls, and even consume them, which only one person like me knows about, and it's Asmodeus, the original owner of this ability, which I guess was passed down to me too?

And it had me thinking, what if these markings are like, my existence fading, do I have to consume not just the life forces of others to keep going but their souls too?

And the thought of it didn't really do anything to me...

But when the thought of me fading away occurred, its like, I don't know, I want to keep going, even if I do have to eat people, but at the same time, it doesn't have to.

What if I use this power in another way? Consume the vile and please the good, not sexually, but like get rid of the bad guys, and I know that sounds bad seeing as I've never really chosen a side, especially seeing who my old partners were; evil and wicked, I know I can do better...

After all, I want my kids to grow up and not see me as a villain, but as someone who they could look up to and also be inspired, shit... Maybe I have been thinking about this a little too much, usually, I'm selfish, but right now I'm not.

And so I was thinking, it's stupid, but maybe I have a way to end this whole invasion in the fifth realm, maybe with Asmodeus I can, but maybe it's better if I leave it alone.

I already used his army once to attack them, and it had worked, but then the leader of the lich army I destroyed just came back and slaughtered the folk of Rosa Marine.

Maybe these rash choices I make will only lead to failure.

Ah, forget it, there was nothing I could have done about that, I provoked the lich Hoctus and it was my fault for not waiting for a demon general to join me and kill him.

But don't get me wrong, I'm going to kill him for doing it.

He destroyed my home and killed my family, there's no redemption for that, and his soul, I'll make sure to make it doesn't possess another physical body again, I can't really kill him though or it'll upset Izumi, but I can try.

I just need to have some sort of justification or backing to why.

This is where Asmodeus comes in, I can use his name as an advantage, but then again, it could get me killed all over again, but it's worth the risk, after all, I can't just sit back and do nothing after that, I'd be way too bored.

Hmm, maybe this isn't about me... Maybe I'm just bored and overthinking a way to kill time, who knows... Who?

Closing the book I had picked up after contemplating a bunch, I made my decision, and i'm going to go with it.

Sneaking out of the archive, I heard the noise of someone out there. Shapeshifting, it was hard but I formed a small cat body, letting me go through small openings.

Finding myself out of there, I walked to the entrance of the town where I originally came in, and as the forest was sending icy shivers down my spine, I chuckled at it.

Because the forest wasn't telling me to back off, but the town of witches who lived in it, this is what they felt?

And stepping into it, "Guardian of the forest, I wish to go to the fifth realm and meet with Ashmedia" I said and in an instant, appearing in front of me out of literal air, the blue figure of "the guardian spirit" appeared before me.

"You have no clue what taking your time means huh," he said and I've never felt so offended, but chuckling, I said back, "And yet you keep coming at my beck an call~"

Laughing, "What can I say, I like you kid!" he was cheery.

Walking up to him, "Well, can we go and make it back before sunrise tomorrow," and nodding his head, he bent over and picked me up... Shit, I forgot I'm walking around as a cat, I just got so comfortable that... "Ahhhh! Wait!"

But being enveloped by a mass of blue spiritual energy that felt like a steam of chilling pleasure, blinking as I felt a thud, and was still in the hands of the guardian.

We both heard, "What do you mean you have no idea what happened! They couldn't have just disappeared!" hearing a mousy voice, it was him, and was he talking about me? Has Asmodeus been keeping tabs on me?

I don't know why, but... I almost feel touched *In Awe*.

Looking in front of us we saw the ape-like demon, and the black knight, both exactly the same as three years ago, and with some tanned woman and a tanned boy with human looks, blue eyes, and misty purple hair.

It was Asmodeus and his generals with... None other than Izumi... The lich progenitor who started all this.

And glancing around, I froze. . .Leaning against the walls of this place, there were six cloaked figures all roaring with necrotic energy, and one even familiar.

They were the six lich generals under the progenitor...

Gulping hard as this wasn't something I was supposed to see, I looked back to the guardian, but he was... He's just smiling. Trembling in his hands, I then heard the dark knight say, "What about your son, he also vanished"

And hearing that, I heard crackling, and looking back to them, frost swarmed the surroundings, all the walls and even the pillars keeping the room up, and looking at him as he balled his fists and ice spread from under him.

"I know, but he's not weak, I know he'll return," he said, he sounded as if various emotions boiled in him when that was brought up, but is he mad because I died or that he lost potential in a pawn he hoped would save him soon.

"Or he could just be dead, who cares" Izumi commented and glancing up at her, the amount of killing intent that he let off collapsed my heart, forced the demons there to grovel, and I couldn't breathe, the pressure was too- OvErWhLmInG.

*Feeling his conscience fade, he was about to pass out when the guardian spirit coughed and Asmodeus glanced behind Izumi and saw the both of them, a spirit and a black cat*

*And when seeing them, he didn't recognize the spirit, but when he saw a strange cat lying in the hands of the spirit, his killing intent vanished and his armored tail just popped out as it stuck straight up as he became alert*

*Vanishing in the blink of an eye, surprising everyone in the room, including Izumi, whose eyes scanned the room for a mere second before feeling his presence and turning around. She watched as he appeared and stood there*

*And as he stood there in front of the spirit, the liches became alert with his sudden action and disrespect towards Izumi, and Izumi looked at him stupidly as she saw that tail of his wiggling around like back in their past when they were young*

*And looking at the cat and not the spirit, without a second thought, he poked at the dazed black cat's face and instantly got a cough from the nauseous cat, and when it did, his face lit up, yet he didn't dare make a noise?*

Blinking several times as I felt like I passed out, I felt a poke at my head, and opening my eyes, I watched as a small teenage bastard casually rubbed my head. . .???

And instantly kicking and getting to my feet hissing, he grabbed me, "Aster! You're fine!" hugging me and squishing me, I was put in a daze again as I was being shaken. . .

But managing to find a loose spot, I kicked myself out of his arms, clawing his face with scratches. I jumped off of him and doing a flip, dispelled my transformation.

Reverting to my small form in a dark haze, "What the hell is wrong with you! Are you trying to kill me asshole!" I yelled, but looking at him and growling, he teared up..?

And as he had put his hand to his face, wiping the tear that started to fall, I felt bad, "Sorry, I-" but before I could even get a word out, he appeared before me and he hugged me, this time without squishing me, and as he was like... So much smaller than me, he hugged me.

"I almost thought you died! Stop worrying me!" He cried into my waist, and looking down at him, shocked, is this the same Asmodeus that I know? The same one that...

That killed Jonathan and rebirthed me into his world?

No, wait, that was the one from Hiro's story, not him...

But still, he's still the reason for all this calamity, and I can't not see it seeing as she's in this room with us.

But... Uh, I don't know anymore, I really don't?

Rubbing his back, "It's a long story, but I kinda did" hearing that, I felt him tremble, and looking up at me as I looked down at him, the expression on his face, was horrified.

But smiling, "But it wasn't that bad, just a stupid choice of mine lead me to it, you can say I got my heart torn out by this crazy pharaoh chick, it's somewhat funny too~" I said, but the look on his face, wasn't a happy laughing one, instead, it looked at if he descended into madness.

He's thinking about killing her... I know that look all too well.

So rubbing his head, I told him the truth, "Don't worry about it, I plan on dealing with her on my own, after all it would be nice to get revenge, so just leave it to me~"

I said, but it didn't look like he can hear- "Okay..." he suddenly said back and I was taken aback, okay then?

But then, "Would you like help?" he asked, and as he had I looked back at him, he was a little excited, but he was also curious, I think he wanted to but was unsure if I wanted it.

And pretending to think, I chuckled, "Alright, sure" but as he let go and turned to the others, the lich and the other two demons who... Are they fucking crying? The hell?!

And as Asmodeus began thinking I interrupted him before he could speak, "Do you want to train me?" I asked, and flinching, he paused, and he was just standing there, but from the tail wag I can only assume that he was happy.

"I'm only skilled in Fire magic and somewhat in the shadow arts, although, I still think you'd make a good teacher?" I said, basically rolling a d20 for charisma on this one.

Just kidding, although trying my luck, I asked for safe measures.

But not turning around, I was waiting for an answer but he wasn't speaking, "So I guess that's a no huh?" I said back, but when I did, "Azalea, prepare the boss room!"

He said with a stern voice and looking behind him, he said with a smirk, "You came at a good time, although I'm sort of stuck here so we can't do much, I'm pretty sure I can whip you into shape just well enough here,"

Grinning, "How well do you believe in yourself, Asmodeus~"

I mocked his intentions, but when I did, he got excited.

"You'll see soon enough, Aster De Hiragi"