Uninvited Guests at Alice Nebula
Rihan is quite grateful, since the punch incident, he is no longer disturbed. His life seemed to be back to normal as it was back in Yi Lu. Except for Julius who occasionally looked for him. But apart from that, everything is completely normal!
"Did my words hurt her feelings…?" Rihan started to question himself.
Strange, Rihan should be happy because he can finally be free from those three Stalker. But somehow his heart couldn't calm down. "Should I go for an apologize?" Rihan tapped his finger several times on the table while considering the idea.
After gulping down the whole coffee in the cup, Rihan stood up and decided to look for Alvi. The scorching heat that afternoon seemed to be roasting the sidewalk in front of the café. Rihan continued to walk along the sidewalk which was a quite empty pedestrian.
Suddenly an unnatural wind blew from his left and Rihan reflexively took one step back in a swift move. An ugly creature with the face of a frog and human shape body hurled to him and smack a power pole. Those attack landed at the border between the pedestrian and road.
The ugly creature with knight in shining armor outfit shown up out of nowhere. A thin membrane is visible between it fingers and toes which make it looks distinctive to any creature on the land. Clearly it was member of Arinas.
A lump of slimy saliva was shot from it mouth, and a ferocious black flames suddenly greeted the disgusting liquid. The two water and fire type collided in ferine whilst the Arina took advantage to extend it tongue at Rihan.
Rihan didn't flinch even though he saw the incoming attack. Luckily from above, an arrow shot through the tongue of the Arina. Then a flashy light followed cutting off the soft slimy tongue that almost reached Rihan.
"Daniel, are you all right?" Raphael Andra Waldermar appears between Rihan and the ugly frog-faced Arina.
"Y-Yes…." Rihan looked too shocked to just answer. His feet reflexively moved backwards as a form of fear. While his eyes can not be separated from the Arina.
"There will be more of them. Go, find a place to hide." Andra said while swinging the white spear in his hand. The unique ornament on the white-body of the spear gave a beautiful impression similar to Regina Waldermar's bow.
"I found it." The Arinas communicated with the other.
In a matter of seconds about three Arina's knights had arrived. At first their form was just a puddle of liquid that rose from the ground. Upon arrival, their original bodies in the form of frogs with human-shape body began to be manifest like creating something out of clay.
The Arina can easily change their form into a liquid shape or a real human-body. This is the most effective way of infiltrating enemy territory and spying on activities in there. That's why Alice Nebula was always on guard.
"So annoying." Gina fired arrows at the Arinas who were sneaking up to the rooftop of a building where she was. From up here, she could actually monitor the situation on the ground that began to be surrounded.
"Andra, retreat to Alvi's place. I will pave the way." Gina said through the mind-communication which was an unique ability that only possessed by the Dragons.
Andra nodded and he started swinging his spear skillfully to clear the Arina knights whose were blocking the way to the small road where Alvi was. It only took him about two minutes to rejoin to Alvi.
Mean while, Alvi had no trouble fight alone against the Arinas. Little by little, one by one, those uninvited knights were burned by her black flames to the death until nothing was left. But somehow their number didn't seem to decrease.
"Relax, they are only the lowest level. It's actually not that hard to fight them." Andra tried to open the conversation to distract Rihan from the unpleasant sight.
"But, will your sister, Gina, be okay? They're starting to move upward." Rihan pointed at Regina Waldermar location.
"I'm going to help Gina. You just need to stay here. Alvi can protect you," said Andra in hurried. Then he ran up and down through the iron-framed ladder that was provided on the side of the building.
"Ryan, let's get out of here." Alvi pulled Rihan's hand without hesitate.
"Eh?" Rihan was unable to react appropriately. His feet were stuck in place and his eyes were still on Andra.
"Gina and Andra can protect themselves. We can't wait for them forever in here. Come on—" Alvi didn't have time to finish her sentence because she saw another attack that had been aimed at them.
Alvi gently pushed Rihan's shoulder and she also took a step back. A dangerous slime liquid passed between them and hit the walls of the shop building.
"Don't waste any more time. Come on!" Alvi's voice sounded firm and jerking Rihan.
Rihan obeyed and followed behind. They made it out of the small path which leading to the main road to center of Nebula Tower. The Arinas were still chasing and some even managed to get in front. Again, the Deadly Black Flames reacted more feral and devoured the poor body of the Arina's knight in front.
Rihan's steps abruptly stopped and Alvi was also forced to stop. "Come on. A little bit more and we will reach Nebula Tower," said Alvi, trying to pull Rihan's hand.
But Rihan shook his head slowly. "I can't run any further," he said as he caught his breath deeply.
"Damn! So damn annoying! The prey was clearly in front of the trap! Why should you stop? It's really frustrated!" A voice caught Rihan's and Alvi's attention.
"How did you know? Or is it a pure luck?" A figure in a pink rabbit costume appeared a few meters ahead.
The road where the rabbit seemed to be standing glowed briefly and then a massive group of Arinas appeared to surround Alvi and Rihan.
Alvi was getting ready to attack when a thud from the right caught her attention. In an instant, Alvi's eyelids widened and anger clearly radiated from both her eyes.
Those Arina's knights threw Gina and Andra's bodies near Alvi. The Waldermars were beaten up.
Then the rabbit laughed cheerfully. "Since the fall of the dragon's sacred land, the Dragons still seem to be so strong. But too bad, the fire breath that I always wanted to witness didn't appear."
"Oh yeah, let me introduce myself, I'm Bunny. One of—" Bunny had not finished when Alvi had attacked him. Everything happened in flash and so quick that Alvi's fist was almost beat up Bunny's face.
But that rabbit-costume being was well aware. His hands were crossed in defensive pose with his right palm catching Alvi's fist. Black flames seemed to be blazing fiercely from Alvi's fists but strangely the Deadly Black Flames was unable to burn the rabbit costume.
"You are already much stronger than the last time I saw you, Subject 4-42-1." Bunny commented in happiness.
Alvi ignored Bunny's words and mustered more black flames in anger. But still, those effort unable to burn Bunny's costume nor give him a single scratch. Alvi is getting impatient.
With one lightly movement, Bunny pulled Alvi towards him and when they got really close, he let go his grip. Bunny laughed when seeing Alvi slightly off balance.
"Anyway, were you quick enough to protect those friends of yours." Bunny jumped nimbly at unconscious Gina and Andra. A carrot-shaped object—which looked dangerous—was taken out of nowhere. Bunny lifted the carrot-shape weapon and stabbed it down very wickedly, right at Andra.
Blood dripped down at Andra's cheeks while Alvi was seen fending off the carrot-shape weapon with her bare hand. "Wow, amazing," said Bunny impressed.
"Next…." Bunny changes his target to Rihan.
This time Alvi could easily follow Bunny's movements. Even though he was dressed like a clown, but Bunny was very frisky. He even made deceptive moves and managed to land some scratches to either Alvi's arms or face.
As time goes by, Alvi began to lose focus and when she lost sight of Bunny, the rabbit figure reappeared from behind Rihan's back. The bloodied carrot-shape weapon swung from the ground up vertically, and!!!
Rihan was too shocked to even move from his position. His eyes stared in dismay at Alvi who had just pushed himself down to the ground.
"Ryan, you weren't hurt, were you?" Alvi asked in half pain. Blood seemed to drip from the stab that penetrated her shoulder.
Bunny roughly pulled out the carrot-shape weapon and made Alvi's blood splatter profusely.
"You alright? I thought I'd gotten stronger, but in fact, I'm not…." Alvi spoke silently while looking sadly at Rihan's pair of brown irises. "Sorry…." She said weakly before finally collapsing on Rihan's chest.
Unknowingly Rihan's hand has been raised to catch Alvi tightly. At that moment he didn't know what he was thinking or feeling. Everything was mixed up. "Why are you even apologizing? It should be me…"
Bunny didn't want to waste this opportunity to kill his actual target. "Lady's order is to kill the nullified power holder that Alvi Veenessa Endley met in Yi Lu province."
Once again, Bunny raised his carrot-shape weapon and thought he could make everything easier.
"Bunny! Stop it!" A deep voice managed to stop Bunny's movement and at the same time a unique weapon—a chain with a sharp triangular tip—stopped just a few millimeters from Bunny's throat.
Bunny was not aware of the presence of the murderous weapon. He froze not daring to move as he swallowed hard in horror.
He's here. Lucie is here…