LivingBeing!

14

A few days after that.

- I'm sorry, Rhinne.

Silicy bowed down before him. The man stroked his beard in confusion and asked :

- Did you force him to apologize to me?

- No, he is my brother. He fully knew he was in the wrong, consider your condition.

- But while I'm sorry, I wouldn't make that. - Silicy is still keeping his opinion.

- Get out of this place.

- ...

Silicy sadly gets out of the castle of Schezade after being chased away by his sister. Schezade shook his head and started to trim the small bone, a piece of metal. Monera aided him on occasion. She was crushing a piece of jade.

- What is this?

- The horn of it. I will do something with this.

Schezade and Rhinne discussed :

- The numbers of spikes would be many. But, I want to have the spikes at this, this, this, this, and this place stay long.

- Even or different?

- Different. And the one at the round tip of it would be a cluster of very small spikes. Is it doable?

- Completely. Material is the thing that never lacks at this place. - Schezade stroked his antennas - And I think it would be good to pierce a hole at the end of it.

- Won't doing that would break down the structure of the mace and lead to a broken item?

- It would be hard. - He looked at the fang - But nothing isn't impossible for us. Even before we joined, she and her companions managed to do it to build that thing.

- Soulmored.

- Yes, that destructor. The guardian, gatekeeper, and bastion of the Eternal Castle. Let return. So this would be the longest?

- I prefer it on the right side, if I hold it this way, the strap won't get in my way.

Schezade seems to be thinking about some topics. His eyes never closed, so it is a bit hard to try to read something out of that eye.

- Tendon would be great to use as the strap.

- Could I help in any more process of this? I won't be able to claim it is my weapon if it was crafted by you guys.

- ... If our ancestors were alive again, I bet they have to slap their faces to believe that you ever exist. If you want it that much, just think about this as our payment for your actions and the repay for your suffering.

Schezade swung his legs left and right, carved in the block of metal with a normal speed while sharpening it with tools. The spikes gradually formed in shapes. It was ragged at first. The woman joined in after some time, applied the crushed horn powder on the weapon surface. Schezade picked up a small tool that was slim and straight.

Hot light appeared at the tip of it and Schezade guided the pen of fire to trim it. After getting the work done with a spike, he rechecks it with his eyes and if there were any spots he didn't satisfied with, he would fix them with a saw or a polisher. Rhinne really couldn't join in as they didn't allow it no matter what he said about his own weapon.'

- Shut up and getaway!!

Both of them chased him away, so he has to retreat to an iron swing to sit. Rhinne felt that his efforts would be denied by having a weapon that he didn't forge himself, but if all warriors that exist from the beginning heard this, they would die of shame. They always think that forging is the job of the blacksmith, not the warrior. Warriors just need to grasp the completed weapon and go to fight while shouting it was their weapon.

Yet there is this guy. It was unimaginable. Imagine a warrior who became a hero thanks to a holy sword he got from a cliff, but still claim he was the owner nonetheless. Rhinne is different.

- So is it my weapon or not?

- IT'S YOUR WEAPON!!!

- ...

- ...

- I didn't make it...

- DOES ANY WARRIOR MUST CRAFT THEIR WEAPON??!!!

- ...

He looked at the sky of the Mechanical Imperial Planet and signed with his hands behind his neck. He imagined the future of clashing with the Hakore empire - the arrogant ones -, the Sakura empire - the one which is very annoying - or the supervisor - the nickname of Mod nation - and signed ruefully.

" The Hakore empire is the irreconcilable enemy as well as Mod nation. They are simply tyrants. " - He thought - " That arrogant bunch that one-sided judge every novel author and artist as trash, never sympathy or wait for others to express their potential can't be my ally. Mod nation too, as this country just use their authorities to delete everyone they don't like with a swat of their hands. Tch. "

These two nations are the ones he will destroy first no matter what. There is also a slim chance for them, but not likely that they will realize this chance. He shook his head slowly while reading Muren's book. This paragraph was about an intense fight between Lysukin, a smoke dragon against a whole army of Kram's destroyers. He doesn't look at the trimming process knowing that doing so is useless and time-consuming. He would rather focus on how to fight, and how to destroy the Hakore empire.

-Lysukin has fought against these destroyers?? Haha. It is weird. Not like he owns '' that '' item.

Monera is joining with the enchant in the mace. Schezade is mixing a mix of substances and somehow gave the mace a color. He is sitting on an iron swing, enjoys the warm heat. Muren is really great at depicting all the scenes of fighting. But what made him clicking his tongue is how Ancoran fight. The way they tricked their enemied is so ridiculous.

- Monera.

- What is it?

- Does Hakore empire are my enemy?

- You asked me this question many times already. - She signed - Yes, and you don't even need to give them chance. One of the reasons why that Dzenigei Ilirenma came to your place was also originated from this kangaroo, so smash them.

- I will trust your judgment.

He read the book to the point when he falls asleep on the swing. Rhinne felt that his shoulder was shaking by someone and when he opened his eyes, he saw a very familiar face. Monera, his benefactor. She asked with a worried expression :

- Are you tired?

- Not too much, thank you. - He struggled to get up. He rubs his eyes like he has contracted an eye disease. - Have I fallen asleep without my intention? Look like the symptoms are becoming more and more serious.

- You must stay conscious. - She tightened her grip - I won't blame you if you do anything to me as I can easily handle it, but if your mind was completely twisted then I won't be able to get rid of my guilt, and your twin would go insane.

- I won't.

He gets up and tried to clear his muddy mind, the mind that started to have hostile ideas to any living being close to him. He started to look for his weapon. He pulled it off the ground. It was a mace that was as high as him. Schezade gave him a few more.

- Take this. Your sub-weapons.

- They look like collars of bulldogs.

- It is. It would be very useful.

Rhinne looked at his own two hands, which have lines drawn in '' W '' shape. Many small lines of human skin exist on his hand. He turned his hands back. The scar that he already got before he arrived here still exists. He didn't even remember when he got this scar.

He looked at other parts of his hands. There are scars on the back of his hands, on his fingers. Tendons budged out of the skin in five lines each, which control his fingers. Small lines of gray hair grow on his skin, as a human does. Rhinne laughed, he is still a human.

He wears the rings of spikes on his wrist and the parts near his shoulders. HIs beards also have grown long like vines. He asked :

- Please lend me a mirror.

Both of them didn't bring mirrors along, so Monera just gathered the water for a temporary mirror. Now, he was taller than before. Monera now is in her original body, but she doesn't taller than him as much as before. Rhinne got in front of the mirror.

He was higher than three meters, as high as the biggest brown bear. The skin isn't that much gray like before, as it was a bit brown like a person who works under the sun on the field to grow rice. The nails are hard, and Rhinne's neck is as thick as a man's thigh. His hair may be the part that didn't change much.

His hair is whiter than before, the result of diving into the sea too much while under the sun at the same time. He was thrown into many seas, and it has gained him a unique hair of a sea fisherman or surfer, got in contact with the seawater and the sun coated his hair in pure white color. It was hard and long, but not in a stylish way. Rhinne never combs his hair, so it is a mess, long and only the part in front of his face was trimmed neatly by a knife.

He seems to be satisfied. He is still a human. He turned toward Schezade with his weapon and asked with his loud voice :

- What did my sister gain?

- There are many things.

Rhinne put down his weapon and sat on the table as always. Schezade said while combing his sister's scales.

- First, she accepts some... inheritances that she was allowed to.

- So that is. She isn't a pure human anymore. - Rhinne caressed his skin - What did she absorb? It must not harm her.

- And now that we talk about it. Rhinne.

Monera hit Rhinne's shoulder slightly.

- Let talk about this first. You are among the rank of apostles that didn't accept the inheritance-type items.

- Of course, it is. - He nodded - So what is special about it, Monera?

- No one like that has ever survived a fight against the invasion of demons and these dragon-like beings. - She seems very anxious - They were great, wise, and strong, but still perish in the end. I must tell you, among all the apostles that still survived to this day, only a few left while being pure human, at least if I count just human.

- Ah, so you want to tell me about that.

- Even those who are alive thanks to their luck or own prowess.

He sighed while smiling.

- Thank you.

- It isn't much. - Schezade pats his arm - We can only do this much. We are sorry to push many of you into death.

- How many did you kill this way?

Both of the siblings look down. He answered :

- I remembered all the faces of our friends who once lived here, play and laugh with us only for them to die in the battle to protect their worlds. Some even sadly die to protect their own family, friends, comrades, or subordinates.

- Or even due to just a stray bullet or wild animals. They were just purely idiots. Huck.

- Sssk... Yes. Idiots, but we all love them. They died for their homeland's future, without asking even just one thing for themselves.

They silently cried a bit. Rhinne gulped while looking at the grass floor.

- You should have stopped them.

- I once tried. She once tried. We tried to prevent it many times but fate just repeats itself.

Schezade leaned on the chair and looked at the high sky. The warships are menacing with their various shapes, weapons, colors like a parade of demon gods. Howls of mechanical super-armored empowered metal dragons were patrolling the sky. Fighters dashed in groups.

- It is sad to part with our friends. But the part that I had pushed my own apostles to their death was true.

Various memories flashed through his mind.

....

...........

.................

- Hey, Schezade! I'm honored to meet you.

A female mantis that bigger than Schezade happily called him. It was also at this place, Imperial Mechanical Planet. The sky back then have fewer warships and guardians. Schezade back then have a bit thicker frame compared to the future and his pincers is sharper.

- Who is this rude woman?

- Huccck!

She seems to be shocked and turned her triangle head to her savior, fallen down to the ground. Her six legs danced wildly in the air seems funny. Monera approached him and pat his shoulder while looking at the mantis who was throwing a tantrum.

- It is your first apostle that I had chosen for you. Her name is Wryen.

- Ah, so it has come. - Schezade ran around Wryen to check on his first apostle - It was a rude woman.

- Kek! Miss Monera, he is rude! He is so rude!

The female mantis shouted and swung her pincers furiously in Schezade's direction. She screamed to the sky :

- How can he be my mentor!? Miss, you should be my trainer. I would be happy to be your student.

The brown mantis happily grinned and asked Monera. Monera pointed at her brother.

- He would be your mentor. Be proud, as you will be his first apostle ever.

- Ummm... I won't be so sure... - Wryen circled around Schezade a few times carefully - He was thin and seems as frail as a stick bug. He seems so weak and pathetic for a male mantis.

Schezade's head tilted. His eyes darted fast at the comment. His sister said :

- Be friendly to each other. Ah, Wryen, have you ever heard about Graguran?

- Yes? - Wryen looked at everything in the surrounding - It was a mythical creature in our legends. It was a bringer of destructions that have destroyed gods and creators.

She cleaned her brown pincers. It was just a natural habit.

- But it is just our legends, miss. Not like Graguran ever exist.

- That Graguran was just one of his soldiers.

- ???

- He was the one who was the creator of that Graguran. And if you want to see, he has a ton waiting in one of those flying fortresses.

- Keeaeaaakkkk! Save meeeeee!

Wryen ran around like it was the end of the world. Schezade secretly asked his sister in a small voice.

- She isn't reliable.

- She is, but be friendly to each other okay? I must take a look at my apostle now.

Both of the mantes just stared at each other.

Both of the mantes just stared at each other.

......

........

- I lost, I said I lost!! Save meeee!!!

Wryen ran and fly around in desperation. Schezade sat on a tree's branch apathetically.

- It was just the simplest model.

- No, save meeeee!! I couldn't shatter steel with my pincer Kuaaacckk...?!!!! - She evaded a s***h of a sword - No, it tried to cut off my head! Stop stop stop..?!!

- It will stop in time so bear with it.

- You demm.. ackk?!!! - Wryen blocked the sword with her life on a stove - It tried to kill me!

And at another time.

......

- What?

- It is a present of mine. Please receive it.

Wryen brought Schezade a gift. She seems to have come to love him after years of living together. He denied it by giving it back to Wryen politely.

- You should receive it.

A small and four-winged creature sat on the cloud said when she saw what happened with complex emotions in her eyes. The slightly yellow skin isn't beautiful at all, and she rested her head on her hand like she was troubled. Schezade glared at the white cloud.

- Agartha, don't poke your noses into my business. - He hatefully told the fairy, the second sister - I don't love her, such a weak person.

- Again, that tone of you. You were so young to understand it.

Agartha knocked the flute on her hand to her right arm.

- Don't act as you have even just a little resistance to sadness and pain. You should trap yourself in that world of records of yours.

Schezade flew to the sky and maintain a higher position than Agartha with rapid flaps of his thin wings.

- You are just a child. I have dipped my claws into countless enemies while you sleeping in your dream. Don't ever think that you were great just because you have done '' it ''!! - Both of them stared at each other in the sky and Schezade pointed his pincer at his opponent - Among worlds, many being are more worthy to looks at other than her and you.

- I admitted that what I had invented isn't much or worthy to talk about.

- Really? I personally thought that ''it'' was the best thing you have ever done. Why a useless one like you could be my elder sister? I do not recognize you!

The sky is still normal, not filled with thunderbolts or storms, maintains its status as a blue sky. Agartha snarled back:

- And here I'm questioning myself! Why did she accept you into our family?

- Don't challenge me or I will attack you right now.

- Fine, I would leave.

The second in the hierarchy left when it came to this. Schezade is really hard to talk with.

Years later...

...........

- You was defeated? By a newcomer, and Agartha's apostle defeated you to boot?

Schezade received the news that his first apostle was defeated in a mock battle. Kiet, the third brother said while sitting on a tree log with a worried voice :

- Don't blame her.

- If it was your then I won't mind, but rather, doesn't her apostle is heavily titled into the science and research category? I focused on training Wryen in my area, and she was...

- Schezade, I remember that Wryen isn't good at using her own intelligence. The best thing you could have taught her was how to build tools of war.

Kiet looked at Wryen, who was looking down at the ground. She said with a sad voice, not the cheerful voice she once used :

- Sir, it was my fault. Ferrir is worse than me yet he has managed to top me after a few years.

- That guy was a bit of genius here isn't he... Ferrir has an innate talent of plundering other people to make it his own. His reputation must be bad.

- His talent could be the poison that harmed himself, but what we are talking about is how you managed to let that guy win.

- I'm sorry.

- Don't just all say and talk. If you want my pardon then you should bring back some achievements.

-....

............

...................

Schezade returned to reality, and while he may look like a mantis waiting for pray, he was saddened by his young self. As they all know, almost every being had made mistakes at many points in their life. Rhinne tackled him with his elbow.

- Are you daydreaming right now?

- I'm. - He silently stayed on the chair for a long time like he was enjoying the blowing wind - How great would it be if it was all dream.

- It isn't. And... - Rhinne tilted his head - Hmm? I forgot what I'm about to ask.

- That means the gods didn't want you to ask it. Don't worry, they will give you that question back when it was time. Or, it was the question about your sister.

- I felt that my question wasn't about that, but this question is right too. She must felt lonely.

He glanced at his new weapon. A voice denied him.

- No, she doesn't.

Schezade, the technician denied his statement.

- Rather, she is pretty....

- Pretty? Beautiful?

- Pretty... power-hunger. She is very active, like a squirrel in the spring, jumping everywhere to get as many nuts as it could to satisfy its hunger. - He told Rhinne - It somehow scares me. You saw it, didn't you? Her attitude.

- Hmm... Grrrm. - He made a normal face while thinking and said with his mouth opened like a clam - I understood. Yes, I did watch her many times along with her.

He joined his hands on the table while looking at Schezade. Three shadows spread on the stone surface as the light shone at them from the sky.

- She even actively asked me, if there were anything she could do to gain more than...oh,ah.... - Schezade scratched his head like he has missed a fly through his pincers - I think I had grasped what I want to said but like a sly flying snake, when I thought I got it, it slipped away from my limbs.

- Inheritance.

His sister reminds him and he nodded repeatedly.

- Yes, yes, inheritance. She wants more of them when she discovered the existence of that bunch of items.

- You have them too?

- Ah, not me. Or not?

- I was the keeper of all that items. - Monera carefully poured for her brother a bit of tea on a big leaf, gave it to him - But it isn't important. If they want, they could come to take them anytime. I just keep them for fun.

- So, she took in this.

Schezade scrambles through his bag for a while before taking out a cylinder. The outer part was made of transparent material like glass, mildly sparkling. Rhinne felt uncomfortable, as many parts of the blood inside it still moving around like a group of red fetuses was stuffed inside a prison, not letting them be born. Something that looks like sesame seeds, coated in small membranes violently curled, hitting and flowing inside that prison and Rhinne looked away in disgust.

- What is this?

- Some big needles was planted inside a captured Behemonth. Every five years, we extracted the spine fluid out. - Schezade explained - Then, we crushed the red ruby that was tempered under the cold hell's moon into dust, mixed it with the sap of that tree to act as catalyst to lower the poisonous.

He shook the item like he wants to weigh it.

- Then, we boiled it with pure lava in a diamond stove. Adds the blood of that Behemonth and many more... and then, we have this.

Schezade looked at the diamond bottle in his grasp.

- This acts as an elixir to boost the physique and even soul or existence of a lower being. Its rebound and fireback, poisonous attributes have been diluted as much as possible but as a...

- Inheritance.

Monera fixed his stopped line and Schezade continued :

- Inheritance elixir, if its attributes were removed completely then it means nothing. It affects the person who absorbs it.

- I know. Devil's power.

Rhinne nodded. Schezade started to play with it like a toy.

- This thing is very contagious. Unless that person can perfectly digest it, it would remain as a power sphere, entered a fruit or any living being that shard of power found. Only the purest, hardest diamonds could contain it. Yuura has acquired many of these and used them all.

- What? Did she digest them all?

- If it was one then yes, but she took in a lot.

- But she would certainly digest them all with time. By now... oh, do you want to know how she looks like?

Rhinne scratched his hand as he felt itchy and nodded. Monera looked at her brother.

- Her hair now is a mixture between purple and black. - Schezade told his friend - Her skin is still normal, but she could activate her power and transform a bit. Her skin would become a bit harder.

- But she entirely focused on demons and beast's - or Behemonth - power. Totally destructive powers, so what is fearsome when she transforms is her teeth and claws. They would tear off even a fortress. Her inner energy would become berserk and constantly being supplied by these essences.

- How strong she is now?

- At very great. She would be suited for large scale combat, however. She has learned how to play with soul, a dark art to be talked about.

Rhinne tiredly leaned back and asked :

- If I fought her?

- You would be beaten like a scarecrow. She is even higher than you with her natural height, and me. Near five metres. She can also use polymorph to a great degree. Not as thin as a tree's branch or jade skin, but at a perfect form for a warrior. Hard, fast, slim, and fearsome.

- Does it have any harmful effects?

- No. It has no side effects. She could perfectly transform herself into various ratios for combat, under my guidance now. Her irises are crystal violet when she fights. Her teeth are like this.

Schezade gave Rhinne a few pictures drawn by paint.

- It is sharp, short. Also, horns, as she ate the demon's essence. Tail for balance redirecting and wings for flying.

- She would be beaten by guardian beings.

- Depends. As you know, demon's power is violent so you shouldn't let anyone anger her. The result would be catastrophic.

- You just said that there were no side effects.

- Only under normal circumstances. And that Sky Demon may linger around to fish both of you.

Rhinne received his tea from Monera. His throat was dry because of the sun, so the tea mixed with a bit of salt, lemon and honey was great. He sighed with satisfaction.

- I won't defect. Believe in me. Thank you.

- No problem.

- Anything I must note?

- Hmm... - Schezade thought hard - Silicy has forged for her a blade. She has managed to grow it and opened more powers.

- Power again. It is not like it could help me much. - He sighed - What is it now?

- Do you know composite sword?

Schezade asked. Rhinne nodded :

- Isn't it a sword that stretched like a whip? A sword that could be hidden under the arm if it was hidden well enough and a bit loose sleeve.

- She wants it to grow into that form. Originally, it has already been a whip sword with the tendon of an Anyx, being with unpredictable movements thanks to their bizarre body as a base, but it has grown even more. So, don't be freaked out if you saw her going everywhere without her weapon.

- Uhm.

- And the most important thing.

Rhinne braced himself.

- She has inner energy.

- ... Do you want to have a mantis hamburger? Do you have to poke at me? I know of that already.

- It is tremendous. Like how elite soldiers could use forces, mages use mana, knights use aura and inner energy, she could use them. Noted that she already has a strong body that was trained by me.

- She... isn't a person who flung her power around like a child, right?

- Of course... She isn't, and she still has decent morals. Skills are also great, too, not just using her force to suppress her enemies.

- Then it's fine. If she was great... - He leaned on the chair and looked at the sky - ...then she would live a great life, full of freedom. She could leave for another world if this world was breached and enjoyed immortality.

- ...

She asked her brother something and he replied in a small voice, so Rhinne didn't know what did she ask. Rhinne listened to their conversation for a bit and he somehow think about another topic to ask about but his mentor once again stopped him by her own topic.

- Do you want to enter a real fight for now?

- Training ground?

- You may fight in my area, the sea. Or will you fight inside the training ground of Schezade?

- You could choose as your wish. - Schezade agreed - You must be tired, aren't you. If you want to train your crafting ability then fight here, and if you want to sharpen your fighting power in the water - the thing that you have trained for years - then go to my sister's place. You have trained long, after all.

- Then, let me fight here.