BXBX NOVEL Chapter 45 - 45
Chapter 45: Chapter 45
Noboru sighed, knowing the task ahead would be difficult.
"I have to be careful. If the Disciples of Darkness get their hands on the Relics, the world is doomed," he murmured, his voice laced with determination, looking at the Excalibur in his hand. "I can\'t let that happen."
The weight of the responsibility weighed heavily on him, but he was determined to succeed. He was the only one who could save this realm, and he wouldn\'t fail.
"But the Void Queen, she\'s innocent, like me. I can relate to her; people thought I was a demon because of misinformation and a false prophecy made by Kaito Danzo. Just like her, because of the nature of Yami\'s power, she\'s considered evil, the one who causes this suffering. But I know her pain," Noboru said to himself. "In reality, she\'s just a lonely soul wanting to be free from her loneliness and not be alone anymore. If we seal her away, we will be no better than Kaito Danzo. We will be the true demons and villains."
"Well, I guess there\'s no point in worrying about it now," he muttered, standing up.
"I\'d better get going," he said, seeing the golden light signaling him to teleport to the next destination.
The Next Day
It was morning, and the trio was gathered at the entrance of the royal palace. Yumeko and Layla were dressed in their respective Sentinel uniforms, and Sky was wearing a simple shirt and pants.
"It\'s almost 9 AM," Yumeko remarked, looking at the clock.
"Yes, your father will be here soon, Yumeko," Layla said, adjusting her outfit.
"I\'m nervous," Yumeko confessed, fidgeting with the hem of her cloak.
"Don\'t be," Layla said, giving her a reassuring smile. "It will be fine."
"It\'s just... even though I\'m his daughter, his wife and Kira never let me spend time with him. I only ever met him three times in my life, not including the time as sentinels. The first time was when I unlocked my Wind Aura; my affinity was so great he had to come and see me. The second was when my mother was executed by his wife; he looked sorry but didn\'t stand up for her. The third and final time was when I became a sentinel, but I still never really had the chance to get to know him," Yumeko explained.
"It\'s okay, Yumeko," Sky said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about. We will be there for you, and your father will see how amazing you are."
"Thank you, Sky," Yumeko said, smiling.
"Don\'t mention it," Sky replied, smiling back.
"Hey, the carriage is here," Layla announced, pointing to the carriage that had just pulled up.
"Looks like it\'s time to go," Yumeko said, walking toward the carriage.
"Let\'s do this," Sky added, following her.
As the trio entered the carriage, they noticed it was much larger than the previous one and even had cushions.
"Wow, this is amazing," Yumeko remarked, taking in the luxurious interior.
"Yeah, it\'s the Royal carriage, made for the Wind God," Layla said, settling onto one of the cushions.
"I have to agree," Sky said, sitting down next to her.
"I can\'t believe this," Yumeko said, shaking her head.
"Believe it," Layla said, grinning. "So, what do you think the other kingdoms are like?"
"I\'m not sure, but I imagine they\'re probably similar to ours," Yumeko replied.
"Maybe, but I\'m sure they have their own unique aspects," Layla noted.
"Maybe it\'s like hell, because it\'s fire," Sky joked, making the girls laugh, when the door opened. Trumpets could be heard. The trio quickly quieted down. Wind God Kaze Hayashi was about to enter the carriage.
"Here goes nothing," Sky thought to himself as the door opened, and the Wind God entered.
"Yumeko, Layla, Sky," Kaze greeted, his voice carrying a note of warmth.
"Father," Yumeko greeted back.
"Sir," Layla said, bowing respectfully.
"Um, Sir," Sky greeted nervously.
"Good
, it seems everyone is here. Let\'s depart," Kaze said, sitting down.
"As you wish," the coachman replied, as he whipped the Pegasus, and it started flying, pulling the carriage along.
"So, Yumeko, it\'s our first time together," Kaze said nervously. He knew he hadn\'t been a good father to his daughter. He let her mother die because of his wife\'s jealousy. He left her to be raised by saints and heard how the nobles treated his little princess, and he hated it. He loved his daughter even more than Kira. Kira... where did he go wrong? The boy was arrogant, self-absorbed. He had no love for him. His love was reserved for Yumeko. His one and only. She was everything.
Kaze knew it was wrong to favor one child over the other, but could anyone blame him? Not even taking into account power, Yumeko inherited her mother\'s kind and gentle heart. Kaze could never love Kira the way he loved Yumeko. He couldn\'t even bear to look at the boy.
"Y-yes," Yumeko said, not used to having her father talk to her.
"Yumeko," Kaze began, unsure how to proceed. "I just wanted to say that I\'m proud of you."
"Proud of me?" Yumeko repeated, shocked. Hearing this broke Kaze\'s heart. Did his little princess really think he wasn\'t proud of her, that hearing it would make her stutter?
"Yes, proud of you," Kaze repeated, smiling softly. "I know I haven\'t been a good father, but I\'m glad that you\'re here."
"Father," Yumeko said, tears welling up in her eyes.
"I\'m sorry, Yumeko," Kaze said, his voice filled with remorse.
"For what?" Yumeko asked, confused.
"For not being there for you," Kaze replied, his voice thick with emotion. "For being too weak and letting Alice die. I\'m sorry for leaving you alone and for not being a father to you. I\'m sorry for everything."
"It\'s okay," Yumeko said, smiling despite the tears. "It\'s okay. I miss Mom, but I know she\'s in a better place."
"I know," Kaze said, nodding.
"I forgive you," Yumeko said. "And I\'m glad you\'re here now."
"I\'m glad you\'re here too," Kaze said, his voice filled with love and warmth.
"So, what will the other Gods and Goddesses say about our predicament? How will they react to the news that a cult is trying to destroy the world and release their goddess?" Sky wondered aloud, changing the subject.
"I\'m not sure, but I have a feeling it won\'t be pretty," Kaze replied, frowning. He frowned for two reasons. The first and more important reason was that Yumeko loved Sky, and that meant this boy was taking his baby girl\'s love. He didn\'t care that Sky was the son of two powerless commoners, but Yumeko, his Yumeko, his precious daughter, she was his one and only.
The second and less important reason was that he didn\'t know how the other kings would react. Peace was hanging on by a thread centuries after the great elemental war. There were tensions between the kingdoms. Ignarok had their own agenda, and Aquora was always looking for a fight. Terravale kept to themselves, especially after the war, as they looked down on the rest of the kingdoms. They would need the entire world to be allied if they wanted to defeat the void.
"I can\'t wait," Layla said sarcastically, breaking the tense silence.
"Yeah, I\'m sure it will be interesting," Sky replied, grinning.
"Yeah," Yumeko said as she leaned into Sky. Kaze, seeing this, felt his blood boil. He hated this. Yumeko was too precious for a boy; she should remain a virgin forever.
"You okay?" Yumeko asked, sensing her father\'s unease.
"Yes, I\'m fine," Kaze replied, forcing a smile.
"Are you sure?" Yumeko questioned, worried.
"I\'m sure," Kaze assured her. "I\'m just a bit tired, that\'s all."
"Oh, okay," Yumeko said, accepting his response.
The rest of the trip passed in relative silence, each lost in their own thoughts. As the carriage approached the borders of Ignarok, a sense of foreboding washed over them.
"We\'re almost there," Layla remarked, staring out the window.
"So, are we just going to fly right through the gates?" Sky asked.
"Yes, I asked the Ignarok Fire God, Ignis Blazeheart, to meet us. Be on guard, not just for the Disciples of Darkness but also for people in the kingdom who want revenge on
us for the war centuries ago," Kaze replied.
"Revenge?" Yumeko questioned.
"Yes. Some Ignarokians lost their families to the war. Even though they beat us, they hold grudges and hate, and can\'t stand the mere sight of us. They are looking for revenge. This is why the Fire God is meeting us; he\'s the only one we can trust," Kaze explained before turning to Sky.
"Sky, I have an important mission for you. You are to guard both Layla, who will have the biggest target because she is the descendant of the Original Wind God, and Yumeko. Do not let any harm come to either of them. Understand?" Kaze ordered.
"Yes, Sir. I will protect them with my life," Sky declared, a fierce determination flashing in his eyes.
"Good," Kaze said, a hint of approval in his tone. He still hated Sky for trying to take his baby girl, but the boy had spirit.
"What about you?" Sky asked.
"I will be fine," Kaze assured him.
"You sure?" Yumeko asked, worried.
"I\'m sure," Kaze replied, giving her a small smile.
"Okay, if you\'re sure," Yumeko said, reluctantly accepting his response.
"So, are you guys ready for this?" Sky asked.
"Not really, but what choice do we have?" Yumeko said, sighing.
"Yeah, the fate of the world is in our hands," Layla agreed, leaning back.
"Let\'s do this," Sky said, trying to sound confident, but inside, he was terrified.
"Yes, let\'s," Yumeko agreed, squeezing his hand, offering him a comforting smile.