Chapter 116: A Difference of Time (2)

In the wake of the attack, Kara and Luna sat by one another at the edge of the bed.

“Luna, do you actually believe he’ll be mad at you?” Kara asked, brushing the Fairy’s silver hair with her hand.

Gunthar stood nearby, still on guard and searching through the heartless body for anything on his identity. Fae Assassins had come for them once more and were just as successful as the first failed attempt. The only difference being the party now lacked a Void-walking Rainer to catch one of the fleeing Assassins. One who had stopped in shock at appraising a Fairy who had just used her flame to remove his fellow attacker from existence.

One who had managed to escape.

Their target, however, was quite clear this time. Kara.

Though their attack was an absolute failure, even with several 2nd Tier Assassins. Whether it was Gunthar’s Devil Lord Soul and [Soul Detection], or Kara’s dual classes and Demonic nature, the Fae Assassins simply stood no chance despite their tier advantage. An advantage they likely counted on with someone perhaps finding out the [Archon] was missing for almost a day. An advantage made pointless when an eight-foot-tall horned skeleton charged through a wall with his hand through an Assassin’s chest.

Even the possibly weakest of their group had used her flame to consume the magical nature of the Fairy.

When Luna didn’t respond, Kara continued talking. She brought up earlier that with Elru not understanding what Luna’s class meant, it was unlikely the assassin would either. That him running and being shocked was a result of Luna’s flame devouring his ally rather than an [Appraisal]. But that had done nothing to ease the violet-eyed Fairy.

“Did he get mad when you almost let him wear a cursed robe? Or when you fell asleep on guard duty?”

Luna shook her head. Kara, of course, didn’t mention that he definitely should have gotten mad at her for both of those.

“In fact, I’m beyond sure about what he’ll say when’s he’s back,”

“What..?” The fairy asked in a quiet voice.

Kara’s voice lowered an octave before taking a strange pose with her shoulders rolled back.

“Ha Ha Ha. So, all those silly Fae now know about your Flame? Well…looks like we won’t have to hide you anymore. How convenient.”

Gunthar stumbled on a laugh, an inner battle raging on. Rainer’s unusual acceptance of strange situations and people was probably the only reason himself, his father, Luna and Kara were alive and well today. But even with the embellishments, he couldn’t imagine the Sorcerer saying anything else. But it clearly cheered the Lady of the Fae up.

“I’m telling Rainer you were laughing at him when he gets back,” Luna finally responded with her own smile when both Kara and Gunthar joined in laughing.

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Kara paid Luna’s comment no mind, but Gunthar suddenly felt an impossible shiver crawl up his back. He was undead after all.

The group’s mood was suddenly altered as a wave of power they’d never felt before washed over them.

Gunthar reacted in an instant, his bones cracking as he soared in height and strength, taking on the Soul of a [Devil Lord] once more.

From nowhere a man stepped into existence. A beard and hair darker than darkest nights. Eyes that shone with untold power. Only his connection to the Sorcerer let him recognize Rainer before he did anything hasty.

“Rainer,” Luna went towards him and ended up falling on him as he collapsed back. Glowing silver hair a contrast to his far darker black.

Rainer did nothing else but smile as he embraced his favorite Fairy after so long. Long for him in any case. Though judging by how tightly the lithe Luna squeezed him, it almost felt like she had missed him for just as long. Only the lack of extreme reactions from the rest of the group told him it hadn’t been too extended of a departure.

The fairy completely ignored the far stranger sight standing on Rainer’s right. The Wolfkin did not.

Kara stared at the absolutely odd…man…Rainer had brought back with him. No one in the party, her included, was surprised, though. At most their newest addition looked cautious, but that may very well be solely from the Devil’s appearance. Or that she was just a little girl presented with a face belonging to a nightmare.

Far be it from Rainer to return from a land of Devils without making a friend. In fact, with Rainer’s taller frame and beard covering his face, the presence of the strange Devil was more a clue to the [Archon]’s identity than anything else.

She nudged her head at Gunthar, and he agreed with the silent question as he shoved the Fae body decaying into mana under the bed. No reason to have Rainer go on a rampage after learning what had happened after he left. They’d tell him about it once things calmed down. Though the huge hole in the wall was a harder thing to hide. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

And to their own embarrassment, they realized Rainer fully saw Gunthar’s action. Not that he needed to. There was another half-torn body magically decaying in the hall. Fully visible through the hole.

Kara met her gaze with Rainer’s as he returned it, a quiet Luna in his lap, hugging him, as he sat on the floor. She did her best to try to remain angry at him, but with the reminder of feeling his power again her demon side took over and she decided to leave any lectures over reckless magic for a later time.

Rainer explained what had happened as Elru, Laneth, Furtak, and Theodore entered the room. Lilia followed behind, oddly not cautious of the Goblin given her past experiences.

Strange..

Rainer thought. He always viewed racism as an illogical idea, for Lilia not to be bothered by Furtak despite what had happened meant she was more than just a girl with an affinity for Soul magic. Not that he’d blame her in the slightest for any ill thoughts towards Goblins. It wasn’t like she had been attacked by a single goblin, but a slave of an entire tribe of them, even if she fared better than most hiding her identity.

And given Furtak’s mentions of his kind outside his tribe, he’s likely a strange case.

Though, in this world with a system that literally gave bonuses and negatives due to one's race, it wasn’t completely illogical. He could see where a Demon’s lack of value towards other races came from when they were frankly told how much stronger they were than everyone else.

Amer stood off to the side, only slightly remarked by the room's visitors before their attention returned to the [Archon].

The prospect of a time difference brought less surprise than the fact Rainer was now not only level 24 with his [Archon] class but had another 2nd Tier class. Though Luna’s reveal of the fact made it an even larger surprise.

“Hara-binger?” She questioned, finally having loosened her hold around Rainer enough to use [Appraisal].

“El-da-rich Draconic Mage?”

“When did Rainer get such strange new classes? And Rainer got a second 2nd Tier class without Luna’s help…” She glared, not happy at being left out of the Trial.

Though everyone’s else expression bordered between shock, surprise, and a quiet mumble of “As expected, Sorcerer…”

Kara’s expression was unreadable as she contemplated the massive distance Rainer had put between them again, but the rest just seemed interested in the strength of his new class and identity of the Devil standing in the room.

They all remembered a far different image for any Devils they met. Amertiyus certainly wasn’t pleasant to look at, but he wasn’t a monster or a massively tall and muscled [Devil King].

Throughout the whole conversation, Luna set about carefully using her flame to remove Rainer’s beard, though she left the longer hair on his head intact this time.

Only Kara remained in the room with Luna and Rainer as the rest of the party left. Rainer, with Luna shrunken on his shoulder, momentarily led Amer to his own room and dropped everything he took from the Abyssal Realm in there so the Devil could organize his possessions.

As they walked back, Rainer spoke to Luna as he rubbed the remaining hair on his face.

“Why didn’t you get it all?” He asked, still rubbing the goatee.

“First hero left and then never came back for his fairy. So, Luna thought to make Rainer look like Villain since he always comes back.”

“Luna…you know I would have summoned you if I could. The Miasma…”

“Luna knows,” The Fairy responded, though she seemed quite perturbed after learning just how long Rainer had been gone. She had immediately switched to her smaller form during that part of the conversation. And knowing how her personality shifted when she altered between forms, Rainer found it disconcerting. He’d need to speak to her about it sooner rather than later.

But he only sighed, quite exhausted after his Trial. She seemed happy enough back at his side. Anything else, including his plans on no longer hiding Luna from any Fae or anyone else, would have to wait till morning.

He headed back to the room to see Kara not there anymore. With her already wearing his ring that he created it took only a moment before he appeared by her side.

She stood on a balcony looking out. Seeing Rainer suddenly appear next to her was a surprise before she realized what he likely thought.

Apart from her Spatial Ring, she wore the ring Rainer gave her beside it. A silver ring covered in red runic lines and marked with a small black diamond-looking stone.

[Ring of the Bonded Werewolf: Allows for instant demonic werewolf-type transformation with no additional cost. Increases the power of Demonic Aura by 50%. Only applies to Werewolf-Type Demons. Prevents use of Mana. Only applies to Half-Demons. Creates pseudo-bond with: Rainer Nvos]

“Sorry. I guess it’s not comforting when I just disappear on you,” She said with more bite than she intended.

Rainer just stood next to her, himself now leaning on the railings of the balcony, not at all bothered by her statement.

A few moments passed between the two, Rainer waiting as Kara seemed to have something on her mind.

“You know I can’t even be mad at you can I? What could I have done? What could any of us have done?”

Rainer didn’t answer. Apart from perhaps Theodore and some holy ability he knew nothing about or an enchantment of Elru’s, there wasn’t anything to be done. He would have been taken with or without anyone nearby.

Even worse…someone might have been taken with him. He thought as he glanced at Kara.

“It would have made it worse, wouldn’t it? That’s why you never summoned Luna. You could have always used Gunthar or Theodore to teleport back.”

“I’m tired of it…being so much weaker.” She finally said, “the moment this new class of mine reaches level 25, I want to…I am taking my Trial.”

Rainer sighed. It wasn’t a question or a request for advice. It was a statement. He could stop her, magically anyways. Not that he ever would. He knew it wasn’t his choice to make.

But part of him agreed with her decision. He couldn’t always protect her, and in any future battles, she would be at risk simply being around him if she wasn’t strong enough. And the if the prophecy ended up true for this world as well as Gunthar’s previous one, all of the current world would wish to see her dead or otherwise.

Losing her to the Trial was a possibility, but having her captured by any Demon could be far worse for Kara.

Either way, he’d delay it as long as he could, making her the strongest possible Body Enchantments in the meantime.

“You’re only level 19 for now. Besides, I’ve been thinking of some new enchantments,” and a way he can enter the Trial if need be, “I’d like to finish them first. It wouldn’t be hard, finding a Demonic Dungeon, I could even meet the parents, so to speak,” He added some levity to the situation. Not that he looked forward to meeting a mother, that put her little girl through the slaughter that was the Demon’s rite of passage.

Kara suddenly pulled him into a kiss, ignoring the Fairy on his head that seemed happy with them making up.

“Let’s go back to sleep then. Maybe without a month-long vacation thrown in?” Kara said.

“Agreed.”

They spent a few moments leaning against each other on the balcony. Rainer’s new height proving a good help as he had one hand scratching her Wolven ears with ease.

“Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for leaving that easily,” She added, and against her own words leaned into his hand, “Hmm, so maybe a little easy.” She conceded.