Beyond the boundary of a forbidden zone—marked by a lone sign that warned all to keep out—Kaeliyus stood before a figure: a demon.
The land stretched vast and barren, a desert expanse dotted with sparse, stubborn shrubs. The air was warm, the breeze steady, carrying with it grains of sand and the faint rustle of fabric.
The demon stood tall beneath the open sky, his skin a smooth tan. He wore the garb of an ancient priest—robes of red and yellow that fluttered lightly with the wind. His face was unnervingly serene, his eyes black with slitted pupils that shimred faintly gold. Long, dark hair flowed past his shoulders, lifted gently by the breeze, and on his lips curved a knowing smirk.
"To think you'd find so soon," he said, calm and unbothered.
"I should," Kaeliyus responded, the air about him calm—his black coat billowing behind him as the breeze kicked up dirt around them. "You, after all, had given clues to lead here. It was an assignnt bestowed by a senior, what would I make of myself if I dawdled any longer?"
The demon burst out in a cackle, slightly hunching forward as his body trembled from the laugh. "You haven't changed at all," he said. "Still showing respect with a straight face like you aren't standing before right now to kill ."
"Well, there are orders to things," Kaeliyus replied softly.
"Order you say…but you burned through all 17 shrines in less than a day to find ," the demon cackled lowly. "Is he that important to you?"
"Why ask a question with such an obvious answer? Shouldn't we be getting straight to the point?"
The demon chuckled briefly, eyes narrowing at Kaeliyus as he spoke. "Indeed, you've never been one to waste ti on aningless chatter."
"When you ca into the village, I knew it was your right away without having to see you," he said. "After hiding away for so long, to appear again in such a place, I knew sothing ought to have moved you."
Kaeliyus' brows knitted, eyes narrowing sternly at the demon that stood quite a distance away from him.
"At first, I was going to turn a blind eye to it, mind my business because you're my junior after all. But, my curiosity knows no bounds." His eyes fluttered closed and open, his expression soft.
"I had to find out why? For who? And because the little Lord bears no spiritual presence and energy, I had to strain to piece things together," he paused, smiling wide at Kaeliyus—his face appearing no less creepy.
"It is such good news isn't it? That the rightful heir that was prophesied to co into existence, had co. I couldn't contain my excitent when I found out—it was thrilling."
"I decided to be the one to spread such joyous news….that was at first," he continued. "However, I realized this was an opportunity to gain sothing much more. Sothing I'd been longing for, and such opportunities do not present themselves twice."
He paused, waiting for Kaeliyus to speak, but Kaeliyus simply remained staring, eyes narrowed sternly—silently telling the demon to continue.
The demon smiled softly with a low breath sound, continuing. "You and I both know you can already guess where I'm heading with this, but nevertheless, I'll spell it out for you."
Lifting his gaze so that he stared straight at Kaeliyus, a cunning smile playing on his slips, he said. "Your other powers, give them to ."
Kaeliyus' face was straight, tight with sternness as he peered back at the demon, calm even after the demon made his demands.
"Your other powers that have been sealed away, give them to ," the demon reiterated, voice steady and bold—confident that Kaeliyus wouldn't be able to refuse.
"As you're a wise one, I need not spell things out too much for you. If you give that which I've demanded of you, I will keep the existence of the young Lord a secret, living like I'd never encountered him at all," he said, calmly relaxed in the situation.
"I was already heading back ho to inform everyone of his existence anyway, but I'll hold back on that if you give your powers that have been sealed away back ho," he continued. "So, what will you do, great hybrid?"
He stared at Kaeliyus, smiling wide—confident he had pushed Kaeliyus into a corner with no way out.
"How about the option to dispose of you here, so you never leave to tell the tale of his existence instead?" Kaeliyus smiled, eyes squinting gently—his expression as polite as could be.
A scoff escaped the demon, followed by a loud mocking laugh. "Dispose of ? With half your powers sealed away?"
Kaeliyus grinned wide in response, affirming he did intend to dispose of the demon with half his powers sealed away.
Seeing the resolve behind Kaeliyus' words, the demon's smile faded completely, expression turning a bit stern as he felt insulted.
"Now now, Kaeliyus, you can't be like that, it's disrespectful to your senior," he chided with a forced smile.
"For that, I apologize," Kaeliyus bowed slightly. "But it is what it is."
With his eyes blazing hot, and not a single word, a yellowish, violent wave of energy surged from the demon, erupting the area in a violent wave of dirt like a wild storm of sand.
Kaeliyus' own energy surged outward, just as violent and intense—dark and thick.
Kaeliyus and the demon shot forward, aiming to clash into each other. But just before Kaeliyus could close the distance, a resounding voice echoed like clear water inside his mind—halting him mid-step.
The demon seized the chance, digging his demon claws into Kaeliyus' left eye, tearing it out, and leaving a gaping hole behind . Kaeliyus leapt back, blood trailing down his face as he lengthened the distance between him and the demon.
His violent surge of energy cooled down, dissipating slowly as he put a hand over his wounded eye—blood staining his hand.
"Kael," the voice that had rang so clearly in his mind, called again. Kaeliyus was a bit taken aback, delaying his response. But before the voice could call again, he responded.
"Yes, my Lord," he said, voice soft, and polite. As Kaeliyus stood, waiting for Seiya to speak, his wounded eye regenerated, healing to perfection—leaving behind only the bloodstains.
"That seems to be the young Lord calling," the demon chid, smiling with Kaeliyus' eye in his grasp, dripping blood onto the ground.
"Co back," Seiya said through telepathy, the house sounding right inside Kaeliyus' mind. At Seiya's command, Kaeliyus' brow twitched, tension rising on his face.
"R-right now, my Lord?" He asked, clearly tensed. The fight with the demon was one Kaeliyus couldn't afford to miss. He couldn't let the demon go and decide things at a later date. Because knowing how cunning the demon was, his young Lord's existence will be at risk.
"Right now," Seiya replied, voice steady with finality.
"What? Will you move this fight to another day? And think more about what the best option really is?" The demon asked, prideful confidence lacing his tone.
Ignoring him, Kaeliyus responded to Seiya. "Very well my Lord. As you wish."
In an instant, Kaeliyus doubled, a second form tearing from his body, and standing just behind him.
"Hm?" The demon humd in question, watching in silence.
Turning to his double—his clone, Kaeliyus said. "The young Lord calls, go in my stead. I have sothing to do."
With a single more second wasted, Kaeliyus' clone vanished, teleporting to Seiya.
"You are really bent on getting things done imdiately. How impatient," the demon remarked, a hint of tease in his tone.
"First off, half your powers have been sealed away, and fighting like that should prove impossible. Now, you've also made a clone of yourself, dividing your strength. How foolish," the demon smirked. "How do you hope to settle things like this?"
Desperate to get things done with, and return to his young Lord, Kaeliyus responded sternly."Save the chit chat, let's get down to business."
The demon flared up once again, as did Kaeliyus—both taking off toward each other for a clash.
*****
Within the commander's chambers, Seiya sat on the large bed, and before him, Kaeliyus' clone appeared. The mont he set eyes on Seiya, he crouched to one knee, bowing his head.
"You called," he said, gaze cast low.
Seiya stared at him for a mont, observing him before asking. "Who?"
{What do you an who? That's Kaeliyus!} Ibyu chid sharply, but Seiya paid it no mind.
Kaeliyus' clone raised his head, a small smile tugging on his lips. "Nothing gets past you, my Lord."
"I am but a part of myself," he said. "The other is elsewhere….fighting a demon."
Seiya's gaze remained fixed on the clone for a while before responding, "I see."
"But my Lord," the clone continued. "How were you able to contact us? We were very far away from here, so normally, the telepathy shouldn't work. It only works when both parties are before each other."
"It isn't like that as I can contact you whenever you are, no matter the distance, through telepathy," Seiya responded calmly.
"It isn't like though, because we can't," the clone pushed on.
"It is," Seiya replied.
"It isn't, my Lord."
"….it is."
Kaeliyus' clone stared at Seiya, silent. He didn't want to continue arguing with his Lord, for that would be preposterous of him. However, it was indeed true that Kaeliyus couldn't contact Seiya through telepathy when away—but it appears vice versa for their young Lord himself.
"So, my Lord, can I know why I've been summoned?"
"For a mission that will earn money," Seiya responded. "There's a high ranking official that needs protection from a rogue organization. Although they've requested help from the association, I want you to carry this out, and get paid."
"But my Lord, if it's already been handed over to the association, shouldn't it be left to them? Moreover, there's no guarantee the said person would trust more than the association to protect them."
"They'll trust you if you show them what you're capable of, so convince them before the association gets started on the matter. This will prove a better way to earn money if we can take commissions like this to act as bodyguards."
Hijacking their work from the very association that has adopted you, isn't that evil? Kaeliyus' clone thought to himself.
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