Author Note: I am really sorry, everyone!! I thought I had scheduled the chapter release before sleeping yesterday, but apparently not. So here I am publishing it a little late. This is one of the major chapters that sets the plot, so please enjoy!~ ╰(*°▽°*)╯
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"Sylvia!! NO!!!!"
Raiden lunged at the python, wanting to save Sylvia, with Woolie moving even faster, clad in thunder.
Bang!!
The python hit both of them with its tail, throwing both of them back effortlessly.
Raiden quickly got back up on his feet and was about to rush up once again, but stopped dead in his tracks as an unexpected sound of laughter rang in his ears.
"Hehehe, Aunt Ruby!! It's you!!! Stop, it tickles!! Hehehe!!" Sylvia, who was now coiled up in the massive red python's body, laughed with happiness as the massive serpent hissed, licking Sylvia's face and nudging her.
Watching them interact, Raiden felt stunned for a second. His sister knew this massive python??
"Brother!! Look, It's Ruby!! Aunt Ruby is still alive!!" Sylvia exclaimed in happiness, her eyes tearing up a little as she said it.
Watching the massive python interact with his sister and hearing the name Ruby again jogged his memory as he recalled details about her once more.
Ruby was his mother's first Terra Beast and practically a family. She had seen both of them grow up from when they were just kids, practically taking care of them for their whole lives!!
But during the final battle 6 months ago, Ruby went along with both his parents to battle, disappearing with the news of their demise. Raiden assumed she also died with his parents, but he was pleasantly surprised to see her alive!!
"It's you, Aunt Ruby!!" Raiden also rushed forward a moment later, hugging her massive body, feeling sentimental.
Ruby, who initially felt displeased after seeing how this brat didn't recognise her upon the first glance, softened her stance when he called her Aunt Ruby, and how heartfelt his emotions felt.
With a reluctant hiss, she used her massive tail to pet his head, lowering Sylvia down from the air.
"Well? How is it? Did you guys like the surprise??" Agent Smith, who had been watching the family reunion silently until now, spoke up, noting that they all calmed down somewhat.
"It's one hell of a surprise!! Thank you so much, Agent Smith!!" Raiden spoke his heartfelt words for the first time to him. This wasn't just some kind of Terra Beast; the red python was basically family to both Raiden and Sylvia, as noted by how they addressed her as Aunt Ruby.
Woolie, on the other hand, felt starstruck. This massive red coloured python exuded a bearing that of an Emperor, and it gave off such sheer pressure that Woolie felt like bowing his head down before it.
"Woolie Woo Wool Woolie!!" (•̀ ᴗ •́ )!!
Big Sister, you are so strong and big! Come, fight me!! The winner will be the Emperor!!
Looking at the tiny furball clad in thunder, Ruby felt speechless. Where did this fearless little one come from? Most Terra Beasts flee from just from her aura alone. And this one wanted to fight her directly? Did it not know how to write death???
"I have a question, Agent. Why is my mother's Terra Beast here? Also, why were we not informed of her status sooner??" After calming down a little bit, Raiden approached and asked the agent softly, leaving Sylvia and Woolie alone to play with her.
Raiden was feeling somewhat unsettled by her appearance. It felt like someone was directing his life.
"Well... It's kind of complicated. Your parents—"
"Not here. Come, take a walk with me." Raiden interrupted his words, directing him outwards, out of his sister's earshot. He didn't want to involve her in anything dangerous yet.
Agent Smith, understanding his concern, gave him a brief nod before following him outside.
"Alright, let us continue our conversation." Raiden looked at Agent Smith, who prepared himself before he started talking once again.
"Well, I think it's better to start from the beginning. How much do you know about your parents? Or their deaths and disappearance?" Agent Smith threw a question at Raiden, catching him off guard.
Raiden took a moment to compose himself before he started thinking. "Well, I don't know much. We were too devastated by the news we received about the death of our parents to focus on anything else."
"So not much. I'll tell you what I know about the incident. Your parents wanted to retire from being Battle Masters; therefore, the mission they took part in was supposedly their final mission, reclamation of a city that is lost to wild Terra Beasts."
Raiden gasped. He had heard about those missions; these kinds of missions are massive undertakings that the Alliance puts together, with hundreds of Battle Masters of all levels taking part.
"I heard that hundreds of people take part in that kind of mission, led by a Diamond or sometimes even Mythical-level masters. Aren't they guaranteed to be safe missions?"
"Well, normally you'd be right. But not this one. What I am about to tell you is strictly confidential from Alliance, and you normally wouldn't even be qualified to hear this information. It is only because of special circumstances that you are able to hear the following words. I trust whatever I am going to say next is going to stay between us, or you know the consequences, right?"
Agent Smith gave Raiden a sharp look, making him feel like a massive boulder had been dropped on his shoulders, causing him to sink into the ground.
It was only after Raiden nodded his head in agreement with difficulty that the pressure eased off, letting him have a sigh in relief.
"Alright. Your parents, along with 483 other Battle Masters, took part in the mission to recapture the Solaris, the lost capital city of Light that fell under the clutches of wild Terra Beasts a hundred years ago. Leading the mission was one of our 12 Mythical Guardians, Saint Francis Penelope." He took a pause to see if the boy was following along so far. After making sure, he continued to speak.
"The mission was going swimmingly well, with our masters making progress every day. But on the last day of the expedition, a blinding flash of light appeared in the skies of the city, and everyone in the city, they all just... disappeared."
"Disappeared??? What do you mean, disappeared?!!" Raiden raised his voice high unconsciously, earning a glare from Agent Smith, making him quieten down once again.
"It means exactly how it sounds. After the blinding flash of light, all the Battle Masters, along with their Terra Beasts, just vanished from the world. Well, everyone but two Terra Beasts, who were found on the verge of death. One is Sky Ruler Griffin, Saint Francis Partner, and your mother's partner, your Aunt Ruby, both grievously injured."
"After healing them, we have checked the memories of both multiple times, and found nothing. They had been under strict confinement for the past few months to check if we could find any details, but nothing. It is only now that they were cleared of any suspicion, and Ruby expressed her desire to come home, so we brought her here. "
Raiden started to rub his head, his mind still reeling in shock. All this heavy information, it felt too much to take in all at once. Agent Smith also did not say anything, silently walking beside him as he admired the scenery.
After a minute, Raiden spoke, "So, are you telling me there is more to their deaths than it seems??"
Agent Smith shook his head at his words. "I am not telling you anything. I have merely just presented some facts to you. Whatever conclusion you derive from it is up to you. But I do need to warn you though, be careful of your... Aunt. It is pretty bizarre that she was the only one alive, aside from a Mythical Tier beast, even though there were plenty of stronger Terrans present, her only being a Gold Tier Beast."
Agent Smith left his words hanging in the air, making it heavy.
"But those are just my words. You don't need to believe me. Our department checked thoroughly and found nothing wrong with her. She is clear of all suspicions. So you can be rest assured about her." After a moment, he spoke again in a lighthearted tone, trying to alleviate the tension in the air.
Raiden thanked him in an offbeat tone, his brow furrowed, as he recalled the Status screen he had seen when he hugged her, which shook him to the core.
{Ruby, The Divine Blood Emperor}
{Status: Grievously Injured}
{Rank: Mythical (Degraded to Gold Tier due to Injuries)}
Description: Ruby, The Divine Blood Emperor, is Queen of all Blood Beasts. She has an innate ability to control blood, using it as a form of weapon. She is also known as a Walking Calamity, known to have drained the blood of an entire continent before sinking it, killing hundreds of millions in the process.
{Potential: D Tier (Degraded from S Rank due to injuries)}
{Current Thought: Must protect the children. Nobody is taking them away from me!! }
Mother, Father, where are you? What secrets are you hiding... Can I really protect Sylvia from it all??
Raiden walked alone in the grass, lost in his own heavy thoughts, as the future looked more complicated than ever before.