Church of Holy Saint (Part II)

"Deu-sama, I am sorry for making you wait."

The green-haired girl said so as she slightly bowed her head. She kept on bowing as if waiting for something.

"It's fine, you may raise your head." he paused for a moment while waiting for the girl to raise her head, "So how is it?"

"It's a success."

"Finally 'huh? How long is it takes again?"

"About 13 hours."

Runa who was nearby just asking herself while wondering what Deu and her personal maid are talking about.

"Can you bring him here? I want to see."

"As you wish."

After the girl said, a silhouette appeared behind her, tap tap the sound resound in the hall as something behind her start to moves. It was a boy which Runa knew.

"Good afternoon, Arata-kun." Deu said it as he looked at a boy behind the girl.

Runa opened both of her eyes wide in surprise. It wasn't just because Arata was there in such timing, it's just that his eyes are so lifeless, as if the boy before her was just a doll that resemble Arata.

"..."

Arata just stood there without answering Deu greetings.

"I am sorry Deu-sama, I'm still optimizing his characteristic through his memories. It shouldn't take that long until I'm done."

"I see, good work. How about the other three?"

"For now it's impossible to use mind control on them as their mental state was stable."

"I see."

After he said so, Due stood up from his seat using his staff as support. He walks to observe Arata.

"I see, even though he's dead. Except the eyes, nothing's changed."

Another statement shocked Runa who eavesdrop the conversation. The dangerous alert within her head has been ringing nonstop since she entered the church.

"Yes, because of my magic called Bind Soul I could keep his body healthy while taking control of his will."

"As expected of the Dark Grand Mage."

"Thank you very much."

After the girl said so, Arata move his head looking at empty space. Noticing this Deu and the girl start to wondering what Arata is doing. But, chill ran through Runa's whole body as her eyes met Arata. She was sure her Stealth skill was on.

(Is it my imagination?)

She thought, but she threw away that conclusion after confirming that Arata eyes are glued at her. Noticing something's wrong, the green-haired girl opened her mouth.

"Attack whoever you saw Arata!"

After that, Arata start to dashed to the empty space, at where Runa are. Arata used his Highspeed Movement that caught Runa off guard.

"It hit something!" said the green-haired girl with a surprised face.

Runa blocked the kick that Arata sent with both of her hands, but as expected she still received damage after taking the kick from another heroes. While enduring the pain from both of her hand, Runa tried to run thinking there's no need to fight here. She used her newly gained skill, it was the Shadow Manipulation.

A shadow surged from Arata's shadow, she didn't want to fight Arata here so she tried to restrict his movement with shadow confine. The shadow slowly surrounded Arata until he confined by the shadow. Thinking it was her chance, Runa dashed toward the entrance door to make her escape. Until,

"Arata, I allow you to use your Holy element."

Receiving the order, the shadow which is confining him broke into pieces just like a glass. Extraordinary light's gushed out of Arata's body, the light's filled the whole church hall and made the people there protected their eyes from the lights. The light's even erase the shadow that hid Runa's presence.

"Kh."

The lights already stopped as Runa let out a weird voice when she realized that her stealth's came off because of the light.

"Archer, Haruna. As expected you are dangerous."

*

Tap

The sound of a book that fell resounded inside the library, and because of that a certain girl body who's sleeping inside the library twitched in surprise.

".. Hmm?"

She looked around as she rubbed her eyes to clear her vision, she was searching for something but that something isn't there.

"Runa?"

She browsed her memory and tried to remember of what happened before she fell asleep.

"I see, I fell asleep. Maybe Runa already went to her room." she paused for a moment "I should do so."

she stood up from her seat and noticed that the book still piled up.

"That girl, even though I always remind her to clean up the book she read."

She takes the book one by one and return it to the shelf. After tidying the book for a while, she found something under the book.

"This is.."

She found a status plate, the name written on the plate was Haruna. But she doesn't look more than the name, because she think it was rude to peek into someone else status plate.

"Geez, that girl. Just how careless can she be."

She put the status plate on her pocket, she intends to give it back to her later. But first, she have to tidy the mess that Runa left first.

After she's done cleaning up the mess Runa left on the library, she decided to takes a detour to Runa room before she go back to her room. She wanted to return the status plate to her.

"But it was cold of her to just leave me there."

She pouted as she said so. She was walking at the corridor and on her way to Runa room while complaining.

"Isn't it fine to wake me up? She doesn't even wrap blanket on me... what if I get cold? I will complain for sure."

She reached her destination before she knew it, she complained all the time on her way so she doesn't realize it. She knocks the door few times but, there's no reply from inside.

"Did she already asleep?"

She said so as she grips the handle, and crackkk. The door opened,

"She doesn't even lock her room when she sleeps, I don't know she was this careless."

But another part of her realized something, does Runa was the kind of girl that does thing carelessly like this?

She entered the room, the room was dark and she cannot see Runa. She took a few steps closer to the bed to confirm if Runa's there. But, the bed was neat with no trace of being used. She touched the bed and confirmed that the bed is cold.

"She hasn't back?"

She walked out of the room while thinking where is Runa at this late. The only think she could think of to meet Runa was her room, library, and the training ground. So she was planning to the training ground but,

"Shizuku?"

It was a boy voice though the voice sounded strange. Shizuku looked at the source of the voice,

"Yamato? What's up, it's not like you to stay awake at this hour."

Yamato was the kind of people that's already on the bed at nine. He leads a healthy life of sleeping early and wake early, he usually spends the morning to exercise, and some muscle train. This explained his bear-like figure.

"Arata hasn't back since we go to the town."

Being told something like that, she can't help but shocked. This is her first time hearing this.

"What? Wait, how?"

"He suddenly disappeared when I help a troubled old man."

"Did you already told Brian and the knight division?"

"I did. And they're still searching through the town."

"I see."

Shizuku tried to think, is it a coincidence that Runa's gone too.

"Why did you not tell me about this matter?" Shizuku asked

"I couldn't find you anywhere.."

"It's odd."

"What is?"

Her feeling keep becoming even worser the more she thinks about it. Something definitely happen, Shizuku thought inside her head.

"Yamato, have you check the training ground?"

"I have. And there's no one." he paused for a moment "Come to think of it, why are you coming out from Haruna-san rooms?"

"It's because I'm searching for her."

"Did she disappeared too?"

"Yes, that's why it's odd."

She tried to think of place that's probably where Runa and Arata are. Leaving the town to the knight, the only place left for her to search was, the royal garden, the place limited to royalty, and lastly the church. Realizing this just make her feelings become even worse. Because, Runa keep talking about how fishy the church are,

"Could it be that gi-.."

Something stopped her before she finished line, a massive amount of magic and aura that's omitted from the main church direction stopped her. But the two who have fight alongside for a long time recognize the owner of the aura that's omitted from the main church.

"Arata.."