Episode 18

[ ~ Chapter • Start ~ ]

{ A few hours later.... At night.... }

Inside a large building in the underground town of Custom, a party had been held for Rance's great achievements in a span of a few days.

The music that was heard all around the room were played by none other than Chisa and Gazel Gode assisted by a few musicians, that kept the mood of the party at its best.

One of those were the quick rescue of the four witches, several girls kidnapped by them, him and Sill assisting in the reconstruction of Custom, and a few small things they've done.

Both of them were located in the middle of the room, as Sill dutifully put wine on his glass.

He had dressed himself appropriately, by that, he meant not wearing his coat at this party and only wearing his buttoned up shirt, green pants, and tie.

While he drank on the wine on the glass, a few people approached him. They were Maria, Ran, and Shizuka. Like almost everyone else, they were dressed appropriately.

"You said you have something to tell us, right?" Maria spoke, while he took another sip from his wine and glanced around the several people that attended said party.

"It's about Ragisis. He's possessed Chisa Gode quite effectively, even acted as her without making anybody suspect a thing normally." When Rance said this, Shizuka took a step forward and almost wanted to shout at him, yet she was stopped from doing so by Rance putting his finger on her lips.

"Ah, ah, ah. He might hear you scream and would suspect us trying to plot against him one last time."

The green haired girl only grumbled, crossing her arms and looking away from him. Her face was a little red, maybe she's a little drunk?

"Um.... so what's the plan?"

"The plan? It's the Phil Rings. I'll just casually give them back to Chisa."

Elenoir and Shizuka looked at me as if I was an idiot, and Maria looked like she considered that plan a good one.

Elenoir, who was shy from just recently, had suddenly become serious, though after another second, she considered allowing Rance to launch that plan.

He's powerful, way more powerful than Shizuka ever was, and they were confident he could defeat Ragisis.

And then, the party went on as usual. Rance casually flirted with three of the four witches of Custom while his popularity began to grow around the town.

On another part of the room, Chisa had stopped playing her violin.

"My daughter, what's wrong?" Gazel asked, as his daughter gave him a gentle smile.

"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to the town's hero, who surprisingly done so much in just a few days."

His daughter had replied to him, and he didn't have to think about not letting her with the man who just saved their town so he let her do what she wanted.

After putting aside her musical instruments, Chisa began to walk towards Rance, without her noticing that Maria and the others were watching her movements.

When she was close enough, she gathered her wits.

"Umm.... Sir Rance?"

"Yeah?"

Rance turned around to face her, as one of his hands were on his pocket, shuffling around as if to take something inside it.

"I'd like to thank-"

".... About that, you don't need to say such a thing in front of me. Besides, me and Sill will have to leave this town in under a week now that our job is done. Sorry for being a little rude. Anyways..."

Rance took out the four Phil Rings and put them on Chisa's hand, gaining a reaction of surprise from her.

"I figured these were of no use to me, so I'll just give these to you."

Chisa, as if possessed by something, greedily took the rings with a crooked smile not normally seen on her face. Yet, she hesitated for a moment.

"Uh, I have to go to the bathroom!" Chisa spoke, shaking her head and immediately walking out of the building, even though there's a bathroom inside it.

That was the cue where Rance, along with Sill and three of the four witches, had begun to follow Chisa.

Sill looked at Rance with a worried expression. Chisa was being possessed all this time? Technically that is the case here.

".... Don't look at me like that, we'll definitely get Ragisis and save Chisa immediately."

For several minutes, Rance kept a good enough distance away from Chisa while following her and preparing for the final battle, until they were outside the cavern and under the waning crescent moon's light.

When they arrived there, they all heard crazed laughter coming from Chisa, even though her voice is distorted or there were two voices coming from her.

"Ah.... I never thought that was easy. At long last, I have all four Phil Rings, on my hand! The world will soon be mine.... mine!"

Chisa(?) had begun to put all four of the Phil Rings on her fingers, as when she wore all four of them, the gems on the rings began to shine brightly. Her power begins to rise, yet....

An ethereal glow came from her, and someone was manifesting right behind her. If Rance looked closely, the rings Chisa wore were gone.

The one who manifested was none other than Ragisis whom became more attuned to the physical world, as Chisa's body fell down to the sandy ground, unconscious.

Ragisis was about to gloat about this achievement, when Rance and his party approached him.

"Now what do we have here?"

[ ~ Chapter • End ~ ]

Commentary: Big battle next chapter. Rance won't be participating much tho.