THE WHITE PRINCE

AS THE SUN SETS ON A HAZY AFTERNOON

THE BIRDS STARTED TO MAKE THEIR WAY HOME

THE BATS SQUEAKED AND EVERY PEST CRAWLED ON THE GROUND

SOON A LAYER OF MIST TOOK CHARGE OF THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS A RAINFOREST

LEAVING NO POSSIBILITY TO HAVE A CLEAR VISION

BUT STILL, A WHITE LIGHT STILL GLOWS

IF SOMEONE APPROACHES IT THEY WOULD SEE A VERY ELEGANT-LOOKING, TRADITIONALLY DRESSED, MAN. AS ONE COULD ONLY IMAGINE. HIS HAIR WAS AS WHITE AS MILK, AND AS LONG AS A HORSE'S MANE.

WHICH WERE FLOATING IN THE COLD BREEZE OF THE NIGHT. HE WORE A WHITE AND BLUE KIMONO DRESS. HIS DRESS ALSO HAD EMBROIDERED DRAGON-LOOKING DESIGNS STITCHED ON IT.

IN WHICH THE BLUE COLOR RESEMBLED THE SEAWATER.

IT WAS VERY STRANGE FOR A HUMAN TO PASS THROUGH THE GHOSTLY FOREST. BUT THAT WAS NO ORDINARY MAN. HE POSSESSED THE POWER OF ETERNAL PEACE WHICH GAVE HIM HIS GLOWING CHARMS.

HIS NAME WAS "ATAKINO KIMOWASHI". AND FROM THE WAY HE EXPRESSED HIMSELF, HE BELONGED TO A ROYAL FAMILY. THAT MAN WAS THE PRINCE OF A KINGDOM CALLED "MAHO NO KUNI".

WHICH MAY BE TRANSLATED FROM JAPANESE AS "MAGIC LAND"

KIMOWASHI'S LAST ENCOUNTER WAS WITH A WITCH CALLED "EDITH".

HER BEAUTY EXPRESSED ITSELF OUT OF THIS WORLD AND SHE USED HER TARGETS TO VANDALIZE THEM.

HER POWER ENHANCED HIS STRENGTHS. NO MYSTICAL SPECIE WAAS COMPETENT ENOUGH TO CHALLENGE THE GREAT KIMOWASHI.

THAT DAY WHEN HE WAS TRAVELING THROUGH THE DARK FOREST, HE GAZED UPON A MAGNIFICENT WORK OF NATURE, AS IN A RED VIXEN.

IT WAS PURE RED THAT STOLE THE SIGHT OF EVERYONE WHO GLANCED AT IT. KIMOWASHI WAS ALSO SPELLBOUND FOR A MOMENT.

HE ALSO STARTED WALKING TOWARDS HER. BUT A VERY WARMING VOICE WARNED HIM AT THE MOMENT.

IT WHISPERED :

"BEAUTY LIES IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER, BUT THE BEAUTY IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES IS JUST A MISGUIDANCE"

THE WARRIOR SHOUTED IN A VERY LOUD VOICE "STOP"

THE MAGICAL CREATURE STOPPED.

HE ASKED THE VIXEN "WHO ARE YOU?... WHAT ARE YOU?... AND WHERE WERE YOU TAKING ME?"

SHE HALTED FOR A MOMENT. THEN SHE GRACEFULLY WALKED BEHIND A LARGE TREE TRUNK, WHICH MADE KIMOWASHI THINK SHE WAS GOING TO ATTACK AFTER CONFUSING HIM.

BUT SHE CAME BACK FROM THE OTHER SIDE IN HER REAL APPEARANCE, THAT OF A DEMONESS.

SHE WAS KNOWN AS THE SOULLESS SUCCUBUS.

SHE GRINNED IN A VERY NAST AND UGLY WAY THAT WOULD MAKE YOU SPEW EVERY TIME YOU LOOKED

HER EYES GLIMMERED IN A CRIMSON-RED COLOR AS IF THERE WAS BLOOD HELD IN THEM.

ALSO, SHE WIELDED A POCKET KNIFE-TYPE OBJECT WHICH SHE LICKED CONTINUOUSLY.

KIMOWASHI WAS STAGGERED TO SEE THIS TRANSFORMATION PROCESS.

THE SUCCUBUS WAS READY TO STAB HIM WITH HER SENSE OF NARCISSISM.

BUT LITTLE DID SHE KNOW, THE PRINCE CHARGED AT HER WITH FULL FOCUS

HE USED HIS FIRST SPELL TO PROTECT HIS BODY FROM MELEE DAMAGE.

HE ALSO SUMMONED HIS SWORD OF HEAVENLY MAGIC.

THE DEMONESS QUICKLY DODGED AND CAST A SPELL OF GHOUL SHOCKWAVES.

THOSE SHOCKWAVES HAD ENOUGH STRENGTH TO PATRONIZE ANY TYPE OF CREATURE ONE COULD IMAGINE

BUT THE PROTECTION SPELL SAVED KIMOWASHI FROM IT.

ALTHOUGH HE WAS HURT HE SHOUTED AND CAST A SPELL CALLED WAVES OF WONDER.

THIS SPELL GAVE HIM THE POWER TO CONTROL THE WATER AROUND HIM.

AFTER A FEW MOMENTS WATER DROPLETS STARTED TO EMERGE FROM HIS CLOTHES. THEY WERE FLOATING AROUND HIM AND THE DRAGON EMBROIDERED ON HIS KIMONO ALSO HAD AN EYE OPEN. IT WAS BLUE.

FOR A WHILE THERE WAS PIN-DROP SILENCE AT THE SCENE.

BUT THE WARRIOR ROSE HIS HANDS TOWARD THE MIST AND THE MIST DISAPPEARED.

IN THIS WAY HE WAS ABLE TO SEE THE SUCCUBUS.

HE COMMANDED THE WATER TO HOLD HER IN ONE PLACE BUT SHE VANISHED IN THIN AIR.