Chapter 26: Betrayal (Part 2)

Sona: "So this golden fish is a psychic?"

She looks at the golden fish while asking me.

Kais: "Yeah, it is."

Fish: "Yes, I am."

With a startled expression, she asks,

Sona: "Wait, did I just hear two voices!?"

Kais: "Yeah, well, one advantage it has for being a psychic is that it can communicate its thoughts telepathically."

I try to explain it to her but I wouldn't be surprised if she remains confused about it. I still have a hard time believing it myself. It completely makes sense in theory, but seeing something like this in reality is just weird.

Sona: "I see. Well, that explains things."

However, after listening to my explanation, she seems to have no problem taking it as it is. She nods and turns to look at the fish. Seriously, you can accept this that easily? Is it just me who thinks this is weird?

Sona: "Anyway, I need the help of the pond for myself but first tell me what you want with it?"

Kais: "Well, would you mind explaining what you are to this lady?"

I try to talk as politely as I can to the fish. It will really help if it doesn't go on a fit because of some word I say not being to its liking.

Fish: "Are you trying to mock me with that tone?"

Well, would you look at that?

Kais: "I was just trying to be polite."

Fish: "Which is why I think you are mocking me."

Kais: "So you don't want me to be polite to you."

Fish: "Tch!"

It was damaging my earlobes earlier because I wasn't showing respect to it even though it's an old hag and I am just 20. So now what's the problem?

Fish: "Huh! Anyway, let's get back to business."

Yeah, thanks!

Fish: "Huh? What the hell are you sighing for?"

Kais: "Now I can't even sigh?"

I apparently sighed without noticing and that also somehow hurt its feelings. Is this why old-age is called second childhood?

I notice Sona getting annoyed and sighing.

Sona: "Hey, can we start talking about the important stuff here?"

Fish: "What do you mean, woman? Are you trying to say this conversation we are having right now is not …"

Sona: "Not important, not in the slightest!"

She says while glaring at the fish with murderous intent in her eyes. The fish shuts up immediately.

Sona: "So, the question was – 'who are you?' answer it."

Sona says as if giving a command and the fish immediately starts talking.

Fish: "R-right. I am an archive created by Ozyllus to store all the records of his time."

Its behavior sure changed with that one glare, not that I can't understand why.

Sona: "That's a lot of information to store then."

Fish: "Yes, since I was made into a psychic, my brain capacity was unlocked further than any fish generally has and so I was unable to store all the information without any problems."

Sona: "I see."

The sudden change in its attitude is understandable and I am thankful to Sona for it. But seeing that glare is something I can't be too comfortable about. Sona may again become an enemy due to circumstances. If there does come a time where we have to fight, I doubt I will be able to think straight after seeing that murderous intent of her. This is why; I asked her back then who would win if we fight. Her answer was that she would win. If she thinks that, then she wouldn't be that suspicious of me. If she thinks I am somehow more likely to defeat her, she would try to examine my every step carefully. But since that's not the case, I would be able to deceive her if needs be.

Sona: "You have been uncomfortably quiet for a while."

I realize she is talking to me.

Kais: "Well, there's nothing I want to say between the explanations. My problem comes after that."

Sona narrows her eyes as I continue,

Kais: "I really need to find out more about a lot of things, but spiritual energy is needed to access the archive in its brain."

Fish: "Would you mind calling me 'she' instead of 'it'?"

It … she told me in a threatening tone. From what I can tell, she didn't say this to Sona. Since she is talking telepathically, she can decide to just talk to one person and if the other is not a psychic, they would have no way to listen in. I guess she is genuinely scared of Sona, isn't she?

Sona: "Well, I don't get it."

She says in a sighing voice.

Kais: "Oh, which part?"

Sona: "No, I understood all the things you guys told me. But I don't understand why spiritual energy would be needed to access an archive that is completely psychic in every way."

Oh, that. Our feelings are mutual there.

Kais: "Yeah, I don't understand it either but that's what it … she says."

Without paying any mind to that pronoun correction, Sona looks at the fish and sighs.

Sona: "Well, I guess I can help you access the archive. After all, now that I have a chance, I too want to find out about some things."

Okay, that helps. I didn't want to try to force her to do this, I am pretty sure I won't be able to. And if I act in a suspicious way, maybe she'd end up seeing through my bluff of having remembered her.

Sona: "Okay then. What am I to do with spiritual energy?"

Fish: "You'll just have to start filling this pond with it so that it can counter-balance the psychic energy already present in the pond."

Sona: "That means half of the pond, right? That would be a lot of spiritual energy."

Fish: "No, it's not half. I don't know the exact composition needed to counter-balance the energy but it has something to do with spiritual energy being denser than psychic energy or something like that. I would know when we reach the desirable composition, but I can guarantee it's much less than half."

Sona: "Hmm … well, let's hope what I have is enough."

Sona agrees to it and puts her hand in the pond. I guess she would need to do that to transfer the spiritual energy. I try to leave her be for now as I don't want to accidentally say anything that may arouse her suspicion.

Since I am trying to deceive her into thinking that I remember her, every time anything happens that may mean she has seen through my bluff, it makes me really nervous. Back when we were coming here, she was suspicious of me the whole time which had made me nervous, but when I couldn't sense a lie in her saying 'she can't believe me just because we used to be friends', I became relieved. Now that I think about it, I could sense confusion in her aura too. Maybe it was because I wasn't completely able to stop my expressions from being shown on my face and she didn't understand why I was relieved on hearing something like she can't trust me. Yeah, that's pretty logical. Now that I think about it, what the hell was I doing? How can I just let those emotions show on my face like that?

???: "I see someone is trying to find the secrets of his predecessor, huh?"

As soon as we hear that voice, both of us recognize it. Damn it all! Since Sona agreed to help so easily, I dropped my guard a little too much. I should have kept using Aura Reading. Now, it's already too late.

Sona: "Bastard! You are here too!?"

The one person who may end up making her loose all rationale steps out of the forest into the clearing.

Dragon: "Yeah, I am here alright."

With arms widened, he says while smirking.

Fish: "Well, that reaction is certainly something. What's the deal here?"

Dragon: "Nothing really."

He sighs and,

Dragon: "I just came here to tell you two, something about the archives."

Our glares ask the question, "What's that?"

Dragon: "The archives don't really hold every single truth. The words of the archive are mixed with lies."

Fish: "What? Are you trying to …?"

That … is … true.

Dragon: "Before you say anything to me, why don't you ask him?"

Their eyes turn towards me. I can sense Sona being confused and worried right now.

Sona: "What's with you?"

I think she is saying that to me. Maybe I have a stupid expression on my face, but I can't even think about it. Because at this moment, I, who had activated Aura Reading in order to grasp the dragon's emotions while he talks, felt no lie in his words.

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His lies are exposed. For the first time ever, his faithful dragon servant has betrayed him. He is no longer the noble godly figure in the eyes of the psychic whose mind he is in. And so,

Ozyllus: "No! No! You bastard!!"

He abuses the dragon.

Ozyllus: "You'll die the most pathetic death there has ever been."

He curses him.

Ozyllus: "And I'll make you pay for this before that happens."

He threatens him.

But nothing he can do will stop his exit from The Cage from closing.

Ozyllus: "No, Kais, don't listen to him. Don't believe that bastard's words."

Abyss: "Shut up, will you?"

Ozyllus: "Huh?"

Abyss: "You do know Kais is a psychic, don't you? Even if your voice somehow reaches him, he would still know whether you are lying or not."

The demon says as a smile starts appearing on his face.

Ozyllus: "Damn!"

Ozyllus clicks his tongue, which he is unable to do because of not having a physical body. He looks at the exit, the faint light coming from outside of The Cage closing faster than he could reach there. He sees this scene which is the proof of his life's work being crumbled before his eyes, all because of one betrayal.

Abyss: "Well Ozyllus,"

Ozyllus looks at the demon Abyss with rage clear on his face.

Abyss: "It's time for the 'god' to learn what humanity is capable of."

Ironically enough, the humanity Abyss speaks off is coming from a dragon that caused humanity only harm before he met Ozyllus.

Thinking about that, Abyss' smile only widens.

Abyss: "Well Kais,"

He says to someone who wouldn't even hear him, but that doesn't bother him.

Abyss: "time to become the hero of this story,"

He continues on as the last glint of light fades away,

Abyss: "the story of which the villain is god himself."

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