69. OutMission (8)

69. OutMission (8)

Arthur, Cleos, and Mio was able to escape safely toward the Mountain Forest, ('its more like they let us go') Arthur thought ('but… why would they? Did they chase after Aria and Lex? Or they have other agenda? Kugh! I don't know! I don't understand!')

('I should believe in them, Aria was okay but…') he thought back ('Lex's state was a bit worrisome… Nah he's Lex he should be okay, yes he was dependable on a situation like this! I need to care about ourselves, for now, we might be more in danger than them…') when he thought that Arthur heard something

"Ku-ha!" Mio let out a pained voice, Arthur was shocked he quickly turned toward her and saw the culprit

"You let Max die!!!" it was Cleos who gripped Mio's clothes and pushed and slammed her body toward a tree, Cleos's eyes were filled with hatred while Mio still have lifeless eyes like before, she didn't even try to stop Cleos she accepted his anger.

"What are you doing!?" Arthur stepped out in the middle he held back Cleos' hand, he made Cleos release Mio

"What!" Cleos shouted back "it's me who should ask you! what are you doing!"

"I'm stopping you! what else?"

"Heh!" Cleos shrugged "don't act you didn't know anything, you must have thought the same! it's was her fault too! Aren't you!?" Cleos pointed toward Mio who still leaned toward the tree he slammed her at.

Arthur made an ugly face once he heard Cleos

Cleos continued "she was a 'Furuhashi!' they can see the future! She knew and she let Max die!!" Cleos roared

***

On Crimson Eagle

A few days had passed and Rae finally got permission to contact Vera Crimson directly, she made her way toward Vera as soon as possible, and now she stood in front of Vera's work desk inside her office.

Vera placed her hand on her forehead as she saw the report from Rae, Vera called her assistant, "checked if this credibility…" she said "no, capture Timat first and checked this again then sent reinforcement as soon as possible"

What Rae showed her was a report of Timat her colleague working in the Main Hall as a receptionist, and Timat was Max and Cleos party's receptionist, he was like Rae toward Mio and Lex.

"I'll give you a reward later," Vera said and she made a gesture for Rae to leave, usually she would have stepped out of the room by now, but this time was different, this time accident the party under her [Lex and Mio] was involved on the accident Rae herself didn't know the reason but she was quite attached toward them the party made of the worst one and two on the Crimson Eagle

"Is there anything else?" Vera asked when she noticed Rae still hadn't moved from her position

"Um…" she hesitated "should we tell her?" Rae said, what Rae means was Lex's master, there isn't one who didn't know who Lex master is… The Silent Witch, The Calamity, and Monster, even on this world full of Monster she was titled as Monster among Monsters, there are so many bad rumors about her, her infamous known the whole Hidden World. She too was shocked when she first came to know one of Crimson Eagle's Executives was that 'Silent Witch' and she was shocked again when she heard there's someone who had become her disciple. And again when she knew it was Lex, as a foe it was a frightening existence but as a friend, there's no one more dependable than her

"It's ok" Vera replied "she heard us"

"Eek!" Rae let out a small voice as she quickly blocked her mouth, even when she knew she was a friend, scary things were still scary, that was how infamous she is...

Vera chuckled at her reaction and "you can go now" she said before Rae left her office

***

Back to Lex's side

(If I was asked 'am I prepared for this world?' I would reply with I prepared with it)

(I knew that this world wasn't easy wasn't a game, if the one who died was someone else who is a stranger or someone I barely know, I believe I can stand up at once without being shaken to the core like this)

(But this time the one who died, the first person who died in front of my face was someone who I knew so well, you can even say it was my best friend)

(Can someone get used and prepared for something like this…?)

(If they can, then I really underestimated this world…, since the time Venti Crimson asked for our resolution before we passed that door to the Hidden World, my resolve was not enough… this world is harsh…)

(I was unable to do anything)

(Max died sacrificing himself to protect the others…)

(It's because I can't find the enemy presence that we got ambushed by them… that is my failure as a scout in this team)

(It's my fault that Max died)

(If I were the main protagonist of an Anime, this would be the time for me to awaken my hidden power and push through toward the enemy)

(But… I am not a protagonist of a story, in the first place it was my fault, am I even worthy to get angry…?)

(That time I saw his back, standing protecting all of us, I can't even call his name… no, I was disgusted to myself… somewhere inside me though I'm not worthy I don't want to stain his name… because it's my fault…)

Aria and Lex were able to escape too, Aria who coincidentally found a small cave pulled Lex to hide.

Aria's Ethereal body had back into her shadow, fortunately, they didn't encounter any other monster on the way, she looked into the surrounding of the cave too, to make sure there's nothing suspicious around them "Haa~ Haa~" she was breathing hard caused by a full sprint to escape from their enemy and the deadweight [Lex] that she need to take care of.

"Are you okay?" she asked once she was sure there's no pursuer nor anything strange like traps and monsters around the cave.

Lex who sat beside the wall while hugging one of his knees turned his face toward Aria for a second, before he turned down again "it's my fault…" Lex muttered again.

"Come on, Lex, we need to think how to escape from here," Aria said softly

Lex didn't react to her words, he keeps staring down as the last sunlight disappeared and the night has come

"There's no time to moping around like this, Lex" Aria said with a stronger tone, but Lex still didn't react to her

"Haa~" Aria sighed, As their eyes gradually get used to the darkness in the surrounding "I knew well how you feel right now Lex, but it's not the time for it, we and the others were in danger"

"It's my fault..." Lex said then he looked like he decided something "it was my fault we ended up in this situation" Lex then stood up, "I'll act as a decoy to give you all time to escape"

"What!?" Aria was shocked by that, Lex situation right now, was something that she experienced long ago in the past, but Lex didn't end up like her, she thought that Lex going to end up like her that she let him on his own, ('but this…') Aria thought "wait" she said as he pulled Lex back

"What are you doing?" Lex asked

"It's me who should have asked you that! What are you doing?" Aria replied no longer in her usual toneless tone, Lex and Aria herself didn't realize her changes in emotion.

"What? as I said I'll give you all time to escape" Lex replied indifferently

"Are you crazy?!" Aria bellowed

"Didn't you say you know what I'm feeling right now!" Lex said baited by Aria's tension "this is what I'm feeling right now! it's my fault so I'll take responsibility for it! So let me go!"

*slap

(!!??) Aria slapped Lex's cheek

"Have you woken up yet? Is this how You take responsibility? Then what? after you, we need to sacrifice ourselves one by one like that? Is that what you mean? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANTED!?" Aria glared right into Lex's clouded eyes, at first she said it calmly, but as she continue to speak her words her emotion got affected too

"I…" Lex was run out of words, that slap seriously woke him up (what… am… I... thinking…?) Lex thought back (how did I think something so extreme? But then…)

"What? can't say anything back? In the first place, as the leader, It's my responsibility! Not yours! I the one who held all your lives don't get conceited!"

"Then… THEN WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!?" Lex gritted his teeth strongly "I knew, I didn't have enough resolve when I first stepped into this Hidden World, but how am I supposed to do!? it's already in the past! This is the first time I saw someone die right in front of me, it was my friend! And I'm the cause of it!? Just… just what should I do…" Lex's voice become smaller and smaller as he said that

"Like I said! stop moping around!" Aria pushed Lex's body, Lex was not prepared by that, he fell to the ground, with Aria on top of him. Aria still glared at him not minding all the surrounding

"You said it yourselves isn't it? It's your fault, then prepare your next move!"

"That's! what I do not know!" Lex roared back, Lex tried to stand up, their forehead to strike each other, which resulted in Lex in sitting position with Aria on top of her, their face only have a few inches apart

"I didn't know you're this stupid!" Aria headbutts him back, which makes Lex fall back to the ground "they struck us! Then we have only one move ahead! We struck back! It's a REVENGE!" Aria said with eyes full of hatred

"….." Lex was run out of words once again, he was surprised, he had never thought about that not even once (why I hadn't thought something so simple!) Lex was stared at by Aria, her eyes full of hatred as if she was glaring at the enemy far away, her hatred so deep that it even consumed its surrounding, it was obvious she thought of something else when she said those words, it's wasn't the enemy they facing now.

Lex was attracted to those eyes, like a moth into a fire, his eyes too, affected and consumed by her hatred, started to filled with hatred "it's a REVENGE!" he said coldly