I Regret Challenging Them...

…

They went into the half-burned plains. Marco and Scias were not allowed to assist them in the battle, so they stayed from a distance and only watched.

Drugo tries to confirm once more, "I ask you girls one more time, are you truly serious in doing this? There's still time to rethink of your actions…"

"Unfortunately, no, I won't take back what I said earlier," Aily confidently said. Nina swung her cane and stands beside her little sister, "…And so do I." Nina added.

Nina and Aily stand ready. The cane and scepter versus the sword.

"So you're really serious about this, eh? Fair enough, I'll do the same, then," said Drugo assuredly as he pulled his sword and stands ready as well. "Don't say I didn't warn you two," He made his final caution. The twins nodded, saying that they won’t back down now.

"Well, then… here I COME!"

Drugo quickly dashed through the field in an insane speed, but his first move was to threaten the twin sisters. It's ineffective. Nina and Aily didn't quaver at all.

Seeing this, he leapt backwards three times. He then swings his sword for a brief time before towering it in front of his face. Aily felt that his attack could've been fatal should he successfully hit them. In case of that, she began casting out her highest support spell yet.

“Ironclad!”

Drugo got captivated. He saw the lady that he called as bad-mouthed had the ability to fortify her sister and herself. “High defense magic… trying to bash my sword into them would be retarded, huh?” Drugo thought to himself.

"An interesting magic you have there, but it won't scare me, little girl!" Drugo then sprinted while having his sword pointed forth into Aily. “Oh, geez, uncle, stop!” Marco shouted from the distance. But Scias quickly noted that Drugo is willing to make a harmless attack to her, judging by the way he’s holding his sword.

Instead of blocking the attack, Aily boosted herself, leaving her sister to greet his attack. Drugo is shocked even further by this brave act of hers, "You're one crazy girl to bump into me, HA!" Drugo swings his sword into Aily's left shoulder, Aily swivels her body and countered by elbowing the captain's arm.

"Argh!" Drugo bruised from Aily's physical attack. "Hoho… you got me, kid. That must be a fancy spell you've used... you can even smash my armpad... just, look at it! It's all bent!"

Aily then jumps back into her sister’s side, "I told you, I won't be scared of you!" Aily spins her scepter matching her sister's action. Together, they chanted out a big level magic.

“She had some serious physical strength thanks to her magic… since when defensive magic would be used as an offensive module?” Drugo mumbled to himself. “She also got some good measures in terms of combat ability… holding back was a terrible idea, what a retarded asshole I am,” he added. “And now what…? They’re preparing an elemental spell?”

"You may surrender if you want, Mr. Drugo. We won't stop this magic unless you decided to admit defeat!" Nina stated bravely. “Yeah! My sister’s magic is deadlier than you think!” Aily added boldly.

"Oh, you mages are really a pain to my arse," said Drugo. He then thought to himself again, “There’s only one way to deal with that spell… I got no choice but to do it!” The captain then brings forth his left hand, "I challenge you, I dare you two, dispatch that magic to me, I'll stop it before it even casted!" He said menacingly. Marco thinks that he know what will he do next.

Nina and Aily continues to empower their magic, during that period Drugo casted out a magic from his left hand.

“Periodical Silence!”

A thunderbolt charges at the twin sisters, just in a few seconds, their magic circle shatters like a broken glass.

"Whoa! Scias, did you see that?" Marco asked his buddy.

"U-Uhm... I saw it, p-pretty clear," Scias replied as he focused on the captain’s fight.

“Don’t lost focus now, Aily! Come on, let’s do it one more time!” Nina spiritedly told her sister to go again. “Okay!” Aily agreed and thus Nina and Aily tried to cast together again, but somehow, they couldn't chant their spell, no matter how hard they try to say even a single word. “Eh? W-What’s going on?!” Aily got confused. “D-Don’t tell me, this is…!” Nina then realized something.

"Heh, heh, heh… Periodical Silence, it's a perfect counter against you mages. It seals your vocal cords so that it won't be able to discharge any sound for some time," so said Drugo confidently.

Everyone knows that a mage who couldn't cast magic is literally nobody. Nina and Aily both are magic users. Being unable to cast magic is a supreme-level of pain. It's like being stripped of your mobilizing limbs, thus disabling you.

Scias changes his sitting position, "Hm… Drugo's magic only prevents t-theirs from being casted, but any magic that affects the user previously didn't disappear. Like Aily' Ironclad, for example..." He calmly explained. “Talking about magic… your uncle is not an elementalist, r-right…?” Scias then asked.

“Hm-hm, that’s right. He’s not an elementalist,” Marco answered confirming Scias’ curiosity.

Unlike Marco and mostly other Aredanians, Drugo isn't an elementalist, but he's capable of support magic that causes de-buff on his opponents. Like the Periodical Silence spell he did, it prevents someone's vocal cord from chanting out a magic spell.

Drugo confidently felt that victory is already at hand, he then charges at the twin sisters at high speed, "You're down, kiddos!" Drugo swings his sword sideways directly towards Nina and Aily, "Oh, fridges! Dammit, he's gonna tore through Aily! OH, SHITE!” said Marco panicked.

*THWANG*

"WHAT THE?!" Drugo got extremely shocked that his sword was parried by Aily's 'iron fist'. She then grunts angrily and began to bend over his blade. "Marco… Marco said to me once… that if you underestimate someone… that’s when THEY’LL LOSE!!!” Aily forcefully bends Drugo’s blade savagely.

"OOOHHHH!!! STOP IT YOU RETARDED WOMAN! NOOOO! Stop, don't do that! This is a limited edition blade! STOP!" Drugo tried to convince Aily to stop, but she's already consumed in anger. Gladly, Nina managed to stop her rage and halted the bending process. But unfortunately…

…Drugo’s blade is history.

Scias and Marco sighed in relief. “Oh, man! Good thing it’s just his sword… just imagine if it’s his arm… our journey would be as good as cancelled. Nobody else aside Drugo may commandeer the ship,”

Drugo stared at his poor sword for a while. His blade now shaped like an L-form. He stared at his sword in silence. His eyes are shedding tears, though. Aily apologized to him, followed by her sister. “Mr. Drugo… I’m so sorry, I got carried away. I didn’t mean to break your sword…”

Drugo then releases an elongated sigh. He raises his face and smiles widely. He then speaks out, "Bah, it's alright. It was my bad, anyway. I also got too carried away whenever facing a mage or elementalist. It's me who was supposed to say sorry, only god knows what will happen if you didn't cast that fancy spell of yours,"

“We’re really sorry! You must be treasuring that sword a lot, don’t you?” Nina asked politely.

“*Sob* Hm? What are you spewing? *Sob* I don’t treasure THIS!” he forced his smile, unaware that tears still run down his face.

“You do treasure it. I mean… you’re crying!” Aily stated.

“Uwah! I’m… I’m not crying! You are! Dammit, last night onions’ is affecting my eyes now… grrr!!!” Drugo attempted to brush his tears off. “Don’t you worry, that sword is expendable as many swords are! *sob*!”

“But your sword… wasn’t it a ‘limited edition blade’?” Aily asked again.

“Oh, this? HMP!” Drugo threw away his sword as far as possible.

“Don’t you worry, it’s just a mere sword, it can be replaced,” Drugo waved his palm saying that it’s okay. Though, his slightly limped voice betrayed his words. "Geez… just great, yeah really great… I guess I'm gonna get a new sword. That sword is rusted out, anyway," He then walked a bit to the left.

"So…?"

"Huh? Oh… you two are qualified," He announced casually.

“R-Really?!” Aily asked unbelieving. “Yes, Yes, and Yes. Don’t make me repeat it again, lest make me look like a real retard,”

Reticence. A few moments later, a shout was heard.

"YAAAAY! We did it, sis! We've beaten a tough swordsman!" Aily shouted in happiness. Nina smiled back at her happy sister and hugged her tightly.

“Well, you look at that, dude. I bet Nina's feeling pretty bad for doing nothing in the fight but still got qualified anyway,” said Marco as he nudges Scias.

“That’s when you should say: Oh, sweet Alabama,” Scias replied softly.

“Dude, that has a different meaning,” said Marco to his offhanded buddy.

Drugo saunters into the plains. Marco and Scias went near him and Marco then whispers, "Psst, uncle?" His uncle quickly denied his call, "Don't say a word now, Marco. I felt kind of disturbed by your iron-handed friend,"

"O-Oh," Marco instantly stopped his step, so does Scias. Amidst of his walking, Drugo halted for a moment and gave a sentence to his nephew:

"Marco, my boy… If you truly going to 'marry' her in the future, I believe 100% that your kids will be super-strong, Marco, he-he-he,"

"H-Haaaaah?! Uncle, are you playing stupid jokes again, uncle Drugo? Yeah, greatly made, man,"

Scias bursts into laughter, but he tries his best to hide it. "Brrpfft! ku-ku-ku…" Scias' laughter can be heard to Marco’s ears. “Yeah, very funny, Scias,”

Drugo then turned around and goes closer to his nephew, "I'm serious, Marco. That girl has a hopeful shine in her eyes, yet a dim darkness that glooms within her sclera could rip your soul to bits," Drugo explained horrifyingly.

"She's inexplicably powerful… and she speaks your name highly, you know that? I believe in the distant future, I’ll see you two being lovers to one another," he conveyed with a smug face while patting Marco’s shoulder.

"Uncle… she’s only fourteen. I’m seventeen as today. Not interested,” Marco stated casually.

"Not interested, huh?” he cringed.

“Anyway… now that I allow them into the adventure, I recommend you prepare your equipment before the due date. Train yourself if you have to, one month from now. Because our ride won't be an easy one, and there's not a single explorer that can cover your arse anymore, Marco,” Drugo explained seriously.

“Hm, you got it, uncle,” Marco set his uncle into rest-assured. His uncle crouches and smiles to his nephew, “Very well, then… I’ll see ya in that time,”

Drugo then walks away, leaving the two. After a moment, Nina and Aily rejoined Marco and Scias in the field, "Hey, hey, Marco, why did you leave us behind?" Aily asked.

"Huh? Oh… there’s something that I've to ask personally to my uncle," said Marco casually.

"I see, no wonder you went after him as soon as he left us both," Nina stated.

Marco got curious about what his uncle said about Aily. He then took a little sight to Aily's eyes… But only a heave of misunderstanding he gets, “Huh… What does the 'hopeful shine and gloomy darkness' in her eyes meant to be?” He wondered in his mind.

Unknown to him, Aily blushed in embarrassment for being stared at for a couple seconds. Scias called Marco a bunch of times but he didn’t respond.

"Well, well! Marco, now you have a habit of staring into my sister's face?" Nina asked. Her voice shocked Marco’s focused eyes.

"HAH?! Uwah! N-No, d-don't get the wrong idea, Nina. Ehehehe~" said Marco avoiding her blame while rubbing the back of his head.

Aily turned her face around and ducked. Her face blushed in peach red.