( 4 Days Ago. )
[ Thorned Mountains' Fortress, the place of the 'Kagimushi Cocoon'. ]
At that time, Shiro is still inside the cocoon, fainted.
Near him, is the Black Merchant who used his Elixirs, Potions, Pills, and everything he had to rejuvenate Shiro as soon as possible.
" If this product succeeds, then perhaps I could use my 'customers' to spread the word about it. "
" Who knows, perhaps the guys on Westerios would like the taste of Easterion's medicines? " Black Merchant says this as he finishes his notes, continuing on a large canvas he put on the nearby wall, for no reason.
* Black Merchant bites his finger. *
As he bites it, blood comes out, he begins to draw something with his own finger's blood, drawing many things, a three-headed dragon, a fox with peacock wings, a huge monstrous insect with spider legs, and a koi fish.
" Seriously, can't that be more abstracted? " a voice calls the Merchant, stopping him from painting further.
" To think you're the one who will recover first? " the Merchant asks, while his head still sees his painting.
" I see you had talent in art. " Azi Dahaka's mouth shows up in Shiro's forehead, followed by his eyes.
" To think you had so much talent, it made me intrigued... " Azi Dahaka grins.
" Was this 'System', inside the brat's body, yours? " Azi Dahaka asks, while the Black Merchant pauses his painting again.
" And here I thought you're that smart? " Black Merchant asks him back, finally rolling half of his head back a bit, showing his right eye.
" You knew I've learned so many things... "
" Even before 'Ragnarok'... " Black Merchant stops, he immediately covers the painting with a large sheet nearby.
" The painting must be ready if you immediately covered it... "
" Does your blood dry that quickly, wonder what it will look like? "
" You will see it if you have time. "
" As long as you within that boy, though... "
" But, we all know that is not your true intention, right? " Black Merchant asks.
" That depends on the brat's value in my eyes. " Azi Dahaka replies and states what he will do to Shiro afterward.
" If he's good then I will use him as long as it lasts. "
" Besides, aside from the Brat. "
" Your paintings? "
" I see you draw some certain beasts, The three-headed Dragon is me, and the fox with peacock-like wings is definitely that Chimera girl. "
" The other two, are something that I'll find out later, but all of the three will fight me, is it what that means? "
" You haven't seen the full picture, there's four of them. "
" One happened to get covered so fast, even you may not see what it looks like. "
" Hmph, really? " Azi Dahaka chuckles to hear it.
" So what if there's four, none of them will survive. "
" But still, I believe I knew what the first three pictures that I saw meant, perhaps those you predict could defeat me? " Azi Dahaka asks the Black Merchant while the Merchant responds only with silence.
" Hahaha..., so which one of them you root for doing so, Merchant? "
" Is it the Fox? "
" Is it the Insect one? "
" Or perhaps the giant goldfish? "
Azi Dahaka asks it and laughs, Black Merchant responds by shaking his head when he hears it and...
" I hope it would be easy for you, Azi Dahaka... "
" For I'm disappointed. "
" After all... " Black Merchant looks at Azi Dahaka's eyes and mouth appears around Shiro's forehead.
" I thought you already knew the answer. "
...
( Present time. )
" So, you're telling me, the Black Merchant can make all of this by himself? " Shiro asks Azi Dahaka, whose eyes and mouth are still appearing in the forehead.
" He can, for he knows the way. "
" That guy had been gathering many things for a man, many things from time to time. " Azi Dahaka explains.
" But still, after all this time, he refuses to face me head-on, in my peak self. "
" Hence he thinks he could just walk around while my very presence had not disappeared from this world. "
" Is he that strong? " Shiro asks Azi Dahaka, interrupting him.
" Who knows? he's quite a careful one... " Azi Dahaka says this, remembering what happened four days ago, after their conversation.
He warns the Black Merchant to not intervene in his matters or even the matters of the world of Beasts, the Chimeras, telling him to stay out of the way or else Shiro's life will be at stake.
" Do not worry. " Black Merchant replies at the moment.
" I had no interest in intervening in the current stage of things, for I'm not even part of its main casts. "
" My interest is on my Subject here, the one you're in. "
" I had businesses, with him. " Black Merchant tells Azi Dahaka.
As Azi Dahaka remembers, he chuckles as he tells Shiro that the Black Merchant simply helped him with his goals, whatever it is.
" Whatever it is, I could think of that later. "
" For I'll already make sure to use a 'Binding Vow' with him, with you as my hostage, to prevent him moving too much behind the scenes. "
" Making him unable to help or support you directly, from now on. " Azi Dahaka chuckles about it, telling Shiro that he will never reap the System's rewards, the rewards were from the Black Merchant, something that Shiro couldn't obtain due to the 'Vow'.
" I see, so you cut the way to obtain my gifts? " Shiro understands it, grumbles.
" Of course, kid... "
" For I'll make sure to not let that Black Merchant do what he wants... "
" Until I recover myself from this, I'll make sure to show the world their True Chimera Master. "
" Both Easterion and Westerios would trample under my feet, like those who fought me before. "
" Including your..., Chimera Master, Yakujin. "
" That Fox... "
" Who boasts herself, along with others with the titles that were never theirs from the start. "
" What do you mean, by that? " Shiro asks again.
" Isn't that obvious, brat? "
" Even during my death, I never once, inherited to any being that very title. "
" Now, in present times, many beings somehow used it out of nowhere without my consent. "
" With the most recent peak of it is none other than your dear Master herself. " Azi Dahaka says it, as he chuckles.
" Once I take full hold of you, I'll promise to make an example out of her. Hahahaha! "
" The System will inform you after this in it's [Archive], goodbye. " Azi Dahaka says this as his voice disappears, his mouth, and eyes disappear from Shiro's forehead, retracting, returning Shiro's forehead to normal again.
" Oh my, this... is bad. "
____________
Extra:
< [Archive: Azi Dahaka's Binding Vow] >
Azi Dahaka's Binding Vow with Black Merchant:
Pact:
- Black Merchant must not directly or indirectly help/support Shiro anymore, not while he had Azi Dahaka within.
- If the Black Merchant obeys the Vow's pact, Azi Dahaka will make sure nothing happens to Shiro in dangerous times, doing so by Switching Places with him.
- When Azi Dahaka says the word 'Reave', he will take full control over Shiro's body for around ten minutes, with the cost of him being unable to damage Shiro's companion in the contracted time.
Results:
- Shiro can't accept his obtained EXPs or Rewards, but for the Rewards, the System can still help nullify some of the Vow's effects.
- Shiro's fate is in Azi Dahaka's favor over him.