"Whoa, look at this over here, Ae-Ri!" Minsu gasped as he hurried over to a flock of birds sitting upon a tree inside ax exhibit.
Ae-Ri looked over to where her brother ran off toward, following behind him to look at the flock of birds as well, using her phone to take a picture of them. Do-hari and I stood behind them, watching over the two as they traversed the Dong-ga Zoo with eagerness.
I decided to treat the three to an actual outing after training Woo-Chi, my Spirit leading me to the heart of the small city of Dong-ga. I held Do-hari's hand as I walked beside her, her hand giving mine a gentle squeeze to make sure I was still with her.
"It's nice of you to take my children out like this. It's not everyday we go out like this, especially not out in the open. Eomma isn't exactly keen on us being out in the open, especially with our history with Manaport," Do-hari said, looking up at me with a warm smile.
I hummed softly at her words, turning my gaze to look at her and returned her smile. "Well, even people like you need rest and recreation once in a while. It's not good to always stick to yourself all day."
Do-hari's eyes flickered with joy from my words, a deep, peaceful exhale escaping from her nose as she looked ahead to see Ae-Ri and Minsu looking at the koi fish in the water. "I wish I could help my Oppa know that, but Nam-Sun hasn't really been the same since Nam-Suk..."
"Keep steady in your faith that my Father's will be done in Nam-Sun. This is just one of many storms He shall calm in your lives, but remember each season is allowed to build you into who you truly are within," I said, gently letting go of Do-hari's hand then walked ahead toward the railings of the pond.
"I want Nam-Sun to come to me as I know he's weary, tired, and still lost. Just as I've come to you all, I want my sheep to flock to me as well," I said, looking down at Minsu and Ae-Ri, noticing them looking up at me with a happy smile.
Do-hari smiled at my words, walking over to me and patting my back before walking ahead. "Your sheep? So we're just little lambs in your eyes?"
"I am a lamb in the eyes of my Father, so it is natural I see you all as my flock as well," I chuckled, getting off the railings and looked over at Do-hari, watching her walk ahead.
I took the hands of Minsu and Ae-Ri gently, following behind Do-hari quickly with the two of them letting out happy giggles while they followed beside me with quick steps. The four of us began to make our way back to the parking lot to continue our outing, our next stop being to an amusement park.
Once we made it to the amusement park and found our parking spot, I stepped out of the driver's side and opened the doors for the others, letting them out. Looking around the parking lot, I began to notice three familiar faces and a smile formed on my face.
"Well, well! I didn't think I would run into you all again!" I called out to the three, waving my hand to grab their attentions.
The first male, John the Beloved, turned his head at the sound of my voice, his eyes widening at the sight of me then he began to quickly tug on the sleeve of his brother. "James, James! I told you he was here! Look!"
James turned around at the sound of his brother's excitement, his gaze finding me and began to study my appearance. Noticing my all white attire and a dove perched upon my shoulder, the realization hit him and he froze in place.
"Is that really Exzodia's Savior? The one Yochanan the Evangelist told us about?" James asked, looking over at his brother and his friend beside him.
James and John's friend, Xavier, turned over to look at me and immediately recognized me then snapped his finger. "Oh yeah, that is him and his Valkyrian love. I guess he finally got some time to take her out huh?"
John hurried over toward me with his amazing speed, stopping in front of me and gave me a great smile. "It's been a few days since we last met!"
"Since the day you led me to Seolhart, I remember that well. How have you been over the days?" I asked, curious over John's wellbeing.
"Everything has been well with me. I'm still following in the path of my descendant of spreading the Gospels around Seolhart. St. Goken Academy has to be out biggest challenge yet though," John said, crossing his arms and letting out a soft exhale.
"Apparently, the Overseer is doing some weird stuff around the academy that flies even under Kaguya's nose. Even stepping into those classrooms feel weird," Xavier added, walking toward us with his hands in his pockets. "Also, hi Do-hari."
"Annyeong, Xaiver," Do-hari greeted back with a smile, waving politely at him. "Gloria didn't join you guys today?"
"Ha! This is a Boys Day Out, Gloria is with her homegirl, Dong-hee. I'm sure they are 100% fine and not doing some unusual shenanigans. God, keep your eyes on them..." Xavier said, rubbing the back of his head at the thought of his girlfriend and her best friend getting into trouble.
"I'm sure they are just fine. I know my sister," Do-hari said with a giggle, looking away to quickly check her phone to see if any alerts had come around.
Dong-hee felt her phone buzzing in her back pocket as she ran on the treadmill as Gloria screamed motivational words in her ear. She began to grow annoyed with Gloria, shoving her face back then grabbed her phone from her back pocket to see Do-hari had texted her.
〘Do-hari (Do-Do): Dong-hee, where are you right now!!!??? Xavier just said you and Gloria are together, UN-SUPER-VISED!!〙
〘Dong-hee (Cloud Girlie): I am at our gym, and yeah I'm starting to see why Xavier always joins us. I'm getting ready to chokeslam this girl as she keeps screaming in my ear!!!〙
〘Do-hari: Oh...okay, okay... Mianhae...(;_;)/~~~〙
"Hey!" Gloria called out, pressing the stop button on the treadmill and caused Dong-hee to lose her footing then caught her by the collar. "Shove me like that again and we're going in the ring!"
Dong-hee scoffed at Gloria and swiped Gloria's hand away then walked off the treadmill and wiped her sweat with her towel with soft pants. "You're the one screaming in my ear that nonsense! If anything, I have all rights to walk you down!"
The people of the gym looked over at Gloria and Dong-hee, listening to them bicker with one another in the aisle. A few of them began to walk away to find another exercise away from the commotion, wanting to seek peace instead of the usual chaos near the two women.
Do-hari let out a soft sigh as she confirmed the two were okay, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the peace between the women would soon dissolve into their usual chaotic antics. 'God, can my family have one normal day..?'
Each of us began to make our way into the amusement park, John leading the group to some of his favorite rides in the park. Most of the rides he took us to were rides that even Ae-Ri and Minsu could enjoy, ensuring they weren't left behind on the fun.
With each ride we went on, every cheer, laugh, and squeal, the time ticked by without us realizing. The longer we spent together at the park, the more Ae-Ri and Minsu saw John, James, and Xaiver as spiritual uncles, the two of them enjoying their presence by the second.
John made his way toward a cotton candy stand, grabbing two sticks of cotton candy then walked over to me, Do-hari, Ae-Ri, and Minsu. "Lord Nox, I want you and your fiancee to have these as a thank you for the amazing day!"
I smiled at John and accepted the sticks of cotton candy then handed one of them to Ae-Ri and Minsu, letting out a soft hum. "I did nothing but join you while you led us around the entire park. You set a good example for the children to be the Light and Salt of the world."
John smiled at my subtle praise and looked down at the two children, slipping his hands into his pockets. "I only do what I have learned in The Biblos and The Chronicles. I know my light is not my own but comes from a light that shines even brighter than mine."
I chuckled softly at John and looked over at him, placing my hand upon his shoulder. "Through Him, you showed Ae-Ri and Minsu what it means to be Ascean at an early age. Just as easy as it was to show them, it will be even easier through Yesha to guide St. Goken Academy back to the light."
Do-hari watched my interaction with John, her eyes seeing the Apostle John and a divine light while still seeing me and the Beloved John. She looked down at her children, noticing small Holy Embers glowing upon their chests. She smiled warmly at them, turning her gaze back toward us.
"I can't believe it's already 3:30 PM, it was just 12:20 PM when we got here! Time does fly when you're having fun huh?" James asked with a light chuckle, stretching his arms and letting out a light grunt.
"That is true, plus we were able to spend those three hours with Exzodia's Savior. Man, imagine the faces of our classmates when they hear Ascea likes rollercoasters," Xavier said with a light laugh, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets.
"Samchon Xavier!" Minsu called out to Xavier, a curious gaze growing upon his face.
Xavier looked down at Minsu then crouched down in front of him with a smile. "Yo, what's up little man?"
"Do you know Samchon Nam-Sun? He's a Detective and works at the Bulan Police Station! Do you know him?" Minsu asked with a hopefully light glimmering in his eyes.
Xavier let out a soft chuckle and looked up at Do-hari, seeing her unsure expression then looked back down at Minsu. "Yeah, I know him. My older brother is friends with him. Why?"
"We saw his crush here at the amusement park. Miss Jae-in," Ae-Ri said with a quieter tone, pushing her glasses up.
"Oh-hoho! This city has just been getting more interesting since Nox got here... Jae-in is finally back in town? Heh, let's see how this plays out," Xavier chuckled and stood up on his feet, looking up at me with giving me a wink.
I chuckled softly at Xavier and rose an eyebrow at him. "You know, it doesn't take God's wisdom to know what you're planning in your head. You can play matchmaker with Nam-Sun and Jae-in, I'm waiting for him to come to me."
Xavier let out a laugh, shrugging his shoulders and began walking off. "It was worth a shot to see if you'd bite."
"You can not tempt the Lord, you should know this," I said with a chuckle, waving goodbye to the trio as I watched them leave with smiles on their faces.
---------------------------
Ae-Ri and Minsu sprinted inside the house, giggling and talking about the day we just had. I followed in behind the two carrying in groceries for the house with Do-hari helping with the bags as best as she could. Dong-hee and Nam-Sun watched as we came inside, the two of them getting up from the couch to help put away the groceries.
"Aiishh, you didn't need to get so much... Now I feel bad because I made a guest buy groceries," Do-hari said in her soft tone, gently bumping her shoulder into mine.
I chuckled softly at Do-hari and looked over at her, exhaling softly through my nose. "I don't mind doing things for you around the house. After all, I am living with you all now so it's only right that I help around here."
"Right, don't stop him from doing a good job! Ha, it's better around here now since Nox got here," Dong-hee said with a playful smirk then grunted softly as I gently flicked her forehead.
"I am not just a servant. Plus, I have way more free time on my hands, so why not make the home spotless? It's not like the house will clean itself when we're not here," I said with a light smile then looked over at Nam-Sun.
Nam-Sun exhaled softly and turned away from me a bit, sensing that I was reading into his heart with a simple gaze. "What is it..?"
I stared at Nam-Sun with a light hum then let out a light chuckle and held my hand out to him. "Take my hand."
Nam-Sun rose an eyebrow then glanced over at me, looking down at my hand then back up at me. "Waeyo?"
I shrugged my shoulders and continued to smile at him. "Can't a brother greet another?"
Nam-Sun let out a soft exhale then reached out to take my hand, his hold on my hand fairly firm. As he held my hand, a vision began to play in his head, a vision of the outing I had with Do-hari and her children. Within the vision, he caught a glimpse of Jae-in in the background. He grunted heavily and quickly snatched his hand back, holding his wrist and taking soft breaths.
Dong-hee made a questioning sound, her gaze flicking between me and her younger brother with confusion. She watched as I calmly placed my hands back upon the counter. "What did you do to him?"
"Nothing. You have to ask him what happened," I said with a light smirk, staring at Nam-Sun and locking onto his gaze.
Dong-hee looked over at Nam-Sun, inching closer to him. "Namdongsaeng, gwaenchana?"
Nam-Sun looked over at Dong-hee, grunting softly and walked off in a hurry. "Gwaenchana..."
"Eeehh..? What happened to him?" Do-hari asked curiously, looking up at me for any answer to what happened to her older brother.
"He was holding his wrist, but you two shook hands. Well...held hands. Wait, did he—" Dong-hee began, gasping softly at the thought that Nam-Sun could use his Psychometry again.
"Like I said, he will have to come forth and say it. For all I know, it was a fairly firm handshake," I said, smiling at both Do-hari and Dong-hee.
"Yeesh, you're such a cryptic guy. It's never a straight answer with you huh?" Dong-hee scoffed, reaching over to flick my head but her finger phased through my body. "Tch! And of course you use your powers in all situations!"
"No, that was just reflexes," I chuckled softly, playfully flicking her forehead once more before walking off to go to my room.
Dong-hee grunted softly and held her forehead, her cheeks becoming flushed with frustration. She scoffed at me and stuck her tongue out, letting out another huff before heading off back into the living room.
Moments went by, the house filled with peace and calmness, everyone hanging around and doing their own thing. Do-hari paced outside of my bedroom door, gently biting her thumbnail as she thought of a way to approach me. Butterflies filled her stomach, a soft, fluttering nervousness tugging at her heart.
'Why am I so nervous..? Am I seriously falling for him right now..? Aish..! He's only here to save your family, Do-hari! Get it together. Your aunt just wants you to remarry so you can get over your sadness..' Do-hari said to herself mentally, placing her hand upon the doorhandle of my door.
"Eomma," Ae-Ri called to Do-hari from down the hall, looking at her mother with slight confusion and pushed up her glasses.
Do-hari's head quickly jerked over to Ae-Ri, an embarrassed blush creeping upon her face. "A-Ae-Ri, what's wrong?"
"Why are you just standing outside of Mr. Nox's door?" Ae-Ri asked with a slightly judgemental tone, wondering if Do-hari would ever go inside or not.
Do-hari looked at my door then back at Ae-Ri, her gaze flicking between the two before she let out a nervous laugh. "O-Oh..! This isn't the bathroom? I get confused sometimes still, hehe!"
Ae-Ri stared at her mother for a moment before walking away and shaking her head, her gaze falling back down to her phone. "Punsu..."
Do-hari watched as Ae-Ri left down the hall then quickly hurried into my room, closing the door behind herself and exhaled deeply. "Geez..."
"So you finally decided to come in instead of lurking outside?" I asked with an amused chuckle, sitting upon the edge of my bed, looking up from Leona, Rama, and Sephora.
Do-hari turned around then let out a surprised yelp, her body recoiling backwards against the door as she looked at the three animals: A Lion, A Ram/Lamb, and A White Serpent. She glanced between the Zodiac Beasts and me, wondering how long they've been here.
"Don't worry, I don't usually bring them out unless they want to stretch their legs or talk. They are completely harmless to those allied with me," I said, standing up from the bed and waved my hand, the three Zodiac Beasts vanishing from the room. "You seem to have a lot on your mind. What's up?"
Do-hari stared at me with much more confusion, having more questions about me than answers. She walked over to me and gently held my hands with a soft exhale. "I've just been thinking a lot about Eomma's Dream. I see the signs... everyone here has been smiling more, I'm back connected with my children..."
"Yet, I still feel lost and confused...I haven't been able to reliably use my ability since the first activation two days ago. Please just give me an answer, how will you save us?" Do-hari questioned, looking up into my eyes with a pleading gaze.
I chuckled softly at her desperate need for an answer, interlocking our fingers together and held her hands with a loving squeeze. "Your faith will save you."
"Eoseo wa!! You're so annoying..." Do-hari said with a light whine, stepping closer to me and placing her head upon my chest.
"I mean it...if you truly believe in your mother's dream and that I am the one who will save your family from your curse, then I will do just that. However, if you believe her dream is false then I am simply not who I say I am," I said, gently rubbing her hair with a warm smile on my lips.
"You still didn't answer me..." Do-hari scoffed lightly, gently burying her face in the soft fabrics of my robes.
"Just because it's not the answer you wanted to hear doesn't mean that it's not an answer. Would you rather have me go completely silent on you?" I asked in a joking tone, watching as she looked up at me with mock annoyance.
"That's even more annoying than your cryptic messages! Aish, what am I going to do with you?" Do-hari scoffed, turning her gaze away from me and placing her head against my chest once again.
I stayed silent for a moment, looking down at Do-hari and could still see her eyes were still open with a thoughtful expression worn on her face. I rubbed her hair once more, her body relaxing more under my gentle touch. She let out a soft exhale, her hand that still held mine giving it a soft squeeze.
"I can tell there's something more on your mind. You can tell me whatever it is," I said softly, letting go of her hands and gently holding her shoulders to look at me.
Do-hari looked at me sheepishly, her eyes looking like a gentle doe in the forest. She shifted slightly under my touch, looking down and holding her hands together. "It's just...were you serious about marrying me? It's still just so hard to believe...that Exzodia's Savior would choose me, a widow of two children."
"Is it truly that hard to believe? I am standing here in front of you, choosing you now. It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself that you have no feelings for me," I said, tilting my head slightly with a warm smile.
"What if I am..? What if my feelings are just a test?" Do-hari said, letting out a heavy sigh then looked up at me with a determined face. "And if it is, I will prove to you that this is just spiritual business between us."
"Huh—"
Before I could finish my confusion, Do-hari stepped forward toward me and gently kissed my lips. For the first time in forever, I was caught off guard by Do-hari's boldness yet I didn't reject her act of affection. Simply, I kissed her back which caused her to become drawn more into the kiss.
Do-hari pulled back slowly, her eyes half open then the realization suddenly hit her, her eyes snapping wide open and her hands covering her mouth. "I— Mianhae!"
I rose an eyebrow as I watched Do-hari rush out of my room a blushing mess and couldn't help but to softly laugh at the slight bizarreness of the moment. "Why is she so surprised when she made the first move?"
"I'll admit it caught me off guard too. I wasn't expecting her to kiss you," Sephora said, reappearing in my room and gently coiling herself around my body once again.
"I can guarantee you that she'll be able to use her powers again now, but just for this moment. After all, Feveisav does mean Relive Happy Past," I chuckled softly and walked back toward my bed to sit down, letting out a soft exhale.
Do-hari rushed into her room and flopped onto her bed, screaming into her pillow and kicking her feet like a highschool girl who found her first love. Her entire face was red from embarrassment and affection. "Babo! Babo! Why did you kiss him out of everything you could've done..?!"
Do-hari turned over onto her back, staring up at her ceiling and exhaled softly. "No...that kiss didn't mean anything. It was just to prove there's nothing between us. I'll just take a nap and forget about it..."
Do-hari turned over onto her side, closing her eyes and her body slowly dissolved into golden butterflies and disappearing. Feeling that she was now standing, Do-hari opened her eyes and noticed she was standing outside of my room door, the world in grayscale around her.
She gasped in shock and terror that she had managed to go back to the past, her gaze looking up at my door and seeing it was fully in color. She slowly opened the door, cracking it open and noticed her past self and me standing in my room sharing the exact kiss from moments ago.
She let out a soft yelp, closing her eyes quickly and returning back to the present then sat up on her bed quickly with a gasp. She placed her hand over her heart, feeling it racing a million miles a second. "No...Aniyo! No! That kiss...was a happy memory...?"
Do-hari tried to go back to sleep multiple times, but each time she tried to sleep, she ended up revisiting the same memory: the kiss. She woke up once again, holding her head and letting out a soft groan, closing her eyes then quickly opened them to prevent herself from seeing the memory an 11th time.
"This is not going to work...I can't even get some sleep now. Maybe a walk would work for me," Do-hari said, getting out of bed and grabbed her coat and house keys before heading out.
As Do-hari made her way down the stairs, she noticed me sitting in the living room with her mom and dad, her face becoming flushed as we made eye contact. Quickly, she began to walk faster down the stairs and eventually slipped out of the house like a blur, her parents confused on why she rushed out the house.
"I can't believe I actually kissed him...it was supposed to mean nothing! Why is he choosing me out of everyone in Seolhart? There are people out here who need him more than I do.." Do-hari said to herself, running her hands through her hair and she walked down the walkway of the house.
She continued to wander around, soon finding herself in the streets of Bulan with a confused expression. She looked down at her phone to see she was in Soksu, Bulan, the neon lights from the buildings flashing in the evening sky and the streets bustling with residents.
"Mwo..? Where am I? Did I really wander off that far..?" Do-hari asked, glancing around her surroundings before hearing the sound of a young woman letting out a disgusted groan.
"C'mon now, sweetheart. A sweet Valkyria like yourself should have a protector at your side and I'm the man for the job," An arrogant Hero said, looking smugly in the face of Moon-li who was visibly annoyed.
"Eun-Song, talk to this guy before I do and hurt his feelings. Because if I speak, he's 100% going to crying misandry all over the net," Moon-li said with frustration, placing her hand upon her hip and tapping her foot against the ground.
"Excuse me, sir, but we have a very important meeting to go to right now regarding the upcoming Winter Sports Festival. Can you kindly move out of the way?" Eun-Song asked with a gentle tone, bowing politely to the Hero.
"The meeting isn't for another 45 minutes, so we have time to kill. Come join me for a while, I can show you three a good time in Soksu," The Hero bribed, flashing a stack of 500 zodias in his hand.
'Oh this guy can't be serious. Is this how men woo women now? I am so grateful Nox is not like this...' Do-hari thought to herself, preparing her way to ignore the situation to find her way around the new city.
"You know what?" Moon-li asked with a devious grin on her face, stepping back and holding her hand out toward the man and let out a scream. "Someone help me! This creepy man said he was going to touch us inappropriately!"
Do-hari stopped in her tracks and turned around at Moon-li's scream, noticing the Hero's panicked reaction and watched as he ran off before anyone got the idea to hunt him down. "Serves that guy right I suppose..."
Suddenly, an alarm went off and caught Do-hari's attention as well as Moon-li and the others. In the distance, a group of burglars rushed out of a jewelry store with bags of expensive jewelry with the store clerk hurrying after them with cries, her tears streaming down her face.
"Someone please get them! This is my Eomma's store! I can't lose this store!" The woman cried out for help, bawling her eyes out and falling to her knees.
Something inside Do-hari stirred up inside her, a soft voice probing her to help the innocent woman. Do-hari felt extremely nervous as she's never seen combat since the day she wedded ten years ago. However, despite her fears, Do-hari's battlesuit, Marvelous Reverse, appeared upon her body.
Everyone looked over at Do-hari, her beautiful galaxy pink battlesuit flowing with the winds and sparkles of gold circled around her body. She pushed herself forward, beaming down the street like a beam of light, Moon-li, Eun-Song, and Mi-sung each surprised by her speed.
"Let's follow her! She's a Valkyria!" Moon-li said with excitement, dashing down the street at blazing speeds.
Eun-Song fixed her cap atop of her head then raced down the street after Moon-li with Mi-sung following behind. The four Valkyrias booked it down the street after the burglars' speeding van, Do-hari leaping in the air and teleporting toward the hood of the truck and landed atop of it.
She began to use her power, the time of the truck reversing and going backwards and causing the burglars to look around in confusion. Moon-li, Eun-Song, and Mi-sung stopped in their tracks, watching in disbelief as the truck began sliding backwards across the ground without logical explanation.
Once the truck was back in its original spot, the burglars got out to see why they were back in front of the jewelry store. Looking up, they noticed my earthly fiance, Do-hari, standing heroically on top of the truck with a Holy Fire burning hot against her chest, her Ascean Stigmata glowing brightly upon her right arm.
"Hey! Who are you? Get down from there!" One burglar yelled out, pointing his frost pistol at Do-hari, preparing to shoot her dead.
Do-hari stared down at the burglars, keeping a stoic face but inside not knowing what to do next. 'I did all of this just to freeze up now..? C'mon...move! Nox...'
The moment she called upon my name in Spirit, a flash of light shone brightly, an invisible force striking the armed burglar and sending him crashing into a parked car. The other burglars glanced around, noticing one of my Sovereign Butterflies flying around quickly, generating a gust of wind to lift them in the air.
Suddenly, I appeared in front of one of the burglars, striking him down to the ground with a crescent kick. Another burglar took aim at me holding one of the necklaces in his hand, firing bolts of fire toward me at my back.
I phased through each of the bolts of fire, landing on the ground then pivoted around into a roundhouse kick just as the burglar landed, knocking him out clean. The burglar fell to his knees and dropped the Fire Materia Necklace from his hand.
"It's him! It's Nox!" Moon-li gasped, covering her mouth with awe and pure joy to see me again.
"He actually is in Bulan..." Mi-sung said with a soft gasp as well, her eyes sparkling as she saw me for the very first time, only hearing about what Moon-li and Eun-Song told her.
"Nox..." Do-hari said with a soft breath, looking down at me and noticed my hand outstretched out toward her.
Just as she went to take my hand to get off the truck, a black flame roared toward our hands to scorch then. Having no time to safely get Do-hari off the truck, I placed my hand upon the truck and warped myself, the truck, and Do-hari away from the flame to another parking spot.
I looked over to the distance, seeing a man with long blonde hair and red eyes walking down the street, a black lion walking beside him. I helped Do-hari off the truck, never breaking eye contact from the guy and studied his appearance.
The man played with his red cross, his gaze finding mine and locking onto them. He pet his black lion and stepped forward. "So, the Messiah decides to stop the plans of the The Neo-Pride? You're messing with big money, and an organization you don't want to tangle with."
"You are robbing the store from Mi-jin and I won't allow you to bankrupt her store because of your greed. I have no idea who you are...well, I do know who you are...Usama Lane. Leader of the Neo-Pride," I said, looking at his earrings and noticed they were made from Onyx.
"Dark Zodiac Crystals...you're one of them. One of those who managed to escape the binds of Solomon Spell to keep you under check. Which Witch freed you?" I asked, giving Usama a serious gaze.
Do-hari looked over at me then back at Usama. "A witch freed him?"
"Dark Zodiacs are demonic entities, people who lead others astray for Astrology, Witchcraft, and other occult practices that keep you away from the glory of God. Unlike the Zodiacs that serve under me, these Zodiacs are lawless beasts...inverses of the Beasts created to live in harmony with man as Yuvah intended," I answered, my gaze never leaving Usama's gaze.
Usama smirked at my statement and closed his eyes, his hand leaving his cross then he charged toward me at blazing speeds, his body going invisible for a moment as he launched a Stealth Strike. I stopped his punch with a finger, my face growing slightly annoyed that he mustered the audacity to try a sneak attack.
"It seems like you want to play, and I'm free for a challenge right now. The cameras are all watching, so be sure to remember this evening well!" I declared, my body dispersing into Sovereign Butterflies and striking Usama rapidly.
My Sovereign Butterflies scattered about, landing on Moon-li, Eun-Song, Mi-sung, and Do-hari, warping them ahead and in front of me. I snapped my fingers, clothing the trio's backs in Battlesuits for each of them to match their needs and preferences.
Moon-li gained Blazing Crescendo, a fiery red battlesuit equipped with a battle skirt with small fiery blades on the sides and a single fiery wing that could retract into a great sword with a golden blade. My Sovereign Butterfly sat upon the center of her chest and dissolved inside her, boosting her Spirit Energy.
〘New Angel Battlesuit Gifted!〙
▸ Battlesuit: Blazing Crescendo
▸ Valkyria Type: Attack
▸ Strength: A
▸ Stamina: A+
▸ Grit: B+
▸ Elemental Affinity: Fire
〘Description: A Valkyrian Battlesuit made from divine fires and fabrics only found in the Sacred Realm. As the battle grows longer, the wielder's strength, stamina, and endurance grows as well.〙
Eun-Song, gaining Super Logos, acquired a silver battlesuit with a long coat, silver gauntlets with a Mark of God upon the right gauntlet, and an angelic pauldron that acted as her single wing. My Sovereign Butterfly landed on top of her head, dissolving inside of her and boosting her mental capabilities.
〘New Angel Battlesuit Gifted!〙
▸ Battlesuit: Super Logos
▸ Valkyria Type: Technical
▸ Strength: B+
▸ Speed: A+
▸ Wits: S
▸ Elemental Affinity: Holy
〘Description: A Valkyrian Battlesuit made with the help of Angels during the Old Covenant empowered by Scriptures from The Biblos: Ephesians 6:13-17. Invoking these verses will awaken Super Logos into Alrean Gear: All Out Mode.〙
Mi-sung, gaining Marvelous Dream, acquired a beautiful white battledress with multicolor star patterns upon the skirt of the dress and waves of holy energy calmly spiralling around her. On her right side, a Power Angel was barely visible, yet there to act as her single wing. My Sovereign Butterfly landed upon the middle of her chest, and rested, boosting her Faithfulness, a direct fruit.
〘New Angel Battlesuit Gifted!〙
▸ Battlesuit: Marvelous Dream
▸ Valkyria Type: Support
▸ Stamina: A
▸ Grit: A
▸ Wits: A
▸ Faith: S
〘Description: A Valkyrian Battlesuit made directly in St. Lamia outside of the Garden of Exzodia as one of Eva's original pieces of clothing. Empowered with dreamlike energy from Ascea, all attacks using Spirit Energy will be boosted tenfold.〙
The three girls looked at themselves then at Do-hari, their four gazes looking ahead to see Usama readying himself for a fight to get his truck back. With a simple call, my sheep within the streets of Soksu began to clear and find safety within the buildings around the area.
"Four Valkyrias and a false Savior, thinking they can go against a Zodiac's Power?! Allow me to show you why we are feared!" Usama roared, charging forward with a Lion's Fist toward Eun-Song.
Eun-Song phased through his attack then stepped backwards to create enough space to dodge his roundhouse. She went for an uppercut but Usama blocked it with his palm, pushing her hand down and landed a chop at her neck then leaned in to smash his elbow against her jaw.
Usama charged toward me directly, but I shifted my foot, gliding Do-hari across the ground so she could catch him with a blow to his jaw. While he was disoriented, Moon-li landed a aerial roundhouse against his jaw then Mi-sung pushed him backwards with an energy blast.
Usama staggered but never dropped to a knee, chuckling lightly and brushing himself off. "What synergy...so this is what the Leader of Squad V is capable of? Using his 'sheep' like pawns?"
"My people are not pawns unlike how the Devil uses you. Everyone has their part to play, whether you see them as pawns or Queens! This is the body of Ascea, the Body of Yesha, the power of the Church when they all come together as one for a just cause!" I announced, holding my hand out toward Usama, a rumbling thunder booming in the sky.
Moon-li squealed with excitement as she heard my declaration, fangirling to herself with jittering emotions. "Oh em gee..! That was so cool! I missed those declarations so much!"
"I'm glad you can find joy in times like this..." Eun-Song groaned softly, rubbing her jaw as she walked back toward the group.
Do-hari looked at the trio of academy girls, hearing them talk about me so casually then glanced over at me, noticing me looking back at her with a warm, reassuring smile. She blushed softly, feeling as if she knew I read directly into her immediate worries and troubles.
Usama chuckled softly at my declaration then snapped his finger, his black lion charging toward Do-hari to maul her. "Well, let's see how well your body does with a missing limb!"
Do-hari gasped as the black lion neared her, but Leona appeared with a divine roar and tackled the black lion away with a blazing tackle. She watched as the two regal beasts roared and dueled with one another, the sounds of chaos causing her to collapse to her knees and hold her head in cover, the memories of Queen Athena's battle against Nam-Suk flashing in her head.
"Ha! All that toughness just to collapse like a child! I recognize her, she's the legendary Squad Captain of the old disbanded Team Goken. How such a legendary Squad falls due to a scandal and two dead captains. Is that why you can never return to those memories with Nam-Suk?" Usama taunted with a laugh, firing a black fireball toward Do-hari.
"What's up with this lady? First she's strong, now she's having a breakdown right now?! Aiishh! I should've stayed in St. Meishi!" Moon-li groaned, warping in front of the fireball and absorbed it into her hand, my Sovereign Butterfly manifesting around her hand to purify the flames.
"Give her some grace, Moon-li! She's obviously struggling with something internal!" Eun-Song scolded, dashing toward Usama to engage in battle to drive him out the city.
The two clashed fists and evaded each other's attacks, Usama somehow getting the up on Eun-Song upon each exchange. Eun-Song perfectly blocked and parried each of Usama's kicks, knocking him off his feet with a sweep kick then launched him in the air with a fight reaching kick.
Mi-sung warped to Usama's side, grabbing his ankle and slamming him down to the ground and released a blast of Spirit Energy beneath him to knock him back into the air. Moon-li warped above Usama for a double axe handle, but he surprised her by catching her hands and throwing her back down to the ground.
I watched as the three fought against Usama then looked over at Do-hari, curious about the scandal Usama spoke of since I knew his taunts had truth to them. I walked over to her, placing my hand upon her shoulder and prepared to warp her back home.
However, Do-hari stopped me by placing her hand upon mine, sensing that I was going to send her away. "No...I want to stay and hear what he has to say. He knows something I don't and I want to know what scandal he's talking about."
"Are you sure you're okay enough to handle him? Even with the boosts I gave my girls, they are having the same issue as Woo-Chi. Even if they can't see it, Usama is correct. They can't beat him unless they activate their suits which only comes through surrendering their efforts," I said, helping her onto her feet then looked ahead.
"But just this once in a while, I'll do the work for you and get you the answers you seek. However, I do want you to listen fast and be slow to anger to whatever you will hear," I said, walking ahead toward Usama.
Usama countered Eun-Song and kicked her back then weaved under Mi-sung's attack then knocked her backwards with a backfist into Moon-li. He looked ahead, noticing me walking toward him, my robes shifting black with Rebirth Energy surging around my body.
He laughed and charged toward me and went for an attack, but a Harpy soared from the skies and grabbed his arm, stopping his attack. A skeleton hand emerged from underground, striking Usama's chin and staggering him. He recovered quickly and fired a black fireball toward me, but a King Slime appeared in front of me and took the blow.
"Do you not understand what you're going against? You may view me as our God, Yesha...but I am not Him, yet I share His essence through Ascea. You can fight and fight as much as you want, but there is no truly winning against me when I am on the field. I can not be checkmated," I said, snapping my fingers and caused my Harpy to strike Usama from behind.
I caught Usama by his blasphemous cross and ripped his neck before delivering a searing knee to his stomach, causing him to drop to his knees. His black lion charged toward me, but a simple pulse of my aura evaporated the false beast into black particles.
Looking down at Usama with my amber lit eyes, I crouched down to match his eye sight and rested my arm upon my knee. "Now, you will tell me...what do you know about Do-hari's late husband other than he was killed by St. Goken's current Queen?"
Usama laughed under his breath, spitting out a bit of blood from his mouth and looked up at me. "Heh...and Merin said you were merciful. You are a deceitful man, yet you are this accursed land's savior? It would've been better if you died at Exzodia Church!"
I stared at Usama with a straight face, grabbing his shirt and lifted him off the ground and awakened my Messiah Form at full force, blinding him with a divine light. "I am merciful, but I am also Just, just like Yesha, but I am not here to bring comfort but conflict against deceived nations like yours..."
"Now, answer the question or I will simply find it myself. Talk while my merciful right hand still has you in its clutches," I said, staring at him with a glare.
Usama grunted softly as he could barely handle the glow from my face and Pleroma Clouds, turning his head and closing his eyes, his skin crawling uncomfortably. "Tch! That Captain Nam-Suk...cheated on your dearly beloved with Captain Sa Nu Rim, but of course he took it with him to the grave and got Sa Nu Rim killed in the process."
"He left your lover with grief! Started a rebellion against Manaport and wrapped it in pretty colors to call it corruption within the ranks. Sa Nu Rim, Lee Su-Yun, Do-hari, Issac Wright, Ephraim Einstein, all disbanded because of him," Usama revealed, unable to hold in the truth under my presence.
Do-hari gasped in terror and shame, her hands covering her mouth, the last years spent with Nam-Suk shattering in her brain. She admired Sa Nu Rim, even looked up to her for guidance but to know she had stolen Nam-Suk under her nose. Yet, she could not remain angry at her due to her being dead in her mind and the fact that Nam-Suk got her killed.
I released Usama and gestured for him to leave the area with a single point. Quickly, he got up and left the area with his tail tucked between his legs. The trio looked over at me, watching as I walked over to Do-hari and held her in my arms to warp back home.
"You three...Transfer over to the Bulan side of St. Goken Academy when you can. I have somethings I want to speak to you about soon. Until then, I'll see you around," I said, warping away with a broken Do-hari.
Moon-li exhaled softly and watched as the last residue of white clouds disappeared, looking over at her friends with a concerned expression. Such a scandal made them even more unsure of St. Goken and the darkness that looked over the Asceans and Aetherians. Once everything was calmed and settled with the store clerk, the three left to try to get a transfer so they could speak to me.