In the mountain hills Fool and Hierophant sat crouched as they watched the climax unfold before their eyes.
Behind the mask, Fool's eyes grew ever so more elated at each turn. He enjoyed every moment of Daiji, Siegfried and Jin's struggle against the immovable Kagutsuchi. All the blood they spilt with their bodies served as fuel on Fool's entertainment.
The masked man's entire body was quivering with excitement as he witnessed Kagutsuchi falling to his death. The laughter he had been holding in for the entirety of the battle burst out.
"Huahahaha! That was great!! Truly magnificent!"
Filled with joy, Fool expressed it with laughter.
He spun around several times as he shouted at the top of his lungs. This time too, threatening to expose their position. However this time, Hierophant did not care for Fool's foolishness as they were instead immersed in their own sense of curiosity.
A hand over their mouth under the dark hood clouding the face beneath, Hierophant's eyes were glued to the point where the ravine spread open and Daiji who laid fallen close by it.
"It seems this is the end of that man. ~Sigh~ Though I am grateful for the show they put on for us. This time I at least got to feel something more."
Fool halted his overdramatic expression of gratitude and looked to his companion in pure silence. His mouth hung agape at the words Hierophant had spoken and he couldn't hide his shock. But after a few moments passing he quickly readjusted himself and returned to his usual aloof manner.
"Is that all you really have to saayyy? You sure that that's all you feeelt?"
Hands on his hips he bowed down to get on the same eye level, peering into the pitch black hood of Hierophant. He teased them with a malicious smile on his face, mocking them for ever opening their mouth to speak.
"You liaaar. I can see that you enjoyed yourself much more than thaaat. Hahaha~"
"~Sigh~"
Mustering only a sigh, Hierophant inaudibly grumbled to himself. Lamenting the horrible personality of Fool. For he truly was a fool beyond saving. Always so reckless and his every action spurred on by something incomprehensible.
They sighed once more, resting their head in a open hand. Someone really needed to teach this guy a lesson by beating him half to death. But not them, not Hierophant. They were to tired and uninterested to do it themself.
"And that pink spirit was completely outside my expectations along with so much else. That miserable fool and I were surprisingly alike. Unbelievable."
Just who are You calling a fool?
Fool reached out his arm and around the outstretched palm, three bright lights began glowing. Green, purple and orange. Circling around the palm in a spiral as their lights pulsated up and down at Fool's command. And with a quick motion of his hand, they halted their dance.
"But unlike him, I'm much more charming to these cute little faeries."
Sighing, Hierophant gave up once again trying to understand Fool.
"However" Fool started saying. Halting his play with the bright lights and sporting a sharp grin.
"Should we finish him off while we have the chance? That was the whole point of this right?"
"~Sigh~ Yes, but also not quite. The task we were given was only to observe the results of Magician's experiment. Whether the dragon-kin won or not, we do not need to interfere. We were only asked to watch and report, nothing more and nothing less. ~Sigh~ I feel tired just explaining this to you. Again."
Even though he had asked, Fool didn't seem to be paying full attention to what Hierophant was saying. Instead, his eyes were again attracted to Siegfried, still bearing the sharp his shark-like grin. With a short chuckle, he spread his arms wide like wings. Rattled, the bright lights- faeries paid close attention to Fool's next move.
"So you're saying we've fulfilled what we were asked to do? Then I am free to do as I please am I not?"
"~Sigh~ Every time... You never seem to learn how to control that frivolous attitude of yours."
Hierophant let out an especially long sigh before continuing.
"Do as you please. I for one am leaving. Try not to get yourself killed so early okay...? Well then, I-"
"Hm?"
Noticing Hierophant's strange reaction, Fool stopped posing dramatically. With slack arms he looked to Hierophant with an expression that was asking what was wrong. Cocking his head, he was about to speak before being interrupted by a powerful feeling prickling at his back.
"Oho~ So there were more who were interested in the battle other than myself?"
Fool turned to the person who had suddenly appeared while being aware of the powerful emotion that was being emitted from them. Meeting their gaze with his own, he saw a man with golden hair and eyes wearing slack fancy robes and wooden sandals.
He looked young, but the tone of his voice gave him an air of age and experience hanging about him.
"-guh."
Those dazzling golden eyes seemed to be piercing right trough Fool and Hierophant. Like he was looking at them and also not. The sort of gaze that could be equated to looking down at something inferior. That gaze slightly irritated Fool and also felt overwhelmingly pressuring.
Clicking his tongue, Fool made a quick motion with his arm and sent a sharp playing card flying at the unknown man. However, without lifting a single finger, without moving an inch, and without uttering a word, the surprise attack was blocked, multiplied and redirected at Fool.
"Wah-"
Before he had a chance to react, the numerous sharp cards dug into his flesh all over his body. They cut through him and left red trails in their wake.
"I think you two have had enough fun. It's time for you to go home."
With a teasing voice, the golden man spoke. A warning etched into the sounds he made. However, Fool was in a sour mood and would not listen.
"Ah man~ You ruined my clothes."
Trying to sound calm and unbothered, a quiet anger was present in his voice. Forgetting all about the emotion he felt from the man, Fool stretched his hand forward at him shouting "Go!". At his command, the purple and orange faeries flew full speed at the man, still standing there motionless.
The orange faerie transformed into a large fireball and the purple became a horde of crescent blades. The fire engulfed the man and the blades followed suit with a high pitched whistling, lashing at the still figure from all angles.
The flames obscure what is happening, but the mysterious man is surely being burned and skewered, Fool thinks to himself, breaking into a weak smile. Hierophant however is not so sure but will not interfere for the moment.
And indeed, they were correct. The flames are blown away, the blades are pulverized, and the man is still standing in the exact same position as he has been since the beginning. Fool's eyes widen behind the mask and he shouts.
"Ilqua!"
The purple faerie's light is weaker than before. It has clearly been hurt, though Fool didn't know what or how it was done.
"Ignir! Come back! Fea!"
The orange faerie, Ignir, returns to Fool carrying Ilqua. As soon as they reach him, the green faerie, Fea, lets green powder rain upon their fellow faerie's body.
Fool grits his teeth and looks back to the man. Unsure of what to do for the first time in a very long time, he is temporarily paralyzed. What can wound a man who could render all of his attacks so far meaningless.
But those idle thoughts were interrupted by a more pressing issue.
For the first time, the golden man took a step forward. Just moving half a meter or so was enough to rekindle his intense aura. Reaffirming his threatening existence to the duo.
"Prison of Chains!"
A sphere of see-through energy surrounded the man and countless chains sprouted from its insides, entangling him all over and forcing his movements to a complete halt. As soon as the chains dug their roots, the sphere immediately shattered like glass. In real time, only 1 second had passed since the magic's activation and its destruction.
Hierophant stood slightly crouched with both their fists thrust out before them. Shocked that their magic had been destroyed so instantaneously, the realization took root inside of them and so did it with Fool.
"Are you two done?"
The man took another step forward, and another, and another. Small steps. Slowly etching himself closer to them, staying true to his earlier warning. If Hierophant and Fool would not leave, he would forcibly remove them. From this place or maybe even from this world all together.
Understanding that they were outmatched in this scenario, Hierophant instead opted to follow the man's warning and escape.
They pulled Fool's collar back and dragged him and the faeries along into a fissure in the space behind them that Hierophant had prepared in advance. The space surrounding them folded in on them and the fissure. When it returned to its normal state, both Hierophant, Fool and the faeries had vanished from the mountain hills.
"Fuuu~"
Placing all of his hands on his hips, the man breathed out.
He turned around and let his golden irises gaze down on the battlefield before he too left this place behind.