[53] The Secret of the World
<span style="font-weight:400">Chapter 53: The Secret of the World
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">In the heart of Tokyo, the Hoshino house was located. The front yard of the modern mansion with slight Japanese touches to it was spacious and neat, covered in thick and lush green grass.
<span style="font-weight:400">Some trimmed hedges and small trees surrounded thewn, providing a nice, natural ambiance, and there was also a small flower garden. A stone walkway led from the main gate up to the front door, while a few potted nts were ced near the entrance. It was a slick and charmingyout, with a very weing aura.
<span style="font-weight:400">However, it was only weing for those who were allowed in by the guards at the front gate. Only the Hoshino and Saitou families were wee here without any need for permission.
<span style="font-weight:400">So, standing at the door, Ai wondered how this priest got inside. She peeked over to look at the guards at the gate and frowned seeing they were standing with their backs facing her. They swayed slightly in their spots, oddly enough, as if they were in a trance; as if they were drunk
<span style="font-weight:400">"How did you get in?" Ai asked as she looked at the short young man in front of her, wearing a frown.
<span style="font-weight:400">She didn''t have a good experience with ''fans'' visiting her house. If it wasn''t for his priest outfit that made it unlikely that he was a fan, she would have called for the guards by now. Oh, and she also had a guess as to why he was here.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Why, through the front gate of course. Your guards are <i><span style="font-weight:400">very</i><span style="font-weight:400"> cooperative, which surprised me a little since you are quite famous. They should be more cautious." The man, who had introduced himself as Freed Sellzen earlier, said. "Now, if you''d allow me to do the questioning. Could you have perhaps seen a blonde little girl in a priestess outfit around here?"
<span style="font-weight:400">He said as he tiptoed and peeked through her shoulders, making AI scowl deeper.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Whoa, what a scowl." Freed let out a fake gasp. "Your fans would be stunned if they saw you like this; stunned, I tell you."
<span style="font-weight:400">Ai sighed. This guy wasn''t normal, there was something wrong with him. Given her exceptional ability to read bodynguage, this was not the first time she had felt like this in her 31 years of life. Sometimes, there were odd humans with weird aspects. As if somewhat magical, if she had to exin in simpler terms.
<span style="font-weight:400">However, that wasn''t the only thing. This guy, his bodynguage, and his style of speech told her a disturbing fact about him. In the past, she had to talk with a criminal psychopath due to a role she had to act in. The production crew had her talk with a real psycho about this, and from that experience, she could tell that this guy before her was not sane.
<span style="font-weight:400">So there was no way she was going to tell him that— yes, she indeed had seen a young blonde priestess, who happened to be living in her house for thest few days.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Nope," Ai smiled, pushing the door and slowly closing it. "No idea what you are talking about. You should leave."
<span style="font-weight:400">She pushed the door closed, but the lock didn''t click into ce. Freed pushed the door from the other side and then pushed more strength to open it all the way again.
<span style="font-weight:400">''Shit,'' Ai cursed. ''That can''t be a human''s strength.'' She realized he was supernatural just like Asia.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Hey, hey, why the hurry?" Freed said with a broad smile. "Since I''m here anyway, can''t I at least check the living quarters of Japan''s biggest face?"
<span style="font-weight:400">Ai was getting nervous now. This guy was not only a psychopath, but one with magical strength; this could get very bad. Also, now that she took a better look at him, he had a sword hanging from his waist, which wasn''t visible from outside due to his long coat.
<span style="font-weight:400">He had a weapon.
<span style="font-weight:400">There was also something wrong with the guards. Three days ago she wouldn''t have had these thoughts, but it seemed they were some kind of magical spell. Even if she called, she doubted they''d respond. All that''ll do is escte the situation. She had to weave through the situation slowly.
<span style="font-weight:400">"If you want an autograph," Ai said, letting out a sigh as if she was tired. "I''ll give you one. Just promise that you''ll leave after that, I don''t like fans visiting my house."
<span style="font-weight:400">Freed smiled, "Now, how could—"
<span style="font-weight:400">He paused. Ai paused too. "Missus, is there anything wrong at the door?" A small figure walked from behind them, peeking her head out and blinking. The girl smiled broadly.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Oh, you must be Sir Freed! I recognize you from the picture I was given. Have you finallye to receive me?" She rushed out to the door, but Ai grabbed her by the cor right before she could cross her. "Huh?"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Asia, get back inside. You got the wrong person, I''ll exin to youter." Ai told the little girl.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Now, now, madam, what is this?" Freed revealed a grin, his yellow teeth lined up. "No, it can''t be, Ai, Japan''s greatest Idol, is holding a priestess hostage?!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Ah," Asia blinked, tilting her head, before quickly shaking her hands at him. "Wait, no, no, she''s not holding me hostage. She''s a really nice person, she treated me really well the past few days!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Oh, poor, poor Asia," Freed shook his head, clicking his tongue. "It seems you''re already under her maniption. Ah, I know, she must be working for the devils. I heard the entertainment industry has quite a lot of humans who are contracted with the devils. To think Japan''s most recognizable face is one of them." He grinned, "Oh well, that''s why we exorcists are here. For a woman who not only has a contract with the devils but is also holding a priestess hostage, there is no other way with it."
<span style="font-weight:400">He yanked out his sword and swung it at Ai. His red eyes were wide. "I must exorcize the disgusting human! Meet my Excalibur Rapidly!"
<span style="font-weight:400">The Excalibur Rapidly, was one of the Excalibur sword fragments. It was shaped like a long kris, shaped as a wide de with a diamond-shaped gap through it and spikes on both edges.
<span style="font-weight:400">Excalibur Rapidly granted the wielder the ability to increase the velocity of the sword and incredibly enhanced personal speed, fast enough to create afterimages of oneself. With such speed, Freed could easily cut Ai into a dozen pieces without her eyes being able to see anything. However, he didn''t do that, he liked torturing his victims, and he liked to see the expression of fear in their faces.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ai looked frightened, as he expected, but she moved swiftly and turned her back to the sword. She didn''t do that to run, no, but because Asia was in front of her, she held Asia and turned around to protect the little girl with her back.
<span style="font-weight:400">''Oh,'' Freed saw the scene and grinned. ''So lovely. Oh, so lovely. I''ll take her arm first.''
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, the sword hit her right shoulder. But before it could phase through her flesh, electric energy leaped out of her the moment the de touched the fabric of her clothes.
<span style="font-weight:400">A very strong lightning attack sted out of her, traveling through the sword, and into Freed''s body.
<span style="font-weight:400">"A- arghh!" Freed let out a shriek of pain and dropped the sword, falling to his knees.
<span style="font-weight:400">Smoke wasing out of his body, and he was trending as he stayed on his four on the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">"W-what the…" He trembled and looked up, ring up at Ai. "What the hell?! What was that?! I''ll kill you, you weird bitch!"
<span style="font-weight:400">He didn''t know what that was, but he knew that if didn''t have Excalibur that took most of the damage, he''d have been ashes right now. He looked at Excalibur Rapidly which was on the floor, it looked greatly damaged from that attack. An… attack that could hurt a holy sword, and not just any sword, but one of the <b><i>Excalibur</i></b><span style="font-weight:400"> pieces.
<span style="font-weight:400">''Shit, who is this woman?'' Freed stood up with a growl.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ai had turned back right then, looking at his state. Her eyes sparkled as she quickly pushed Asia inside and tried to close the door.
<span style="font-weight:400">Freed scoffed, uncaring to pick up the sword to deal with a mere human who was protected by a spell. It was a one-time spell, he could tell that much, so there was nothing that would stop him from yanking out her heart now.
<span style="font-weight:400">He kicked the door just as it was about to get locked, and the woman behind was knocked backward.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Stupid bitch," he growled as he looked inside, where Ai had fallen on her butt. He walked inside, his face contorted in pain and anger.
<span style="font-weight:400">"M-Mr Freed! Stop! Why are you doing this to her?!" Asia yelled, trying toe running, but Ai gestured for her to stop even now.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Huh, stupid bitches." Freed curled his fist in a punch. "I can''t even kill you because of Kokabiel. Stay back, I''ll kill this bitch. I was nning to use her for some fun at first, but she''s weird, so I shouldn''t take any chances."
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, he leaped down at her, his punch rushing toward her face. It burst her skull into a mess of brain and bones.
<span style="font-weight:400">Or at least, that was what would have happened if itnded.
<b>[Cosmic Magic: ze of the Scintiting Quasar]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">A purple sun descended upon the world as a beam of ster mana raged outwards from inside the house. There was no pause, no dramatic chance to block, as the light-speed attack of absolute destruction rushed out of Ruby''s palm and mmed into the foolish bastard that was Freed Sellzen.
<span style="font-weight:400">Cells eroded, bones got erased, and the sr energy left not even the idiot''s ashes.
<span style="font-weight:400">The beam ended, and there was nothing remaining where Freed was just a moment ago. The door frame was carved in a circr shape, and buildings kilometers ahead in a straight line had a hole in them.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Uh…"
<span style="font-weight:400">Ruby stood in the hallway, her hand raised and pointing at the door and her eyes wide. Her clothes were messy, as was her hair, as she had just woken up from sleep when she sensed something odd. She reached just in time tounch an attack, and she didn''t have the time to think about the lethality of it.
<span style="font-weight:400">"M-mama," However, none of that was important; she regained herposure and rushed to Ai''s side and helped her stand. "Mama, are you alright?! Are you injured anywhere?!"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Y-yeah, Ruby, I''m fine." Ai cleared her throat and epted her daughter''s hand to stand up.
<span style="font-weight:400">Asia, who too was dazed just now, quickly helped her stand up too. The two little girls helped Ai to the couch in the living room. She still had trouble walking, so Ruby cast a simple telekinesis spell to lift her and ce her on the couch.
<span style="font-weight:400">"A-are you really alright?" Ruby asked as she gulped, her eyes were teary as Ai gave her a strained smile.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Er… it looks like my spine hit the raised floor. I should be fine, don''t worry…" She said, holding back a painful scream.
<span style="font-weight:400">"A-ah, I-" Ruby gulped, her hands shaking. "R-right, Healing Magic."
<span style="font-weight:400">"L-let me!" Asia quickly ced her hands on Ai''s body. "[<b>Twilight Heal</b><span style="font-weight:400">]!"
<span style="font-weight:400">Ruby watched the process with her eyes lighting up. She had been taught quite a few spells by Aqua, and since she could now learn just by looking, it was much faster. So Aqua taught her a bunch of attack spells, and naturally, healing spells as well for emergency situations. But she still allowed the girl to use the spell, it was much faster and powerful than the one she could cast.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ai''s body shone in a green light, and she blinked, feeling all the pain slowly subside. A few secondster, the light vanished and her expression rxed. She slowly sat up on her own, letting out a sigh and staring at the air.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Whoa."
<span style="font-weight:400">She was surprised. But this wasn''t the end of it, in a moment''s notice, a dark silhouette shed out of nowhere and appeared in the room.
<span style="font-weight:400">"What was that nuke-like explosion of mana earlier?!" Yelled the girl in worry, her white hair flowing behind her and her cat ears twitching in high alert. It was ck Hanekawa, who Ai easily recognized to be Tsubasa.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Okay…" Ai let out a long breath and then exchanged nces with the three girls. "It''s exining time. What''s going on here?"
<span style="font-weight:400">The secret was out. But Ruby didn''t regret it one bit, as she jumped at her and started crying out loud.
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