Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Hidden Strength?
Kalika Looked at the man in front of her with confusion. She couldn't believe a word he just said.
"What are you talking about?"
The older looking man immediately took notice of her reaction. He stared at her coldly before realizing something himself.
"So the rumors were true then. You lost your memories from the past nine, ten years?" The man then gave a long sigh. "I guess that means you don't remember me either. Alright, the name is Tilus Kyrer and I was the one to help train you up in fighting. Or if we want to be exact, you used me as a training dummy for the past eight or so years."
"Hh-huh? I used you as… a training dummy?"
"It's a long story. The short version is we met in an arena match, and you spared my life." Tilus leans himself at the cell door entrance. "Ever since then you've been sparring with and had me teach you to fight a little and help your technique."
"Still though I'd never imagine you being able to go toe to toe with the Demon Queen much less the warden."
Kalika scoffed. "Me going toe to toe with her? That's not even possible. Do you expect me to believe that I went around killing other people while also fighting my sister? That's the most absurd thing I've heard!"
"Well as absurd as it sounds that's what happened. But it just so happened that Everyone in this block got in the way of your fight, I'm just considering myself lucky I wasn't caught in the crossfire. And Honestly, I never would've imagined that a lady of your stature would be capable of such a thing myself, but here we are."
Kalika didn't know what to believe. She placed her finger on the wall tracing it across as she made her way to the bed. Tilus could tell that Kalika was becoming conflicted. A sense of frustration washed over Kalika as she stood over the bed.
Kalika became much quieter. "You make it sound like I was as strong as my sister but I can never match a Demon like her."
"...Sister?" Tilus said curiously.
"W-wait the Demons Queens your sister!?"
"I'm merely adopted, now relax." She snapped.
Tilus was shocked for a moment but immediately calmed as he heard her remark.
"I doubt that I'd ever be as strong as Lily." a memory of something being taken from resurfaces when she had her memories wiped.
"Perhaps it has something to do with that Dagger Lily gave me. That's the only reasonable explanation as to how I can even match her strength in the first place if that's true..."
Kalika then gave a rare smirk.
Tilus, still leaning on the cell door, narrowed his eyes at Kalika. "Anyways. Why don't you tell me why you're back here?"
Kalika was taken out of her thoughts. She sat herself on the bed crossing her arms unsure whether to actually tell him. Giving a sigh she finally divulges.
"I made a contract with a demon named Rakon. To simply put it, I kill three particular people and he'll guarantee my safety until my sister, the Demon Queen comes back."
Tilus stroked his chin upon hearing this. "Hmm… And do you know who these people are and where to find them?"
"No. as far as I'm aware, the contract stated that Rakon would be picking them out and I'd have to be the one to kill them. The first match is supposed to start in three months."
"You certainly know how to find trouble." Tilus sighed. "Well, if you need help preparing, I can certainly assist you with this. I don't mind giving a helping hand a second time with some training."
"Training…?"
Kalika looked at Tilus, she then started biting her thumb pondering what to do. "It probably wouldn't hurt to trust him…" The thought of the strange dream runs through her mind playing back on repeat. "I wonder…"
"So. What will it be?"
Kalika looked back up to Tilus.
"And what's in it for you if you do help me?"
"You raise an interesting question." Tilus started to ponder to himself. "Alright, if I help you with a Training, then I want you to give me an honorable death."
"W-what?"
"To simply put it. I'm old. going into my seventies. And I want to die while I'm still able to hold a blade."
"F…Fine. If those are the terms, then I'll happily accept the… But no funny business! Alright!"
Tilus chuckled a little at the strange remark. "Alright then, Follow me then. I'll even show you around."
Kalika Followed Tilus out of her cell. She found that Rhonda was staying behind. "Rhonda?"
Rhonda gave a cheerful smile as she gestured to Kalika to go off without her. She seemed to trust Tilus to look after Kalika. "Back to staying silent, huh?"
Kalika continued forth, close to Tilus. Standing next to him she realized that she was much shorter than him. She felt like a child walking beside him.
Tilus looked back at Rhonda who started tidying and examining Kalika's cell. He turned back forward calling out to Kalika to continue their conversation but with a much more hushed tone. Kalika glanced at Tilus, Curious.
"That's your Maid."
"Rhonda? She is. Why do you ask?"
Tilus glances back for a moment. "Just a little curious…"
"By the way I'm not sure if this will mean a lot to you but… If I'm not mistaken, I think this is your second contract you've done with this demon."
"Second?" Kalika was confused by the sudden statement.
"I remember you letting it slip during one of our times trying to escape. You never went into the specifics about it though, just that he was under your thumb."
Tilus glanced over to Kalika. "It may not be my place to talk but I think you should tread lightly with him and follow your gut instinct."
"I don't need your opinion to know that I shouldn't trust him. I already had a feeling that he's been up to something. Looking at it now, it looks like he wants to be king and take over the world. But…"
"But what?"
"But it doesn't feel like that's what it is. It feels like he'd rather make me his plaything like my sister. I just don't get it!"
"Follow your gut instinct. It's the only thing you can do."
"Easy for you to say. what are you anyways? some Ex-soldier or Captain?"
Kalika and Tilus start passing many halls of the prison cell. It isn't long before he stops at a cross section. "I guess you can say that, although it's been quite a long time since I've been on the battlefield. But I digress."
Tilus points down a hall to their right. "Anyways, down there will be where we get our food and water. It's one serving for each inmate."
"Wait. we have to get our own food?" Kalika cringed a little.
"Yes, royal princess we do."
Tilus then points straight ahead. "And ahead of us is where the Arena is. There everyone goes to pass time. Games, training, fights. They all happen there."
Kalika looked down the corridor leading to the underground Arena. "A-alright. So we're going straight down there?" Kalika looked back to Tilus to find that he was gone. Looking around she found him heading down the other corridor with food. "W-wait! Where are you going!?"
Tilus turned around looking at Kalika like she was stupid. "We can't go training on empty stomachs."
It's at that point Kalika realized that she was in fact hungry. "Yeah. I-I guess you're right…"
********
In the halls of the castle maids and butlers are being made to line up as Rakon walks past them all. He walks ever so peacefully down the rows and stops in front of a butler. Rakon pinches his right-hand index finger placing it on the butler's head.
The butlers jerked; eyes widened in shock. He starts convulsing uncontrollably until… finally he stops. falling to the ground.
Rakon looks at his finger seeing his blade shaped blood on his finger return to their veins.
"That will do. We will continue tomorrow, and any further disobedience will not be tolerated."
The remainder of the servants scurry off as a couple others take the now dead body away. Rakon, satisfied, continued down the hall until he reached the desired room. He enters into a guest room housing the three Demon Ladies that had tortured Kalika not too long ago. Their Feasting on freshly cooked meat.
Rakon wastes no time seating himself across from the ladies. Who were showing very ill manners as they continued eating sloppily.
"Daji, Valam, Florin…"
They all stopped at once. Rakon continued in their native language. "Who gave you the order to visit the girl?"
They were all silent. The tension thickened between the four demons in that room.
"I shouldn't have to remind you all that my orders are to be followed to the T. Step out of line again and I'll personally kill you myself."
The three ladies dropped their cooked meat bowing before their Master. The gray-haired Demon, Daji gave their response. "Our apologies. We will not let that happen again. We will ask permission the next-."
"You will go when you are permitted." Rakon interrupted.
"W-we will go when you permit us."
Content with the response Rakon smiled. "Good."
Rakon then snapped his finger for a servant to come out. "Y-yes sir?"
"Bring Bjorn here. I wish to talk to him about some changes."
"As you wish."
"That won't be necessary" a deep voice could be heard from behind the servant.
A huge red demon with white hair emerges, startling the servant and making them scurry away. The demon squeezed himself through the door then kneeled and bowing in respect to Rakon.
"Ah, Bjorn. What wonderful timing. A sign of a true loyal companion."
Rakon narrowed his eyes on Bjorn. "I trust you know what it is I need you to do."
"Yes. and it will be done."
********
Back with Kalika and Tilus They start to make their way into the arena. It was a strange feeling for Kalika to find the arena crowded with other prisoners hanging out with each other and fooling around.
"Is this how prisons are typically run, I-I'm a little confused. "Kalika continued looking around as they pushed through the crowd.
"Not in the least. At least from where I came. I just think it's their own way of saying that we're trapped even if we don't have a prison cell."
Kalika noticed that Demon guards were being stationed around the entirety of the arena. They were being watched and observed. Her gaze then turned to the prisoners who were now starting to stare at her. By the time they reached the corner of the arena they found that all the inmates were looking at Kalika, whispering amongst each other. Seeing all the other prisoners stare made her feel tense.
"Pay them no mind, Most of them are too scared to actually approach us."
Kalika found that even some of the nearby guards were starting to try to distance themselves from them. It was truly a strange sight to see.
Tilus positioned and posed himself ready for a fight. "Alright let's see where you stand when it comes to fighting."
"Uhh. Can we start with something more simple? I-I can't even attack." Kalika started to get concerned.
"Because of the Demon blade. I know that already. Just try to dodge or block my strikes."
"W-wait this is too fast-"
Tilus threw the first punch only for Kalika to dodge it to her own surprise. Again, this time for the face. The attack nearly hit her but like before she avoided the hit.
Tilus stopped himself immediately afterwards. "Huh. Your reflexes seem to be intact."
Kalika pushed his hands away from her face. "YOU ASSHOLE!!"
She really wanted to slap Tilus in retaliation but found her body stiffening. This only served to fuel her rage.
"I'm surprised you were able to dodge my attacks. With your memories gone I thought we would've had to start at square one. But this just makes things easier."
Tilus started to ponder to himself for a moment as Kalika continued to Seeth in her anger. Tilus started to give a smirk. "An interesting thought just passed my mind." Tilus suddenly patted the angry Kalika on the head putting her in a stupor.
"I think I know exactly how to prepare you for your first opponent."
Kalika immediately became confused. She glared at Tilus who turned away and leaned on the nearby caged wall of the arena. "But first things first. I'll need you to go on an exercise regimen."
Pushing her own frustrations aside she reluctantly agrees. "A-alright, fine. "
"First exercise. Push-ups."
Kalika became pale upon hearing his statement.
"W-wait! D-do I really-"
"Yes!" Tilus sighed as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I guess it is back to square one with you to an extent."
"Maybe we can run around the Arena first?" Kalika asked.
Shortly after Kalika and Tilus found themselves running around the edge of the arena. They were finding more attention from this than they expected.
"Wait, isn't that girl the 'immortal Maiden'!" a prisoner exclaimed.
"Y-yeah... what are they doing?" another prisoner responded.
"And after this we'll be doing some push-ups." Tilus stated.
"F…Fine…" Kalika was starting to run out of breath. She then started to cringe at the idea of doing push-ups. "Why Push-ups?"
"This is only day one Kalika. If you're serious about following through with that deal you made, this is going to be part of the regimen going forward until that match of yours comes."
"How is he not out of breath!!"
unknown of Kalika and Tilus, they are being watched by a blue demon with black hair and a huge vertical scar across his body. This is Ek's brother Kel. He watches them, very suspicious of their actions.
"What is that girl up to now?"
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