Chapter 415
Chapter 415
Leaving the headquarters, Kyon watched with a laugh as Tymoshka ran away, just not to meet his eyes, when suddenly Bernard called out to him from behind.
«Zosimos… Can we talk?» – the man asked cautiously.
«I’m in a hurry to see my daughters, so another time.» – Lovr hastened to end the conversation, fearing chase from Valeera. Any hint about blackmail or something else in the same spirit is fraught with consequences.
«Okay…» – Bernard sighed in frustration, not insisting.
Kyon was able to safely take out the sound transmitter and call the man only when he returned to his room and went into the bathroom: «Did you want to talk?»
«Zosimos?! Oh, I didn’t guess right away… Were you afraid of being followed?»
«What did you want?» – Kyon repeated gruffly.
«I…» – Bernard sighed noisily. – «Zosimos, it turns out that you are cool! You’re just very careful. Today I saw firsthand that you only want the best for Arpha, so I thought we could get along…»
«I will not take off the bracelets from the boys.» – Kyon said flatly.
«You misunderstood me! I really don’t see you as an enemy anymore… And if so, I would like to… That is, my boys want… Or rather, they beg me every day to invite Eve and Leila to visit them. And I thought, since you seem to be a good person, why not? We can also get to know each other better. I’m interested in your past, Zosimos.»
«I see. We will be with you soon.» – Kyon replied and dropped the connection. Apparently, Bernard is one of the sincere people, which means that sooner or later they will become comrades, or even friends.
Soon Lovr brought the girls to visit the boys, where they played and frolicked together.
Everything would be fine, but these stupid meetings, games, watching cartoons, going to theaters and toy stores will in no way help solve the impending disaster: in 12 days there will be the meeting of the heads of the clans. He needs to figure out a way to ensure Valeera’s safety.
The first and most sensible step is to focus on training. He will be able to become a superior phaser at the 7th stage just by the time of the event. Perhaps this will play an important role in future events, but definitely not a key one.
9 days passed unnoticed.
Every day, Kyon worked hard in the underground training room, collected information and generally prepared for the upcoming event. Although he never appeared in the department, he could still collect up-to-date data through his subordinates.
Lovr has repeatedly noticed that the Clintons are digging under him, trying to track down and find out where he lives, who he communicates with and much more. Although he strictly forbade Horace to follow him, he violates the rules… Too bad for him. It’s his own fault.
Kyon also found out that Elsa completed one “A” rank case on her own, and even in just 9 days! An impressive result. Either she is a genius, or she has some secret method that allows her to work for ten high-ranking investigators at once. Given the absurdity of the questions during the interrogation of Lindia, he was inclined to the second option.
Three days were left until the day “X”.
Today, Lovr and his daughters went out of the city to train. He made good progress in creating new techniques, entering a dark and light state of mind and not only, but the girls were doing much worse.
«Aa-a-a-a-aa! Why is it so difficult?!» – Leila shouted, ruffling her hair. – «If even Eve cannot master the fifth step, then how will I master it?!»
On the very first day of training, Kyon gave the girls a task: to follow 5 steps in sequence. The last one sounded like this: «to remember how to move the proboscis in order to give certain properties to the outgoing energy». This means that if they complete the 5th step, they will learn to use pure energy, that is, they will regain the lion’s share of their power. This is exactly what he dreamed of, but both girls were stuck on the 4th step. Perhaps if he had given up everything and trained with them everyday, things would have been different? He will never be able to find out the answer. In any case, given the passions that occur in the clan because of Edward, if he had delayed joining, he might never have met Valeera, so it’s stupid to complain about his choice.
«Honey, try a little more. Today is the last day of training, and we will not be able to do this in the city – it is strictly prohibited. In other words, you will no longer have a chance to regain your former power… Not in the coming years for sure. Or until you get your memory back.»
«The last day? Why?!» – Leila was surprised.
«Because your dad is being hunted by bad people… They have a magical way by which they can find me, but they can’t get to Dantes. We’re safe there.»
«What are these bad people?» – asked Eve.
Kyon decided to tell a part of the truth: «I won’t go into details: a few months ago I offended one authoritative demoness and, I suspect, when she returned to her homeland, she sent her subordinates after me. Given the distance between our empires, I guess that in the coming days, ill-wishers will be close by.»
The first wave of demons took a month and a half to overcome the path from the demon empire to Rosarrio. Since then, 32 days have passed, and Kyon could no longer afford to be out of the city. If the girls do not learn to master pure energy today, they will not be able to do it soon. He was very uncomfortable with the realization of what a great opportunity he would lose because of a whim of fate. Only these feelings forced him to risk leaving the city today, hoping for Eve’s talent: what if at least she succeeds?..
«Why won’t you go into details? I want to know more! What kind of demoness is she? How did you hurt her? Tell me!» – the little fairy demanded.
«My little flower, let’s talk another time, there’s no time now!» – Kyon hurried.
{Are these endless secrets of him again?} – Eve thought with displeasure.
«Demonesses… Ill-wishers… In general, you mean that we have only a few hours to learn how to use energy?» – Leila asked, putting her hands on her hips.
«Yes… As soon as you regain the ability to use energy, I can be sure that you are not in any danger. Try, please.» – Kyon almost begged them.
«So motivate me!» – the pixie exclaimed with a challenge.
«Do you want a mountain of marmalade? A life size doll? A cherry juice pool? Ask for anything, honey, just do your best today…»
«I want… I want…» – thoughtfully raising her wonderful eyes to the sky, Leila touched her delicious pink lips with her little finger. – «I want a wish!»
«A wish?»
«Yes! If I learn to use the energy, you will be obliged to fulfill any of my wishes!» – said the pixie. – «Oh, three wishes! Three!» – she jumped up and down.
«One wish. Agreed. Eve, honey, are you also participating?»
«Yes, daddy. With joy.» – smiled Eve, and her smile was dazzling, like the legendary flower of the Nine suns blooming.
«Well, damn it! I wanted three wishes!» – Leila protested.
«No backsies.»
«It’s not fair!» – the girl did not agree.
«It is fair! That’s it, stop acting like a child. We don’t have time.»
Eve giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.
Leila muttered something under her breath and sat in the lotus position, closing her eyes.
It was getting dark. Kyon’s mood sank with every passing minute. He hoped so much that the girls would learn how to use the energy, but it seems that this will not happen. Opportunity missed. With the current strength, which is at best 10% of the maximum physical strength, they will be inferior to the imperial phaser at the beginning stage, and if we talk about speed, even the royal phaser at the middle stage will overtake them. In addition, he still hasn’t accustomed them to blood. Hopelessness. It seems that they have nothing to do at the meeting of the heads of the clans. He will have to use plan B.
Suddenly, Kyon’s heart sank into his boots: he discovered that a dozen huge riding birds, hidden behind a massive concealment technique, had landed silently on a hill three kilometers away.
{For fuck’s sake!} – Lovr cursed mentally. These words perfectly described his feelings and the situation in general. Due to the fact that he decided to take the risk of getting out to the last training with the girls, he was “lucky” to stumble upon demons!
If only he had managed to notice the approach in advance, he would have managed to teleport, and he would have told the girls, for example, to temporarily hide, but everything turned out in the worst way: the demons appeared like a bolt from the blue! It was not possible to detect the approach by the birds due to the high quality of the mass concealment technique.
Lovr was feverishly thinking about how to act next: to escape, to fight, or to somehow try to negotiate? There is no other way. So, the latter option can be immediately excluded, because the intruders received an order from their masters, and it is unlikely that anything will make them change their minds; it is impossible to escape. No one will allow him to use the teleportation trigram, and the snowy owl is far away. And it’s not a fact that its quality is higher than that of the flying beasts of demons; all that remains is to fight, but he himself is not capable of anything even against the royal phasers, to say nothing of the imperial phasers. It is unknown how much the second wave is stronger than the first one. The only hope is the daughters.
While the demons were slowly approaching, Kyon sat down between Eve and Leila and sadly said: «My bunnies, something has happened that I was afraid to even think about… The bad guys are approaching us, and they are about to be close…»
The girls’ faces turned white with fear.
«Do they want to kill us?!» – Eve was horrified.
«I’m afraid so…» – Kyon began, when suddenly a strong contradictory feeling of compassion and pity flared up in him. Being a born egoist, he almost always put his safety first, but the very thought of what would happen to the girls if they were captured by demons broke his heart. It seems that his father’s feelings were actually awakened in him. Or rather, he had experienced these feelings before, but only now he realized how strong they were.
No matter how strong and durable Eve and Leila are physically, they will turn into punching bags for fast, dexterous and ruthless demons, because there are probably the imperial phasers among them… The girls will not help him in any way. The chance of success is close to zero, and it’s not worth risking their lives.
Realizing all this, Lovr said: «Or rather, no… They want to kill only me. I don’t want you to suffer because of me! You must run to the city!» – at first uncertainly, but then with inflexible determination, Zosimos declared.
«Are you leaving us?!» – Eve squeaked in disbelief.
«Dad, no! No, don’t you dare! What are we going to do without you?!» – Leila’s eyes glistened wetly from tears.
Shifting things into a spare ring, Zosimos said: «I will try to hold them back, but I won’t be able to do it for long… You must run as fast as you can without stopping! Although you are slower than demons now, fear will help you unleash your full potential of speed and get to the walls of Dantes first!» – he held out the ring to Eve. – «Find the menagerie and ask Lyuda to get things out of the ring. Before passing through customs, be sure to change your clothes. Show the document, and you will be allowed inside. You know the address of the hotel, ask strangers for directions. Wait for Bernard to appear there. Tell him that dad was kidnapped by bad people outside the city, and you were able to escape… He will take care of you. Don’t show your strength to him unless your lives depend on it. And be sure to stick together!»
«Dad, what are you talking about?!» – Eve sobbed, refusing to accept the inevitable.
«I will not leave you! No! I do not want to!» – Leila hugged the man tightly, not wanting to let him go.
«These demons are strong and ruthless… They will do to you what you would not wish to your worst enemy! Run quickly, do not hesitate! Run fast!» – ordered Kyon.
«No, I don’t want to!» – the pixie insisted.
«I SAID RUN!» – Kyon shouted as severely as he could.
Leila let go of the man out of fright and walked away a few steps.
The little fairy almost reflexively took up the bags entrusted to her and turned to run… Her heart did not allow her to disobey the man, especially when he was so serious in his intentions, but she was stopped by a loud cry from her sister.
«NO! I WILL NOT LEAVE!» – Leila stubbornly stamped her foot and bulge out her chest. – «And I don’t care how strong those bad guys are, I’ll beat them all! I won’t let them take my cartoons and dad away from me! I am ready to fight to the last drop of blood!» – she flashed a memorable beautiful phrase.
«Sweetheart… Please, for my sake… If something happens to you, I will not forgive myself…» – Kyon pleaded, not lying at all. They became dear to him.
«NO! And that’s it! I will fight for you!» – the girl exclaimed resolutely, wiping away her tears and clenching her palms into fists.
«I’m… going to fight too… I’m not going to lose you, dad! And I don’t want to live without you either!» – Eve interjected with tearful eyes. She herself lacked the determination to show her feelings, but with sisterly support, everything is different.
Kyon tried to find other words, but realized it was useless. Although he could manipulate Eve, the only thing that worked for Leila was the prohibition of cartoons and nothing else. Her disobedience, arrogance and self-confidence, as well as attachment to Zosimos, as to the person who makes her happy, will not allow the pixie to retreat. Given the huge chance of failure, he terribly did not want to put the girls’ lives on the line, but there was no other option.
Lovr humbly accepted the girls’ decision to stay with him and focused on the impending disaster: «If I can’t convince you, then I, as a father, am obliged to do everything to increase our chances of victory.»
«We are listening to you attentively, dad!» – Eve nodded with fire and fear in her eyes.