'What did we do? We did the unforgivable!'
The mortal's minds were filled with haunting thoughts, realizing the gravity of the situation.
They turned to Shinji who had cunningly diverse the plan for them to kill the Tama-Artists, wanting him to take the blame; however, the young man was swimming in his blood.
None of them knew of his sickness, hence they thought:
'Those nefarious Bushi must have used a Tama to kill him before they died!'
Looking at the Tama-Artists who showed clear signs that they had been killed by people instead of profound beasts, their expressions became more ashen.
'We are done for! We need someone to take the fall!'
They looked among each other; nevertheless, no one would suit the criteria. If it were based on looks then they would be all victims —most look like hooligans from a manhwa—; on strength terms, the victims would be the seniors.
Upon pondering, Mango-Mango, a Tsuki Slave, yells, "This is all Lucy's doing! None of us have anything to do it! We told him to stop, but he was too arrogant to listen to us! We were all scared of his hammer to stop him!"
Lemon-Lemon supported the idea, adding, "Scholar-san reported Lucy to the Tama-Artists, but was mistakenly killed by them in rage. Using that moment, the brute snick attacked them."
All those who carried a rancor with Lucien —the Tsuki Slaves— voiced out in agreement. And, Koshiti, the horse faced veteran who talked with Shinji earlier, nodded —someone has to take the fall.
—An antisocial like Lucien is perfect.
Pondering for a few minutes, Koshiti speaks in a cold tone, "Lucy-san uses a hammer, let's make the Bushi's bodies look like they were killed by one. After we are done, let's go search for him."
Correction: beat Lucien until he appears like he fought the Tama-Artists alone, and luckily managed to stay alive, before dying from his wounds.
The group collected heavy objects in a drift, ready to put their plan in action. However, when they reached the Bushi's corpses, an angelic voice being carried by the wind rang in their ears.
"I promised to not interfere in darling-Sama's life until we get married, but this is going over board. I'll act as a person who can't stand injustice."
Before the mortals could do anything, a gust of wind swept past the training camp, clearing all bodies that had died, restoring everything to normal.
The phenomenon itself seemed as if time had been reversed back to the point the mortals hadn't left the camp, removing the fact that the dead stayed dead.
As this miracle happened, the mortals dashed straight into the forest like buffaloes on a stampede, following the veterans in front who didn't know where they were going.
To them, fighting profound beasts till the day they die is better than meeting their end now.
That being said, before they could reach the slope they were running to, an angel in a pink yukata descended in front of them from the clouds. She had no wings, yet her beauty made her look like such beings.
Her looks were beyond fitting for a heavenly entity;
Pink eyes, elf-like-ears —not too long, or pointy—, blonde-hair in a short pixie-cut bringing out the shape of her charming face.
Slender built, mesmerizing size for curves and a chest made more pronounced by her sashi, incited her to look like someone cut out from a painting.
Her fair skin seemed to be nourished by bees and butterflies —beyond the levels of sweet and smooth. At the end of her thigh-high boots was a sight —her long legs— that made any man salivate.
"Damn son!"
Mango-Mango was the first to curse out in delight. He felt weak from all his joints at her sight; eventually passing out from a nose bleed.
The girl didn't get why the men were stunned —it is always like this—, since her 'darling-Sama' doesn't compliment her much when it comes to looks.
Frustrated, she beats up the mortals nicely, taking her time. After an hour, the Kurenai Villagers laid on the ground: their bodies didn't show bruises, but their insides were in pain.
Some had their stones crushed, prompting them to be important.
To their demise, nevertheless, the angel kept on beating the shit out of them for having the balls to plot against her 'darling-sama.'
***
Tento who had been hiding in a tree watching the mayhem, descended, and picked up Shinji.
Watching the scholar walk around in circles, he somewhat frowns, narrating his hypothesis to Shinji's actions:
"You knew that the stage 2 profound beasts wouldn't kill the Bushi, but you still called them over. Your plan was to exhaust them, before the gangs fights them. No matter the result, you were going to kill everyone in the end, right?"
Shinji attempts to nod, but stops midway. Kicking the ground, he increases his pass.
"My plan was to expunge this place using the excuse that mortals were attacking Tama-Artists, and fake Derniere-san death, to fool the people who want to kill him. With my Tama making a double for his corpse is possible."
'I wish I had a friend like this.'
Ten nods in awe, but his face suddenly takes an awkward twist the second later.
"You were planning to kill me, weren't you?!"
Shinji halts his steps, swaying his head to the side, as if he heard something ridiculous.
"Do I know you?"
"Ah..."
Tento was out of words. He wanted to say something, but gulped down his saliva, pondering his fate. Sitting on his makeshift swing, he watches the scholar who resumed his circles around the pinecone.
A minute went away like a second, and Shinji's distress grew, inciting him to talk out his thoughts:
"With the mortals gone it would be hard to fake his death."
"I just beat them, they're alive."
"They alive that's good, if I set them on fire they should come back to life. Wait, aren't they dead, maybe I should use my Tama that creates any form of matter to turn them into chimpanzees."
"Scholar-san, are you okay?"
"Of course, I'm K. Long ago, I had a fish called, T. The cat liked to fly into high places. One day, I caught it in the mouth of a panda. I see, the problem is dread locked people, their absence on the camp is causing the cologne in the air to be taken by the ugly people. I love a good dread locked person with shaved hair."
"Here." A paper bag was brought before him, "Breathe in this to calm down."
Shinji took the paper bag. This was new to him, but he didn't need to be instructed on how to use it.
Taking deep breaths Shinji felt better by each output.
In the midst of calming down, the same beautiful hand that gave him the paper bag, brought up a drawing.
"Do you know where I can find this man? You're the only person I can ask, since the cute boy is pretending to be asleep to ignore you."
Looking at the drawing before him, Shinji's stress went down completely. Such childish thing couldn't be called art at all.
He mocks, "You draw like Derniere."
The girl didn't feel offended and smiled.
"You know my darling-Sama?"
"Ahh!"
Shinji couldn't contain his shock at this confession. He blinked a few times to confirm what he heard, and what he was seeing.
Putting the paper bag in his robes, he chuckles, extending his hand to the girl.
"I've always wanted to see Derniere-san girlfriend; to think you look this beautiful. He calls you the most beautiful person in the world, and you really fit the position —after my girlfriend, that is."
The Blondie blinks, embarrassed by what she was hearing;
"He doesn't compliment me at all?"
Shinji couldn't believe what he was hearing. When Lucy talked about her, he makes everyone envious from his descriptions.
"Maybe, Derniere-san is a tsundere."
The girl didn't feel offended and shook hands with Shinji who asked, "What's your name by the way?"
"I won't tell you."
Before Shinji could use his tricks to figure out more about the girl, she took a closer look at him: triangular face, beige-hair with some strands of hair covering his hazel eyes, making people think he doesn't see; handsome with similar height to hers.
"You must be Shinji-kun?"
Shinji nods.
"Darling-sama says you're the person he trusts the most."
"He is at the Sakura blossom trees. That's where he sits to rest occasionally. He once told me the place reminds him of your eyes."
Shinji left the scene, running toward the bamboo garden. Meanwhile, the girl looked at the lonesome back with chapfallen gaze.
"Doesn't he want to be friends with my darling-sama? They look perfect together, in my eyes. Maybe, they already are, and are in the middle of fight?"
Tento who was pretending to sleep, answers with closed eyes, "He is going to make another plan to save his friend."
The girl blinks, turning her head to look at the young man swaying on the swing.
"If he kills those mortals; destroy this place won't he save him?"
Tento shakes his head, his expression calm.
"In a few days the first mystery of the birthmark will be reviewed to the ones at the top; they're going to start hunting all seven. If Shinji continues with his current plan, Lucien will be found in three day, and be killed together with Lila."
The girl nods, her face twisting in worry.
"Then, I'll take Derniere with me."
Ten shakes his head.
"If he lives with us now, I'll be in trouble."
The Blondie flinches, taking a step back. Pointing at Tento, she stammers her shock:
"D-Da-Dad!!"
Obvious to the events of the past two minutes, Ten opens his eyes. Scathing the back of his head, he grins at the girl shuddering in her spot.
"What are you still doing here; why don't you use your power to search for Lucy-san?"
—I can't wait to see another juicy romance tale!!!
The Blondie narrows her eyes, her fury palpable. Was her father such an obnoxious person to possess someone without their discontent? Yes!
Puffing her cheeks, she teleports to Lucien's direction only to be met with indifference.