I follow my eldest son Cecile all the way to the Grezia graveyard and ask him.
"what are we doing here son?"
Cecile stares directly at me and points at a gravestone where my other son and his twin brother who he accidentally killed years ago during a sparring session and asks
"father remember, what you told me that day, when I killed him?"
I reply with a heavy heart.
"yes, but it wasn't your fault, I should have allowed him to spar with you, especially since he wasn't born with much mana."
he chuckles and his response tears my heart in half.
"it wasn't an accident.
he continues.
"that weakling had it coming to him, he knew that
he didn't stand a chance against me, but that idiot wasn't going to learn."
still staring directly into my eyes, he continues talking showing no remorse.
"so I taught him a valuable lesson that he wouldn't ever forget."
I shake my head.
"what has gotten into you son? why are you saying all of this to me?"
he answers with pure venom in his words.
"because father, this graveyard will be your resting place, and you can finally reunite with your favorite son Gerald."
feeling betrayed with what he told me, I ask.
"so you don't really know where Collin was taken to? this whole thing was just a setup to kill me?"
he sneers at me.
"there you go again talking about that Collin Belfaust."
he then asks.
"tell me father, is he the reason why you gave my brother hope that he can one day become strong even with his pathetic pool of mana?"
I think to myself.
"he may have been one of the reasons why I tried hard to train him."
I then answer him.
"yes, your brother needed to see even with hard work, he can attain goals that he never thought was possible."
he shakes his head.
"that is where you are wrong, they are people are destined to be great, and then they are weak fools like my brother who need to learn their place."
these hurtful words that Cecile is saying about his brother and my beloved son cause me pain I've never felt before.
"if something is bothering you, talk to me son, we can work on this problem and fix it together."
he sighs.
"you are a pathetic father, that man Collin has completely weakened you character."
he chants to himself in the unknown language I've heard before and after his eye color changes into a milky white color, I ask.
"you joined the cult?"
he puts his hand on his forehead and replies while shaking his head.
"of course you would say something as ignorant as that."
he removes his hand from his forehead and continues.
"I have achieved enlightenment on this path, I've taken and it has shown me that my powers can grow ever more than before."
he points at me and says.
"and my first step to achieve a higher power is to kill you and make you a part of me by consuming your flesh."
I respond angrily.
"Cecile son, snap out of it, that cult has been brainwashing you and filling you head with their lies."
he replies with a holier than thou voice.
"ever since I've walked on the true path, my fellow chosen ones have not lied to me."
he points at me.
"but you lied me, many times in my life."
I think to myself.
"this can't be how Cecile really feels, I know he can be arrogant and prideful at times, but this has to because of the damned cult who twisted his personality."
I get ready to fight and reply.
"don't worry son, this will only hurt for a few seconds and then we'll undo the damage that cult has done to you."
he laughs.
"a few seconds? I don't think so father."
I just point my finger at him and chant.
"Particle beam cannon!"
my fast moving projectile spell pierces through his t.h.i.g.h and as he collapses to the floor, he screams in pain while holding his wound.
"ah, that was very unexpected, but this does nothing to me."
he stands up and then points at his wound.
"look father, the gift I was given, allows me to heal any damage done to me."
the hole I left in his t.h.i.g.h closes and heals itself almost like, the damage I have done never happened, he then says in a defiant and arrogant tone.
"this will only end with one of us dead."
he chants.
"plasma beam!"
I react.
"particle shield."
as his projectile is stopped by my shield, he chuckles.
"it was obvious that you were going to block that,
so these next attacks are newly acquired spells that I have gained from the gift."
he chants in the unknown language again and takes out a whip covered with an ominous black smoke, I then ask.
"what is that language you are speaking?"
he sneers at me.
"outsiders like you are not allowed to know what language we speak."
I think to myself.
"it was worth a shot, trying to find out the strange language they speak."
I sigh and unsheathe my sword.
"if we are using weapons then so be it."
I then pour mana into my sword, to activate the enchantment properties on it, Cecile the scoffs.
"it is what I thought, you only aim to hurt me without killing me, which is why you are not using
your deadly spells."
I respond.
"your mind is not in the right place right now, and I will remove the cult's influence on you."
he comes closer with his glowing white milky eyes and replies.
"that is what will spell your doom, and you will die here with no help on the way."
I think to myself.
"he has a point that I won't have any help coming my way, but even so, I'm confident enough in ny abilities that I can hurt him without killing him."
and in a blink of an eye, Cecile closes the gap between us and swings in whip at me, but with each swing he takes, I block it with my red glowing sword, he then backs away as a mysterious female voice says.
"don't worry my child, I'll take over from here on out."
he asks politely.
"may I ask why my lady?"
she answers.
"three very formidable foes are on their way here, and you are not strong enough to fight them."
he replies obediently.
"yes, lady Mauri."
I snap at Cecile.
"don't listen to that crazy woman, she is not Mauri."
she chuckles.
"are you sure about that?"
the mysterious woman removes the hooded cloak and I find myself looking at the very boyish looking woman with short hair, and think to myself.
"it can't be."
I have come face to face with the most feared woman in history, Mauri.
END OF VOLUME 10.