Chapter 154 - "What A Beauty..."

"Ah… My hunger is gone. This pear is almost as good as the ones in Eden." Havvah compliments as she swallows the last bite of the pear that Fumio prepared.

"Keyword. ALMOST." Ahdem scoffs.

Fumio however witnessed how much the man enjoyed the pear.

"Well. Even if the pear is not special, the size of it will sure fill anyone." He shrugs as he tosses the plate to the kitchen like a flying saucer.

The couple watch the plate sail through the air and lands nicely inside the sink with a clang.

"Hm… I wonder what that thing is made of?" Havvah is interested that what seemed like a clay ceramic plate did not break from Fumio's reckless handling of it.

"So… magic." Fumio continues his inquiry.

"What about it?" Havvah and Ahdem get nervous.

They have not been comfortable with the questions so far and how much they had to reveal. But Fumio knowing of their history is nothing to them as even if Fumio somehow spreads the knowledge to others, others will simply dismiss it as Fumio's delusion.

They are not however willing to share the knowledge of magic to someone they just met. But they are willing to die defending that knowledge.

Fumio then pulls out his rune katana from his storage ring, making the couple clamp up their bottoms.

"Relax. Here. What can you tell me about it?" He hands his katana for the two to take a look at.

"What a beauty…" Ahdem's breath is taken away by the beauty of the katana.

The warrior in him cannot help but hold the katana's hilt and does a few swings with it in the air.

"Beautiful swordsmanship…" Fumio meanwhile, is stunned by Ahdem's display.

From start to finish of each swing, the sword blade's angle perfectly aligned with the trajectory it travels.

He can do it himself if he focuses, but seeing Ahdem do it consecutively with what looks like thoughtless and subconscious effort, almost takes his breath away in admiration.

He almost cannot control himself from asking Ahdem to be his swordsmanship teacher.

To his disappointment, Ahdem's display is cut short as Ahdem stops it.

"My word…" Ahdem's eyes widen, finding the runes that are carved in the blade's surface.

He hurriedly but carefully lays the sword down on the table.

"My love, look…" He calls out to Havvah as he traces his fingers along the runes.

"T-this…" Havvah too, is stunned.

The couple lower their faces closer to the sword as they continue to examine it.

A minute later, "So…" Fumio calls out.

"What can you tell me about it?" He repeats his question earlier.

"It's… this is not based on existing runes and seals." Havvah shakes her head.

"Not even runes by demons and angels?" Fumio asks.

"No. Their runes are only against each other's kinds. Zograthan taught us runes and seals against Angels. And Saraqael taught us runes and seals against Demons. Then Havvah and I combined the rune systems we know with what we learned from those two and made new variations." Ahdem explains.

"Variations…?" Fumio is confused.

"Yes. Catholic runes used in Europe. Shamanic runes used by Maya, Inca, and Aztecs in the Americas. Eastern Shamanic Runes used in the middle east, east Asia, and south Asia. Those were borne out of our trials and errors." Havvah explains.

"Poor Africa." Fumio jests to keep his surprise of the information.

"We don't even know what these runes are for. And… This sword looks relatively new." Ahdem finally looks up from the katana.

"Did you make this yourself?" He asks with a serious and hungry look.

"I did." Fumio nods.

"No…" Havvah detects his lie.

"You're too young." She scoffs.

"I'm not going to ask you anymore about magic. So don't ask me where I got it either." Fumio takes back his katana.

"Someone managed to make a new system. And it looks more complicated than ours." Ahdem rubs his brows in frustration as he tries to see through Fumio.

Instead of addressing Ahdem's words, "You should try my tea." Fumio stands up and heads to the kitchen counter.

In his mind meanwhile, Red's mystery deepens even further.

To make runes that even the oldest and the foremost human users of runes and magic cannot comprehend, just utterly blew his mind.

The couple is helpless, but they know they cannot find out more about the runes.

"So. In your long lives… Have you met someone who is not a superioris, not a demon, nor an angel, who has the powers of a superiori?" Fumio asks, hoping to find out more about the history of cultivators.

Red, after all, told him and Kotone that Red is from a long line of cultivators who had to live in hiding until Red, the most talented of all, came along.

"No. That's sounds crazy." Havvah is confused by Fumio's question.

"Not even heard of one?" Fumio asks.

"No…" Ahdem frowns in suspicion.

"Why do you ask?" He asks.

"Nothing." Fumio drops it and turns his back on the couple.

"…" The couple however, sees that Fumio's shoulders drop a bit. .

"'disappointed'?" Ahdem silently mouths to Havvah.

"'yeah. But why?'" Havvah shrugs.

"'I don't know. So strange…'" Ahdem ponders.

"So. You two must have been REALLY special, huh. How'd you get a Prince of Hell, and an Archangel follow your bidding instead of them killing you?" Fumio interrupts the two's silent exchange.

The couple can only drop their curiosity of what they just witnessed.

"Special… Possibly? But it cost us greatly. Due to some circumstances, we did not have our wood fragments with us. We had the use pure blood magic that almost bled us dry. We were crippled, paralyzed form head to toe for decades due to it." Havvah reveals.

"Hm…" Fumio nods.

"Although. I wonder what happened that made you summon them?" He asks.

"Imagine. Only the two of us in a non-superiori world. We were like heroes, the best warriors, natural leaders amongst any group we settle ourselves in." Ahdem sighs in reminiscence.

"But eventually, they noticed us unageing. They didn't understand why. Hell, even I do not understand why or how Ahdem and I are the way we are." Havvah continues.

"Anyway. If you lived long enough, you will know that people fear what they do not understand. So, we were feared by people. They suspected that we were somehow 'stealing' others' vitality to fuel our own, blamed us for them getting old…"

"You were persecuted." Fumio can understand.

"But there were upsides. We were venerated, worshipped. She was, for example, became the goddess queen Sobekneferu." Ahdem comments.

"Remind me who that is?" Fumio asks.

"The first female Pharaoh, and the last ruler of Egypt's Middle Kingdom." Ahdem explains.

"It still ended the same. The highest nobles and members of the court knew that I was never really a goddess. They also suspected my background and bloodline, which led them to attempt to assassinate me. 

"With that, they discovered my status as a superioris. And just like the stone wielding cavemen and bronze wielding farmers, they too, feared me." Havvah smirks.

"Ah…" Fumio does not care much about ancient history, but he is a bit impressed.

"And you, Ahdem? Been a pharaoh before?" Fumio asks.

"Nah. But I was king or chief for a few times before recorded history. By the time Egypt rose, I've had enough of ruling people." Ahdem shrugs.

"Although, I was once an Achaemenid general who fought against Alexander's forces." He adds however.

"…Alexander? The Great?" Fumio is amused.

"Uhuh." Ahdem nods.

"Huh… I should read about it some time." Fumio says as he finishes brewing tea. 

"Nah. You won't be able to find me on the internet, or any historical text." Ahdem chuckles.

"Why is that?" Fumio asks as he rejoins the couple and starts setting up the teacups.

"I embarrassed Alexander and his generals in many battles. So, when they won, he had my records, my name, and my achievements destroyed and buried." Ahdem chuckles.

"But… How did Achaemenids lose? They, had you." Fumio asks.

"I was only the only competent general from an empire that forgot how to do war, and whose citizens' loyalty was waning.

"The Macedonians meanwhile, had produced the best commanders, toughest and most disciplined soldiers at the time. They were fiercely loyal too." He sighs bitterly.

"If you were a general, doesn't that mean you killed humans?" Fumio asks.

"I did." Ahdem nods, already knowing where Fumio is leading the conversation to.

"Look." He continues.

"The Achaemenid Empire at the time, and its leaders, was the hub of culture, art, and science and technology. Alexander on the other hand, only wanted to conquer as much of the world as possible, and to swallow as much gold as possible.

"He did not care about moving the civilization forward. I had to protect the Achaemenids, to keep what they were doing, going." He explains. 

"So… It must have been weird killing things that are basically your descendants." Fumio asks, imagining what it was like as Ahdem.

"I did not enjoy it one bit." Ahdem shakes his head.

"But I had to do what I had to do to prevent the destructive ones from destroying the hard work and growth of those who move humanity forward." He explains in conviction.

"hmmm…" Fumio nods in understanding, satisfied by Ahdem's reason.

He then pours tea on the couple's cups and then on his.

"Please." He urges the two as he sips on his cup.

The two follow Fumio's example, and they are stunned by its fragrance and taste of the tea. They feel the warmth course from their stomachs to the rest of their bodies, making their bodies relax.

They did not know that they were feeling restless and anxious until the tea helped them relieve it.

"If only we knew how to make tea at that time… it would have helped us a lot." Havvah sighs.

"Uhn…" Ahdem grunts in agreement and proceeds to inhale the fragrance of the tea.

Havvah is about to thank Fumio for the tea, but she notices something.

Ahdem notices Havvah staring at Fumio and he observes the cultivator too.

The two notice that Fumio seems a lot more relaxed than he was before drinking his tea. They noticed that Fumio has been stressed and a bit restless since they met him, but they did not realize how bad it was until now, when they are looking at Fumio in his relaxed state.

"You must have been carrying a lot on your shoulders, my child?" Havvah cannot help but ask.

"…" Fumio stares at her silently.

"…" The couple simply stare back, noticing that a cacophony of emotions is stirring inside Fumio.

"Come now. Even though you're countless of generations down from us, you are still our blood." Havvah urges.

"…" Fumio, looking at Havvah's caring eyes and her gentle voice soothing his ears, he feels comforted.

"We've overheard your conversation with your demon friend." Ahdem comments.

"I know how it feels, having a hand on someone's death. We can help you with what you're feeling." He coaxes. 

"I...." Fumio grimaces.