Chapter 123 - Limited Time

"Lady, have you lost your mind?'' Sigh… Women these days were more unpredictable than the weather of Visteria. 

He raised his hand and a golden thread seeped out of his fingers, transforming into an arrow. The arrow clashed with the golden spear. The bookshelves crashed by the huge force. 

Both of them retreated a few steps back. 

Aleister wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. 

"Cough…" Ruby glanced at Aleister in shock. He was stronger than she assumed. 

"Is it because of this?" Aleister raised the book in his hand, ''Initially, I was just trying to obtain this book to feed Esme's curiosity but I think it's not a bad idea to put some more effort into this.'' 

''It has nothing to do with this book,'' she lied because she knew this book was somewhat extraordinary. She could feel the divine power in it combined with a mysterious power that felt familiar to her, "I just want you to stay away from Esme and stop meddling in her affairs," it was the truth though. 

''Unfortunately, I won't be able to do that even if she is the one asking for it.''

''You really are his son. Arrogant to the bones. But unfortunately, you are not half as powerful as your father,'' Ruby's lips tugged up in a mocking smile as she stepped back and a golden glow enveloped her body.

Aleister watched as the woman mumbled something and in the next moment, a silver snake-like weapon was shot at him. The snake was so vivid that it seemed like it was alive. 

Just when Aleister tried to stop the attack, he realized that he could not move his hand.

He closed his eyes and directed the force to his hand but his body felt numb. 

'ROAR' 

Leo jumped in front of the weapon to take the attack head-on. 

Ruby's expression faltered for a moment before she smiled, ''You should know it well that this attack of mine will never go waste. Even if you try to shield him with your own body, my silver serpent would eventually find its way back to the one it was summoned for.'' 

Just as the words left her mouth, an injured Leo fell on the ground with a loud crash.

A vicious red light shone in the eyes of the silver serpent as it shot straight at Aleister, turning into a whip and wrapping itself around his body. 

'Bam' 

The book dropped from his hand as blood dripped from his body, landing on the book.

Even a small movement in his body caused the whip to tighten further. 

''Hahaha,'' Ruby laughed, ''You can never take this attack of mine. Good luck with that. You should have listened when I was being good to you. Now sit here and wait for your death,'' As soon as her words fell, she disappeared from their view. 

Leo glared at the spot even after the woman disappeared. 

He slowly turned around to look at Aleister who had his face covered in a cold sweat, his lips had gone pale. 

Leo approached the man and opened his mouth wide before biting the whip entangled around his body. 

The whip tightened even further. Aleister closed his eyes to hold back the groan sitting on the back of his throat. 

''I told you that you should find yourself a wife. See, you have gotten quite old and senile,'' Aleister joked as he glanced at Leo who was coughing blood. 

Leo ignored his sarcasm because he knew it was the man's crooked way of consoling him. He closed his eyes and slowly turned back to his cat form. He glanced at Aleister's shoulder where the tip of the whip had wrapped around him like a vine. 

He extended his paws and made a stance to jump on Aleister but in the next moment, a golden ray shot at him and he slumped on the floor lifelessly. 

Aleister glanced at his finger before looking at the unconscious Leo in disdain, ''You need to be strong to be able to take such things,'' he glanced at the strange serpent-like whip that was wrapped around his body. 

He gritted his teeth, intending to pull it down his waist with his muscle strength but the whip continued tightening, piercing through his skin and flesh around his chest and shoulder. 

''Argh…'' Aleister tilted his head back as he leaned on the shelf, blood trickling down his body which started pooling on the floor. 

"I swear that woman must be jealous of our love,'' he mocked. 

''You bet?'' came a soft whisper from the corner in the library. 

Aleister raised an eyebrow, ''What are you, a ghost?'' he mocked but this time there was no response from the woman. Just when he thought she disappeared for real, the whip tightened around his body as if it was even possible, ''Ahhhh…'' he dropped on the floor, coming to his knees. 

Aleister closed his eyes and clasped his palms together. His small movement made the whip tighten once again but he endured the pain as he gathered his power in his palms. A small golden ball appeared on his palms and it slowly started growing. 

As the time passed by, sweat droplets rolled down his forehead and blood trickled down his body, the huge golden ball in his hand transformed into a sword. 

''Ahhh!'' Aleister gritted his teeth and slashed it across the whip in one movement. The whip was shredded to pieces and it fell on the floor before dispersing into the air. 

His body slumped on the floor. While cutting off the whip, the sword had slashed through his chest as well. 

Aleister pressed a palm on his chest from where the blood was gushing out. 

''Cough…'' 

Aleister raised his head when he heard the noise. 

The woman who disappeared earlier was now standing near the wall as she wiped the blood from her mouth. This must be one of her powerful moves because she was unable to handle the backlash it gave her. 

As she glared at him in shock and disbelief, the corner of his lips tugged up in an arrogant smile, ''What a pity. That pretty whip was quite delicate.'' 

Although he seemed to be praising it by calling it pretty but one could hear the mocking intent in his voice. Ruby gritted her teeth, ''Don's be smug yet. You should know that your time is limited,'' the corner of her lips tugged up when she watched the shift in his expression, ''The divine power inside you makes you feel like it can explode at any given moment, doesn't it?" 

Aleister's lips thinned. No one else knew the condition of his body more than himself. Usually, he would be healthier than anyone out there but the moment he overexerted his powers, it will start feeling like something was growing inside his body, gnawing at his chest which will explode within an instant. Even now, he could feel the burning sensation in his chest. 

He had the urge to rip open his body with his bare hands. 

It has been that way for as long as he could remember. The powers within him have always been balanced but there was always this unsettling feeling which has come to grow in recent days. 

''Your time is limited, Prince Aleister. I'll give you another chance to re-consider the options I am giving you,'' Ruby coughed once again, wiping off the blood from her mouth, ''I will tell you everything you want to know but in return, you must stay away from Esme and you should stop meddling in her affairs as well.'' 

Aleister lowered his head. 

Ruby smirked. For how long would he have denied her offer? In the end, he had to fall for it. 

''Alright, I will do as you say,'' he looked at her with determined eyes. 

Ruby tilted her chin, ''Much better…'' her expressions worsened all of a sudden. 

''Pfft,'' Aleister threw his head back as he laughed to his heart's content, ''I apologize, Lady Ruby but you sure are stupid. My precious will bawl her eyes out if I leave her side.'' 

''You despicable jerk! You will regret it,'' Ruby gritted her teeth.

''Jerk. It's not the first time I have been called that,'' he winked. 

That was all she saw before she disappeared into thin air. 

''Urgh…'' Aleister spat out a mouthful of blood on the floor as soon as she disappeared from his sight. He pressed his hand on his chest and pushed himself to his feet, staggering back and forth until he found his balance.

Aleister glanced at the unconscious Leo who was in the form of a small cat. He picked Leo, holding him from his tail, ''Mm… not dead yet,'' he nodded and threw him out of the window in the library, ''Don't whine later. Cough… This is what you get for trying to protect me when you know that you are weak,'' he rolled his eyes in disdain and jumped out of the window before disappearing into the darkness. 

''Cough…'' Aleister leaned his forehead against the castle wall to where he teleported from the church. 

He tilted his head and glanced at his room which was at a height. 

Aleister closed his eyes, intending to teleport into his room but he ended up on the window sill, thanks to his power which was in a disarray. The corner of his lips twitched. 

He inhaled a deep breath and flipped his body through the window, enduring the pain he felt because of his wounds being torn. 

'Bam' 

Esme glanced in the direction of the noise, her eyes widening the moment she saw him. 

''Al,'' she rushed towards him, ''What happened to you?" she asked, worry apparent in her eyes. 

'How sweet!' he thought, 'What a musical voice,' he mused, the corner of his lips tugged up slightly at the sight of her. The situation was not that bad after all having him gained Esme's attention and concern.

*Flashback ends*