Chapter 24: A Dangerous Child, The Eye in the Distance

As Marius brought home the exhausted Grevlin, he noticed that Ria was up playing with Little Rose, who seemed filled with an abundance of energy.

"Mama, I want up-up!" Little Rose said cutely, her tiny little arms stretched towards Ria's face.

"Hehe, as my little Rosey wishes," Ria replied lovingly as she picked her up and tossed her up and down, catching her easily as she fell back down.

Little Rose gave off a series of laughter as her mother played with her, not noticing her father's arrival.

Marius gave Ria a look as even though he didn't point it out, he had known that she was watching from nearby as he trained Grevlin.

As if she knew he noticed, Ria gave him a cheeky wink causing him to scratch the back of his head, as she saw his appearance, she giggled before setting her sights onto Grevlin and speaking, "Our little Grev-Grev is beginning to awaken, but it will still take a little longer for it to come in full effect."

Marius also nodded at her words; he smiled while taking a seat with Grevlin in his arms before saying, "Yes, he did pretty good today, even I didn't have that kind of calm as a child. I had to undergo cruel torture and conditioning for a good while before I had adapted to that kind of lifestyle..."

As Marius said this, he began to recall some dark memories and pictures of his early childhood from the unusual orphanage that had turned out to be an assassin training camp.

Ria could sense his negative emotions; she naturally could sense that he recalled terrible things, she stared at him and spoke, "Come now dear, it's best not to wallow over such things, you have me and our two little treasures now."

Marius also nodded and smiled as he felt much better, he looked at Ria and saw that Little Rose was laughing as Ria drowned her with tickles.

He shook his head and stood up and spoke, "I'm going to go clean up with Grevlin,"

Ria gave him a wink with a different meaning, Marius naturally knew what it meant as he hurriedly left the room while rubbing his palms together, a happy smile on his face.

At this time, Little Rose had finally gotten a break from her mother who was tickling her, she took a huff and pointed at Ria while speaking in a cute tone, "Mother... mother has bullied me!"

Ria didn't seem to mind the accusation, she poked her little tummy and spoke, "Whose my cute little Rosey?"

Little Rose seemed to be conflicted; she didn't know if she should continue to be angry or happy, after a cute little turmoil. She jumped from the ground into Ria's bosom as she spoke happily, "I am!"

Ria smiled as she rubbed her and spoke, "Come, let's go for a walk and play that game again, after playing that game, we'll get some sleep."

Little Rose made a somewhat naive look as she replied, "Okway."

Ria had a strange and mysterious expression; her eyes glowed in flaming lights that sent out a series of purple flames that consumed both her and her daughter. In merely a few moments, they vanished from the room, leaving behind the seemingly ordinary scene.

The Mountain Ax Senior sat down in his study, gazing at a few stacks of paper, he rubbed his temples as if exhausted before staring at a picture frame.

There, he saw an old photo of a faded image, but if one peered at it more carefully, they would see the indistinct picture of a gorgeous woman with two horns.

"Aya..." The Mountain Ax Senor said with a slightly melancholic look on his face; he was about to fall into his memories. But suddenly, he shifted his eyes towards the direction of the guest room as he made a pensive expression.

'She's headed out again, I see, off to train that child I suppose, truly a miraculous set of Half Hellian children. It truly does makes me wonder, am I doing the right thing?' The Mountain Ax Senior thought with a perplexed look on his face as if recalling a series of painful events. Eventually, his eyes that stared at the picture frame hardened as if he made up his mind.

"Right and wrong is defined by perspective... isn't that right, Aya?" After saying this, the Mountain Ax Senor placed down the stacks of paper and had started to prepare a few objects.

The scene here now of a different vibe as the sounds of rustling and a pen scribbling on paper sounded throughout the study.

***

In the depths of the wilderness of the unusual mountain ranges outskirts, Ria had appeared out a ball of purple flames as she held onto Little Rose in her hands.

Little Rose looked around at the night scene in excitement rather than fear, for rather than seeing a pure sight of darkness, her eyes view the night much differently.

A series of colorful lights covered the forests, as the trees and leaves which were shrouded in darkness glowed in a myriad of hues.

A few tiny critters that floated about in the darkness shone in a pale orangish light as they flew about the skies, leaving behind magical specks of dust that scattered with the wind.

"So prwetty!" Little Rose said in joy as she enjoyed this scene very much, far more so that the typical night scene at earth.

Ria smiled and rubbed her daughter's head as she spoke, "Alright, my sweet little one, do you remember what mother told you?"

Little Rose made a thoughtful expression before she replied, "Mm, yes mama!"

After hearing her daughter's words, Ria then gently put down Little Rose and took a few steps back, Little Rose once placed onto the ground wasn't scared, she seemed no different from a curious toddler that was ready to explore the unknown.

Suddenly, Little Rose's eyes glowed in bright purple lights as the scene before her changed, the lights in the forest dimmed as she began to see a few peculiar beasts.

Each of varying sizes and different colors, the weakest of these beasts were the size of rabbits with a green outline, but one of these beasts was even larger than Ria, looking no different from a giant boar with burning horns.

It glowed with a bright orange hue, nearing the color of red that signified its level of threat to Little Rose, as if it sensed the strangeness in their direction, this creature rapidly charged over.

"Mama! I fwound a Bwig Pwig!" Little Rose said excitedly.

Ria smiled and replied, "That's my girl; remember to do the next thing."

"Mm!" Little Rose uttered with an excited tone of voice.

Moments after, the enemy had arrived, with a loud bang, a stone blew up as the boar jumped from behind it and landed in the open field.

Blaze! A series of fire scattered around it before gathering toward its upraised horns, as if trying to add further to the dramatic entrance, the boar's eyes shone in a murderous light as it cried out with a great roar, "Grooooaaaarrrrr!"

This creature was known as the Burning Horn Boar, a fierce G Rank beast by nature, known for its brutality amongst even its kin.

As if unphased by its roar, Little Rose looked at it and spoke while pointing her little fingers, "Bwad Piggy, I must pwunish!"

The Burning Horn Boar was already provoked by her presence, but when it saw her point her tiny little arms towards it; it roared as it stomped the ground and dashed towards her, prepared to tackle her.

In any world, this scene would spark a mighty commotion to any, as no living person would dare to subject a child to such a scene. However, this was not an ordinary child.

Little Rose seemed who be ready, a small cluster of purple flames gathered over her palms that was pointed towards the Burning Horn Boar.

As if it sensed an immense danger, the Burning Horn Boar halted its charge in horror, causing its legs to slide with a deep impression on the earth. However, before it could even escape, its end had already arrived.

"Bwad Pwiggy! Buuurrnnnn!" Little Rose said in an adorable tone, but sadly, the result was far from the cute and sweet battle cry.

A big blast of purple flames fired from her palms before crashing into the trembling Burning Horn Boar, in moments, this fire attribute beast was burnt to cinders leaving behind not even a trace of its ashes.

Little Rose clapped her hands at this scene, the lights from the purple flames illuminating her tiny figure as she spoke, "Mama-Mama! I dwid it! I lweveled up!"

Ria made a loving look as she rubbed her head and spoke, "That's my girl, come now, tonight's training is over, let's head back now,"

Little Rose nodded as her eyes turned droopy, she lifted her tiny arms and spoke in a weak voice, "Mama, I'm slweepy..."

Ria picked her up and held her in a gentle hold before snapping her fingers, a cluster of purple flames burnt around them before fading, as they once again vanished from this region, bringing an end to tonight's adventures.

****

Far away from the isolated mountain region, within an unusual land, one with dark red skies and black thunder clouds that scattered with red lightning bolts, there was a massive palace of darkness.

At the summits of this massive palace with sharp edges, one that seemed no different from those sinister-looking castles shown in fantasy stories. One would notice a giant eye; it stared towards the distance as if it were seeking something, always on constant watch.

Suddenly, this eye shifted towards a particular location; it narrowed as a voice sounded across the heavens, "Hmm... it is there, in that zone, I can sense it, the power of our blood..."

After the voice said this, an indistinct figure with two horns appeared out of nothingness, floating in the air beside the giant eye. It looked at the person and noticed that he was similarly facing that direction with a complicated look.

After a moment of silence, the eye then spoke again, "Gizelmon... since you've arrived, I shall leave it to you... I trust that you know what will happen should you fail to accomplish this task?"

Gizelmon's indirect body began to fade as he stared at the giant eye, he sighed before he spoke with a bow, "I understand... as the ancient one wishes, I shall not fail you..."

Following those words, Gizelmon's body had vanished into nothingness. The giant eye then stared out into the distance once more, as if piercing through the world...