Chapter 23 - Vault

Hanako Yumeki, the spider thief, the woman who killed Venedette's daughter, also the current owner of four Salamandites and the previous champion of the Dekadalaw Tournament.

Just how did she know about the Salamandite's powers?

"Do you think she had gone past the locked chapters of the books?" I pitched in their discussion.

Von and Venedette were still arguing about the tournament whilst Fily was now frustratedly asleep. Even Lei who always seemed like he didn't care started asking questions.

"So you're saying she has a copy of that book?" Von growled at me even though I just asked.

"You're right! It's either she was able to obtain information by talking to the gemstone or having a book like ours!" Venedette went closer to me.

"But this book has only one copy. It's even a miracle that it was found in this floating island after so many years." Fily's eyebrows were still furrowed, her eyes were slightly opened again as if she was trying to fight the drowsiness..

Venedette and I simultaneously looked at Von, also asking the same question of how did he find it?

"It was the dragon! It led me there."

As if not convinced, Venedette moved her face closer to Von, her eyes at the same level as his.

"Sus..." Fily mumbled.

"That's not the point! Aren't you glad we have the book!?" Von avoided his mother's gaze and shouted at Fily- whose drowsiness was eliminated by his sudden rage.

"Why are you angry??" Fily's voice cracked, she looked like she was on the verge of crying.

"Calm down Von." It was Lei, trying to stop Von from his reckless acts.

We all heard Venedette's loud sigh as she walked back to her previous position near the black window screen.

"Kids, please. Settle down. I know this was a lot to take in one go but I need to know your decision right now. I will be forming a guild. One that will take me to the top in order to face Yumeki."

"Mom..." Von was still worried but he had now calmed down. I kind of understand where he's coming from. After losing my friends and finding new ones, I don't want to experience that kind of pain again especially if I could do something about it.

"Please Von, I can't let that crazy woman run around just like what she's doing right now!"

"You might lose! I know you're strong, mom, but she's so much stronger than you! I can't let you do something this dangerous especially when I know that it might lead you to the same death as Demi!" Their argument was both valid. I don't know which side to agree on.

"I... I know. But I just can't turn a blind eye on this especially after finding out the truth. Von, I totally understand if you won't let me do this but my decision is firm. I will join the tournament. I'm sorry son."

"You're just like them! You promised you won't leave me!" Von's voice was shaky and his eyes were filling up with tears. I had never seen Von cry like this before. Actually, this is the first time that I've seen him cry.

Venedette was standing still in her position, but her eyes turned red from wiping too hard. "I have to do this." I heard her whisper while Von walked out of the library, which was then followed by Lei.

"Ven..." Fily was wide awake and was the first one to approach her, "give this some more thought okay? You have to be there for Von, he's been deprived of family and you're the last straw he has. Give him some time to adjust to this. I believe you can resolve this in your own way."

My heart felt like there was something burning in it. Something... I can't explain.

Am I angry? It hurts. It's suffocating.

I've never had a family before, is this how it feels to have a family?

"Venedette!" I ran to hug her. "I don't want you to die." I buried my face in her arms, my tears drenching the front of her dress.

"I won't die. I promise. But you've got to trust me. I know what I'm doing, and I know what I must do. I can't just sit here and do nothing when I know that there's a monster running around, just waiting for its right time to devour us. Who knows how many Demi will end up in the news if I don't do anything right now. My guilt will kill me Gem, Fily. I don't want that to happen, I can never be happy like that." She said between her sobs.

"If only I were strong enough, then you wouldn't need to be the one to fight her!" I moved away from them, my eyes shooting daggers at the image of the cold-blooded killer on the screen.

'Just wait for me, Hanako Yumeki. I will kill you with my own hands!'

I heard Venedette chuckle a little, "I'm glad you think that way." the both of them looked at me.

"Then I'm going to expect a hell lot of progress from your training Gem." She met me with a big smile, that contagious one that had already reached my heart long ago.

"Eung!" My yes got eaten by my aggressive nod.

I'll do my best to help you Venedette!

And with that, the day ended.

But still! I couldn't sleep!

Even if I'm very excited about seeing my stats tomorrow, the amount of information that I gathered just from that one meeting keept bothering me.

And tomorrow, Venedette and Fily will be leaving.

Just what can I do with those two boys especially Von now that I had agreed to join Venedette's guild! I'm sure he'll hate me even more because of that!

Aaaaahhh! I can't sleep!!

That spider-lady... why were they calling her the 'spider-thief'?

She didn't look like a spider to me... Oh nevermind.

I stared at the image of a woman in a green suit, with six additional mechanical arms behind her. It was her, the infamous spider-thief.

But there was no mention of Yumeki's name in every article about the spider-thief. And she was only relevant here in Clandamascarene. There was no news of this criminal from the other eight countries in this world.

But I guess she's a bigger criminal than I am... right?

We used the same method of killing (although I only accidentally killed that man.)

And she's also able to get past through the fiery borders without getting harmed.

But there's this one thing different about us... It's her power to shape-shift.

She can shape-shift.

That's what it said here in these articles! She shapeshifts into a spider to enter the vaults where the expensive pieces of jewelry were located! But how was she able to escape with it without being seen?

It's as if the jewels vanished in thin air!

The witnesses only mention that they saw a black hairy little spider leaving the vault in the morning, and they just let it go because of the bright green color that made them assume that it was poisonous. And the next thing they saw, was the vault, empty of all gemstone from the pieces of jewelry.

How did she do that?

She came in as a spider and then left as a spider. There were no signs of where the gemstones went. No loopholes found where she could secretly escape with the gemstones according to the Supolice.

How did she manage to escape with the amount of gemstone that she had stolen?

This is hurting my head.