Chapter 85: Request

The murmuring of the waves was hypnotic. But not the thousands of rook circling the blue sky.

Above the endless darkness of these flying rooks were the two beasts chasing each other. The evolved rook leisurely taking its time to comprehend its newly found strength, while the redcap wing went flying with a bleeding gut. After all, summoned weren't immortal. By learning a proper enchant, summoners were able to call their desired beast. The beasts they summoned will be aligned to the grade of their core and the element they were inclined with. And, the number they can summon a beast will depend on their mana quantity. Since summoned beasts were constantly draining the summoners mana.

The difference between a summoned beast and a tamed or pact was that once recalled back to their dimension, they have the fastest healing rate, and are less hassle since summoner can carry them wherever they may go.

Redcap wings were beasts aligned to fire and dark magic. Strong indeed, unless their opponent was on their final form and evolved by feeding a pure amount of mana. Forcing them to break their limits. Having an advantage, the evolved rook knew its only a matter of time before he can finish the summoned beasts.

Although the summoning process required a lot of mana, Yaluk thought that giving his mana to the redcap and thousands of lesser beasts was worth it. He was tall, in fact, the tallest among the pirates of the seven seas, it must be due to the rare bloodline that made him look that way, but against the giant Hocoff, standing across him. He was nothing but an ant. Standing in two, Yaluk stood on his toe to reach the underbelly of the giant.

Yaluk knew how to command the giant. By making promises from the voice inside the coffin. The voice - Anita - well then order the giant, Hocoff, to do her biddings.

Yaluk could then order to cause devastation.

According to Yaluk's clientele, the forge human giant could only be controlled by the voice inside the coffin. In truth, none have seen the face of the entity inside the coffin. The coffin could only be opened inside or requires a great amount of luck to accidentally press the button that was carefully hidden on the surface of the coffin.

And the only way to make the voice respond inside was to offer her treats. Anita, a sweet tooth, a food lover, and a killer, would respond from the outside voice if she was offered a treat she couldn't refuse. And one of them was food and candy.

As the surrounding remained quiet and dark, Yaluk moved closer to the coffin. Bent his knees and swallowed the courage he had left to make promises. "Little girl," he said, although the tone of his voice was broken, he composed himself in a calm and convincing voice. He then waved his hand, candy in a stick appeared. Normal humans - Hollows - the rejected by mana couldn't sense the sweet aroma of candy, even some hunters who do not crave candies couldn't smell it. But for Anita, her acute sense of smell especially towards candies, made the coffin jerked a little. Yaluk smiled and reached the candy towards the coffin. "I have the candy you loved, as always the finest product of Uncle Tom's Cloying Factory."

Without looking at the candy, and just by judging from the smell alone, Anita could see the candy in her thought. Pink, swirling, and an inducing crystal of candy spun her head. The edge of the coffin opened, multicolored beads reflected the remaining beam of the sunlight. A hand, dry, and hardwood reached out for the candy. Midway, the wooden hand stopped.

Yaluk froze. Months ago, before Anita was stolen the pirates, every day, he fed her the same candy. And without delay, the child grabbed the candy. Yet, the hand stopped, now in his crucial moments. He remained calm, he knew the child could sense fear, that's what made her essential. Anita could sense fear. "What's wrong, little girl?" He said in a calm manner, but his eyes couldn't be deceived by his own thoughts. His eyes narrowed and jerked briefly. "You don't like candy anymore?"

"No," the voice inside the coffin said. Sweet and high pitched. "I do, really do. Hmmm!"

"Then what's wrong."

"Big brother will hate Anita if I don't follow him," she said.

Yaluk's face sterned. 'you must be kidding me'. He swallowed a lump in his throat and said. "What do you mean 'brother'? Do you mean the giant? And who's Anita, little girl?"

"No. Big brother Ned will get mad. Hmmph," she said as if she was pouting her human lips. " I am Anita, big brother gave me a name."

Yaluk's face paled. His hands trembled. His voice was hoarse. "Listen here, you little bitch!" He cried. "You're not human, you're a puzzle! Pieces of different things stack in you. Your father made you like candy and made sure to follow our command. Now tell me, who is that brother of yours and I will make sure he will regret giving you a name!"

The wooden hand pointed at the Cuttlewitch Lobby's deck. Exactly to where Ned stood. "There, that is brother, Ned. Hmmph! Don't you dare harm brother! Anita will get angry!"

"Don't you dare my ass!" Yaluk bellowed. Raised his staff and muttered unknown words. "Go!"

The thousands and thousands of rooks circled once. And remained to hover at the sky. All of them started to move like a conductor for the opera was commanding them. They formed a mountain of darkness and with a thought, Yaluk ordered them to swarm the enemy's ship. Specifically, the pale and exhausted Ned.

"Lad! Ye sure about this?" Lady Darcey cried. Her leg turns blue from the loss of blood. Eventually, after mending the more seriously wounded crew, lady Baba tended on their captain.

Ned smiled as an answer. "Right on time," Ned muttered. "ICE!" Show me how Rassus devour.

With a prompt, Ned's HUD turned red, seconds later a line a black-edged his display. Data then was sent to Ned's thoughts.

[Connect your presence to your Core. Think. Focus. But make sure, do not let it consume you, Ned.]

Like any other spell, Ned focused. His thoughts were now inside his core. A core inside him in endless darkness. "Absorb," Ned said. With the word, the black flame trapped inside the transparent core burst. The black flame slowly crept his core. Ned knitted his brow. "Tell me Rassus, what do you feel when devouring. Convert," Ned muttered. The black flame jumped to Ned's naked body. It stung. It pinched. And felt warm then cold. "Now, Invoke," Ned said.

Outside, he opened his eyes, the wind howled from the distance. His white baggy clothes whipped against the breeze. It was cold and soothing. Ned raised his dominant hand above the dark looming sky, he opened his palm. Then black energy started to ooze out his chest, creeping to limbs, eventually his hand. The black energy formed an orb and spun on his palm. It spun and spun until the black energy turned to mist. "Devour," Ned invoked.

The swarm of rook hurled themselves towards the grieving pirates. Wooden railings snapped as the swarm passed on them head-on. The rooks that advanced first to hit the railings fell. Dark blood flowed their tiny head. But, the swarm continues. Everything on their way broke. Before they could reach the group of humans. Massive energy enveloped them but the swarm kept on advancing the black cloud. It's like the massive cloud had a mind of its own. It kept on eating the pitiful grade E magical beasts. "Anita, the rest is up to you." Ned smiled feeling rejuvenated.

Back at the prison cell, before Ned could devour the swarm. "Anita," Ned said. Limping his way towards Anita's prison cell. "Are you there? Big brother might need your help—"

The coffin burst open with excitement. Anita leaped forward, her core turned blue, green, white, and orange. Ned knew the dancing light corresponds to her emotions. "Of course big brother!" She cried. Her pitch wasn't high, soft like that of a real child. "Anita will do whatever you want."

Felling exhausted, yet, Ned smiled and nodded. Judging from her appearance she's about seven or eight. Ned thought. "How are you feeling Anita?"

"Anita felt great! The food, hmmm, so yummy big brother!" She cried. Wiggled her wooden body and the sound of wood cranking echoed. "You look sick big brother."

Ned waved his hand to tell Anita to not mind his looks. "Good to hear then," Ned said. He gripped the iron bar in front oh him. Ned could feel magic surging on the iron bars. An array. Not an ordinary one. Ned thought. Even me being weak, can feel it—cold and dangerous. Ned thought. "Be careful with the iron bars, they might hurt you, I will ask them to disable the array."

"Oh, you mean this big brother?" Anita said. Walked toward the iron bar and brushed with her hand. Flash of white light cracked as if it was hitting Anita. But Anita doesn't mind the energy surge that attacking her. Not at all. The iron bar bend with a single push of Anita's index finger. Seconds later, they could hear a crack from the edges of the room. The iron bar bent to half, enough for Anita to yanked herself out and move around.

Ned smiled. "Nevermind," he whispered. "Big bother need your help, outside a group of... " Ned paused, not sure how he would explain to a child the situation outside. "Group of bad people was trying to take over our ship. And our friends were hurting trying to protect it."

Anita waved her hand with enjoyment. "Don't worry big brother, Anita will use her super dance to fend off the bad people!" She said playing with her fingers.

"Also, do not hurt our friends, okay? All the ladies are our friends, okay?"

"Of course brother!" She said. "If that's big brother wanted. But, big brother. Anita is your only sister, okay?"

Ned walked closer to Anita and tapped her head. Anita's core turned light pink mimicking the blushing of her face. "Of course Anita, of course."

Anita turned around to face the giant without saying a word to Ned. "Hocoff! Let's go! Big brother needs us!"

Hocoff the giant's eyes turned yellow. He then moved. Every step he made, the deck wobbled. "Hocoff," the giant whispered. His voice wasn't big at all. It was rather peaceful. "Hocoff."

Fast forward. Anita was steadily standing while she kept on licking the candy Yaluk offered to her. In front was Yaluk, the great captain scourge was kneeling. His head slumped on the deck. Tears and saliva exited the appropriate holes. "Please, little girl, no... I mean Anita, forgive us, no... Just me, forgive me, Anita."

The warship already sunk. Behind Anita was Hocoff uncaring and mercilessly tearing the scourge crew to half. Hocoff then jumped towards the escaping crew and gripped his head. The crew struggled. Hocoff lifted him midair while his massive. With a flick of his hand. White flesh and skull cracked that squirted at every gap of Hocoff's hand.

"Hocoff, that's enough," Anita said. Her core brimmed with red. Her hand; painted red. "Now what will I do about you. You piece of shit scourge crew. I have had enough of you!" Anita raised a wooden leg and kicked Yaluk's face. The latter tumbled and broke a rib ending at one of the masts. Anita blurred, and appeared at the bloodied Yaluk, he gripped his dark hair and with a force of a child, yet strong, he threw Yaluk back at the Lobby's ship.

Anita then turned a gaze at Ned. Who was busy devouring the swarm of rooks. The thousands of swarm were almost half devoured but Ned hasn't contended yet. Anita could see his big brother enjoying the devour with a smile. "Big brother Ned, show me the real you."