Chapter 124: The Enigmas


    "Gah! Where are the others!?"


    A man wearing a white mask with a blue number 11 painted on it shouted as he ruthlessly punched a tree out of boredom.


    "Where is Omen specifically? I want a god damn rematch!"


    "Now now, settle down," A soft female voice spoke. The voice came from a young woman sitting on top of the tree the man was just destroying. She also wore a mask but it was painted with the number 6 instead.


    "You can''t beat Omen. He''s number 2 so it''s best you give up. You''re not going to win against him," Said another voice that came from the darkness. His figure was hidden but his mask was visible. On it was the number 12.


    "Don''t talk to me unless you''re a higher number than me 12. You''re supposed to be the god of darkness. Talk to me when you''re a higher ce than me." Number 11 said which caused 12 to chuckle.


    "Strength isn''t determined by numbers, it''s determined by skills. I could beat you if I wanted to, but I''m merely temporarily allowing you to have a higher status than me."


    11 scoffed and opened his mouth to retort but he was interrupted when a giant wolf ced its paw on his shoulder.


    "Huh?" 11 gasped in surprise and turned around, but no one was there.


    "Don''t get so cocky, he''ll decimate you without even trying." A deep voice spoke.


    11 looked over his shoulder and a giant man stood behind him. The man wore animal cloth like a fur coat and he had a mask with the number 10 on it.


    11 gulped, backing away from 10.


    "Tch" He clicked his tongue, annoyed by 10''s overwhelmingly violent presence.


    "Why don''t you direct your hostility towards her? I''m not the one you are supposed to be after, right?" 11 said, pointing towards a girl sitting in the dark field of grass, the nts around her slowly died as she looked mesmerized by the strange white moth on her finger. Her mask donned the number 9.


    "Grr" 10 began to growl, his body slowly bulking up into a giant lycan. Two giant wolves appeared by his side and they growled in unison before 9 spoke up.


    "Don''t get mad at me now puppy. She wouldn''t like that you know."


    10 bared his teeth at 9 who merely snickered at him.


    "You are lucky we are in her domain, otherwise, I''d stter the field with your blood."


    "I would like to see you try."


    As 9 and 10 bickered with each other, another figure appeared. The figure wore a mask with the number 7 on it.


    "What took you so long?" 6 asked 7.


    "I had other business to deal with. Also, you saying that makes it sound like I waste."


    "Hmph, just let me have my moment. I was finally here before you were."


    7 red at 6 while 6 smirked under her mask. Two conflicts were on the verge of erupting until bright light appeared in the air.


    Everyone turned their direction to the light which died down. In its ce was a man whose body shined like a lightbulb.


    He wore a Buddhist-like robe, his ck hair was jagged and long, dropping below his waist, and his mask donned the number 3. His mask was different than the others. Instead of covering the entire face, it exposed his left eye. His left eye was blue and purple. There was a giant halo behind his back, the halo was a mixture of every color and gave off divine energy.


    "Look who it is" 12 spoke, grabbing 3''s attention.


    "It''s a pleasure to see all of you again. Though some of us may not have met, you surely know me, don''t you?" 3 asked, closing his eye.


    Everyone besides 12 and 7 began quietly gritting their teeth.


    ''His presence is so divine, yet so dark'' 10 stated in his mind.


    3''s power was so overwhelming yet so frightening calm, it caused the leaves falling down towards the ground to freeze, almost as if he stopped time.


    "It seems that most of you are here," A woman stated and everyone turned their attention to a woman standing on a floating tform.


    "Mother, it''s so nice to see you again," 3 said.


    "Now now, Tamashi, you know not to call me that during our meetings," The woman responded, causing 3, Tamashi, to bow and apologize.


    "Anyway, it''s great to see all of you again. The meeting will begin soon," The woman said but then 9 spoke up.


    "Not to be rude, but where are the others?"


    "Good question. You see, numbers 8, 5, and 2 are unable to make it today. They seem to be busy with other things. Number 4 has already been here from the beginning, just like 12, and 1 will be here shortly."


    "4 was already here?" 10 questioned until he sensed an overwhelmingly evil idle behind him.


    "Your senses are failing you, Kil, the King of Lycans," Arge figure spoke from behind. It was a giant man with skin like magma. He had two giant curved horns on his head and a mask with the number 4 marked on it.


    "You''ve grown stronger thest time I saw you," said 10, Kil, the King of Lycans.


    "And you''ve started to deteriorate," 4 stated rudely, making Kil release his bloodlust.


    "Do you want to die?"


    "Die? That is what I should be saying to you."


    The two gripped their fists as they prepared to attack one another. 11 and 9 smirked in satisfaction, 12, 7, and 6 shook their heads and sighed, 3 stayed the same, and the woman standing on the tform chuckled.


    The two lunged towards each other and were about to sh until the sound of ringing metal could be heard, causing the two to return to where they were before.


    A small crack appeared on both Kil''s and 10''s masks, causing them to freeze. Everyone looked over at the ledge and down towards the undergroundke where a man stood in the middle of theke, on top of the water.


    The man was tall and had long spiky ck hair which was tied in a ponytail. He wore a silver and white nagagi kimono decorated with root-like patterns. He also wore ck hakama pants tied with a white cloth, two katanas strapped onto the left side of his waist, and donned a mask that only covered the left side of his face. His eyes were white, unusual, and unique white eyes that seemed to glow even in the shadows.


    The man wore no shoes, his feet werepletely clean, causing the dirty water in theke to slowly be cleaner and cleaner the longer he stood on it. He had several rings on his fingers. His left hand donned 5 rings while the other only had 3.


    The man opened his mouth and spoke in a soft and deep voice.


    "Fighting is forbidden. Do it once more and I will execute you on my own ord."


    Rattled by his harsh words, Kil and 4 zipped their mouths. Though some had the urge tough, they would not dare do something like that in the presence of the strongest.


    "Good, everyone is here!" The woman cheered on her floating tform before settling down.


    "Now then, for why I called you all, the Enigmas here."


    Everyone faced their attention to her and she cleared her throat before announcing.


    "The prophecy is now progressing as it should. Naoko, the inept hero, has broken nearly all of his astral chains. Do you know what that means?"


    Everyone didn''t say a word and she shrugged before resuming.


    "Well, it means that he''s near his peak. Cocytus has already started tomence his contingency n. Authorian is losing his mind, thinking of what to do next while Omen is well, who knows what he''s doing."


    She chuckled alone while some of the Enigmas clicked their tongue at Omen''s name being mentioned.


    Omen was a member of the Enigmas who held the number 2 spot in the Enigma hierarchy. Though he was rtively new, being only a member for a few months, he was already one of the highest-ranking members, causing a few of the other members who had been in the Enigmas for quite a while jealous. Though, they couldn''t do much as they did not want to experience what the former number 2 went through after encountering him. That former number 2 was dead and Omen was immediately recruited by the woman who went by the Twilight Queen.


    The woman standing on top of the floating tform was the Twilight Queen, the same person who watched the former number 2 die in front of her eyes and didn''t care to even help him as he begged for help.


    "Anywho, though he proves a threat to us, we have no need to go after him."


    "What!? Why!?" 11 shouted and quickly tried to take back his words, but he was let off easy when the Twilight Queen raised her hand, causing 1 to take his hand off his sword handle.


    "What use is there to go after him when he will being to us? He is fated to meet most of us, so there is no point for us to go after him. Now, there is a condition I must ry to you from my prophet. As long as you follow this condition, he will reach his limit, and thus, his power will stop growing. But if you vite this condition, then you will be the cause of what transpires after that. Now then, the condition is-"


    ""


    ""


    Everyone stayed silent and waited for her to speak. Even though some of the other members weren''t here to listen to her, there were already messengers on their way to deliver the condition. That condition was-


    "Do not kill his lovers. Do that, and I will not only dismiss you from the Enigmas, I will also have my husband, Naomi Musashi, execute you."


    All the other Enigmas, stared at Naomi, number 1 of the Enigmas. Naomi had his head down. He did not make a move and simply looked up at the bright sun that poured sunlight down towards him.


    Fearing for their own lives, they took those words and etched them deep into their souls. They knew if they took that warning as a joke, they would pay with their lives, even if they were immortal or not.


    "That is all for today. The next time we meet will be... well, I''ll think about it."


    Then, the Twilight Queen vanished, leaving no trace of her behind.


    A shattering sound was heard where Naomi stood and the moment they looked back at him, he was gone, a rift closing right behind him.


    "So..." 6 began before 11 shouted.


    "Who shall we bet on!? Who will encounter him first and who will die first!?"


    Instantly, everyone had disappeared except 6 and 11. They did not have time to y games, especially with two humans.


    -----


    BONUS!!


    Wee to the segment where I exin specific skills.


    (Idk, I just wanna do this for fun)


    I''ll be exining "Power of Kings" more thoroughly and clearly. How does it work?


    Well, it''s an ability mainly activated through blood in the Royal Paragon Bloodline, to be specific, males because... well, kings.


    Anyway, in every generation, an heir to the throne is born. The affiliation of that child is born either good or evil depending on the previous generation. If the baby was born evil, then their parents would''ve been good. If the baby was born good, then evil parents. This also happens to their descendants. If they were evil, they will have a pure-hearted son or daughter. If they were good, they will have wicked children.


    This is the curse that is put upon the Paragon Bloodline in return for great power. Their abilities depend on what ss they have and they are immortal to anyone but their descendants, or another that possesses the power of kings.


    This ability can also be awoken if one has a soul made purely of light. For example, Katrina.


    Her angel blood is somewhat rted to why her soul is pure, as all angels do have pure hearts unless they be fallen angels. However, even if they are fallen angels, some of them still have pure hearts.


    Alright, that''s enough for now. My fingers hurt and I''m writing on inkstone and I''m worried I might identally press a button and then disconnect and then lose everyth-


    .


    .


    .