Chapter 471: Appearance


    Strike after strike, punch after punch, kick after kick, a beatdown of the inhumane proportion followed to have the apprentice fall without a chance at retribution. The senseless brutality spawn couldn’t be contained.


    ‘Poor Igna,’ thought she unbothered by the assault, ‘-you’ll wake up soon, won’t you?’ annoyance from the look he gave had her wanting blood.


    “Come on, continue the beatdown what’s the hold-up?” approached Lord Lordon, “-my Yuki has yet to smile. Break the hands or something, make sure he doesn’t cook.”


    “FATHER, MOTHER!” the door barged, “-WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS?” he curled with blood and broken teeth, the guards were merciless. “You’re going to kill him at this rate?”


    “So?” returned Yuki coldly, “-not my problem,” she shrugged,”-he tried to assault me. The guards came to my rescue, is there something the matter?”


    “It’s as your mother says,” said he holding her shoulders, “-merely self-defense.”


    ‘Self-defense,’ the darkness flickered with talking orbs, ‘-I can hear them, did I pass out? Guess it’s what I had to pay for trying to appeal. Why did ite to this, how, when, what, I’m confused. I only went to get an additional job and this is the way I’m treated...’


    .....


    “We arrived toote,” said a group of three rushing into the room.


    “Who are you, people?”


    “Members of Phantom,” said ady with white hair, “-we’ve heard one of our ally’s friend was in danger.”


    “Lady Courtney,” said a man holding arge rifle, “-it’s toote,” the disy of the sses showed no life signs.”


    “Why’s Phantom involved with that lowlymoner?” fired Yuki in disbelief.


    “Don’t you know?” thedy stared without care; “-this young man is an esteemed member of the Trader’s Guild.”


    “Lady Courtney,” voiced another holding the door, “-transport is here, what should we do?”


    “I don’t know,” she red Lord Lordon, “-if the boy is dead then our mission is failed. What a shame...”


    “See,” came a smug expression, “-Phantom can’t help he who’s been killed.”


    “Don’t get conceited,” returned the marksman, “-I have little to no interest in your survival,” a pistol aim at her head.


    “Don’t get cocky,” smiled Yuki, “-we have our guards too.”


    ‘Unfair,’ the bloodlust of the outside whelmed the mind. The heart resumed, the wounds healed, a dark-triangle materialized on his right-palm. “Why am I the only one who got hurt?” he reawakened with the aura of Death filling the room, “-Daemonum dio, Yves and, Elliot,” said the boy with a devilish smirk, “-it’s good to see you’re well.”


    “W-what’s this?” eximed Courtney, “-brother, you’re alive?” her face fell into an idyllic smile.


    “No,” he vanished to put Yuki in a headlock, “-my time has yet toe,” said he, “-Staxius Haggard is not of this world. I’m naught but the fleeting conscience who suffered great damage, my purpose is to exact revenge upon those who dared to hurt me.” *Blood-Arts: Crimson Threads,* dagger-like weapons slit the guards’ head. “Death can never die; the Death element will reawaken with my memory soon. Igna is the next Death Reaper, Courtney, speak to this with no one for the soul has transmigrated.”


    ‘I c-can’t b-breathe,’ the room felt submerged. Lungs stuck between breaths, the Lordon’s watched as the definition of ughter painted the entire room. *Thud,* upon killing the guards, Igna fell face-first. The pressure rxed; the lingering symbol of power was erased without a trace.


    “Lady Courtney,” called Elliot.


    “Yeah, no doubt about it,” said she smiling, “-something great happened five-years ago. We thought he died but our master can’t be defeated. I knew I sensed his presence.”


    “Does that mean he’ll be back?” asked Yves.


    “No,” she shook her head, “-I’m afraid it’s thest time we’ll see of him. His mana reacted with mine, it’s resonance.”


    “I don’t understand,” returned Yves cluelessly.


    “Don’t worry,” her attention turned to the Lordon’s, ‘-resonance between me and him. Master and the weapon. He’se to the mortal realm, rather, was forced into our world. The soul inside that boy is Staxius’s. The face is simr to before the transformation into a vampire. I guess that’s whatdy Haru referred to before. Fate sure works in strange ways. Rest well, brother, everyone’s waiting for your return.’


    ‘My head?’ pinching the forehead, ‘-it’s so heavy,’ the eyes opened to a blood sullied floor. Bodies were littered all-round, Yuki and her husband crouched arm in arm. “Who are you?”


    “Oh, you’ve woken up,” smiled the handsomedy with white hair, “-I’m Courtney Haggard, member of Phantom. We came on orders of Lady Haru.”


    “Thanks,” he nervously smiled, “-did you kill them all?”


    “Yeah,” said she brandishing a sword, “-they didn’t give you much time to speak, did they?”


    “It was pretty tough,” scratching his head with innocence, “-I just wanted to knowdy Yuki’s intent.”


    “Don’t worry about it, kid,” came Elliot gently patting his head.


    “Thank you too,” he looked up and smiled adorably.


    ‘Holy shit,’ practically shaking, ‘-I patted the master’s head as if a kid. What the fuck?’ Yves and Courtney stared on the verge ofughter, “-don’t get into more trouble, you hear?”


    “Yes sir.”


    “Sir...” mumbled Yves,” -AH-HA-HA,” the failing bridge cracked, they fell into a never-endingughter session.


    ‘How can they have fun amidst the bloodshed?’ wondered Syndra with a throbbing heart. Igna joined their session as Yves’s particrugh made it funnier.


    “My stomach hurts,” said Elliot wiping the tears, “-jokes aside, Igna, if you ever get in trouble, call us.”


    “I will... but.”


    “But what?”


    “Lady Courtney...” her resemnce to him birthed a trolley of questions, “-why do we look simr?”


    “Oh,” she paused, “-guess it’s time to speak the truth,” her voice turned serious, “-I’m your long-lost mother.”


    “You jest,” he eximed, “-no way can someone so young be my mother.


    “Yeah, I guess...” she thought hard,”-I’m not joking. I’m really your mother.”


    “Lady Courtney, this isn’t a good idea,” whispered Elliot, “-we’ll get in trouble if he gets involved now.”


    “Don’t, Lady Courtney,” added Yves, “-it’s a bad idea.”


    “Shut it you two. The master once said to guide the next into a better future. One where he wouldn’t have to experience the hardship of bearing so heavy a burden. Lyoko Igna is a member of the Haggard family,” her attitude changed to warmly kneel beside him, “-I’m not lying, Igna, I’m your mother.”


    “No, I don’t believe it,” the sincerity in her eyes, ‘-it’s a lie. We look simr but, but, that can’t be it. My family...’


    “You don’t remember, do you?” she smiled, “-we had to abandon you long ago because of our secret ties. The story of our family is long and never-ending. I’ll tell you more details if you want.”


    “Show me proof,” said he.


    “Here,” she took off a locket that opened into a ck-and-white photo, “-that’s you.”


    “Y-yeah, it is me...”


    ‘Except that’s a picture of Staxius, I’m not technically lying.’


    “Lady Courtney, you’ll regret this,” shaking his head, “-let’s get out of here. I’ll phone the clean-up crew.”


    “Come, Igna, let’s go home.”


    ‘I can’t argue, she looks like me and the phone is proof. Maybe I’m overthinking, the Haggard’s... it does sound familiar. If she truly is my mother, I guess showing the vampiric nature won’t bother.’ To that, the trio stood with both men on their phones. One spoke to a ‘cleaner’ while the other referred to a ‘sister’.


    Syndra sat alone and scared, “-hey,” he walked over to give a helping hand, “-thank you for callingdy Haru. I’m surprised you knew my intent. You saved my life, Syndra, I owe you everything.”


    “Don’t thank me,” she grabbed his hand, “-I guess you know why I ran away yesterday. My step-mother isn’t someone that respectable. Father is to me too, he’s enchanted by her words, a lost cause.”


    “Still,” he walked over to give a helping hand, “-Lady Yuki, Lord Lordon, I’m sad that I couldn’t be the disciple thee sought for. I still don’t understand whydy Yuki grew to hate all of a sudden-” the duo slowly looked to a boy holding only a look of concern, “-I don’t hold any grudge. Instead,dy Yuki, would you reconsider me bing Medusa’s apprentice again.”


    “What’s wrong with you?” her cheeks and mouth rxed; “-how can you say all that after I treated you so badly?”


    “Don’t know,” he gave a half-smile, “-starting a chain of hate seems too tedious. Lord Lordon, next time, please heed the voice of your daughter. She cares about you too.”


    “Leave me alone.”


    Courtney stood by the entrance with a pleasant face, ‘-you’re Igna, not Staxius.’


    “Mydy, shall we leave, transport is waiting below.”


    “Sure, Igna, let’s go.”


    “Ok,” thus as an unexpected twist of fate, Courtney proimed to be his mother. The torrential rain outside intensified. A white van with the advertisement for cleaning stopped to carry multiple body bags up the café.


    “Lady Courtney, am I really your son?” they stopped shy of the doorway.


    “Yes,” she pinched his nose, “-still don’t believe me after that?”


    “What if I’m a vampire.”


    “Just means you’ve inherited the blood of my brother. The Blood-King of Arda,” the downfall felt simr to waves crashing against the shore. The empty roads only held puddles; drains flooded to form streams along the pavement. The few passersby returned from impromptu trips in case of a power outage.


    “Elliot, Yves, take the second car, I’ll go along with Igna, is that fine?”


    “Sure.”


    “Come on,” a push and the gust nearly blew off the door, “-don’t stop, run for the car.” The headlights shed with her key, “-get in,” they jumped into the expensive vehicle.


    “I’m sorry,” drenched to the bones, “-the leather seats might get ruined because I’m wet.”


    “Don’t look so distraught,” she toggled the engine, “-you’ll understand soon enough.” Rain piled on atop the roof, the wipers moved to no avail. Courtney kept on sniffling due to the cold. A touch on the dashboard had a warm breeze heat the inside with the windows turning misty.


    “Where are we going?”


    “My apartment,” said she taking a turn and making for Juei. The empty streets made her speed without care for theck of grip.


    .....


    ‘Ok?’ unbothered by the speed, the car zed down the capital.


    “Iing call from Lady Elvira.”


    “ept it.”


    “Command acknowledged.”


    “Hello, Lady Courtney, is everything ok?”


    “Yes, Elvira, I’ve found my long-lost son.”


    “Excuse me?” the dashboard soon projected a disy, “-what do you mean?”


    “Look,” she grabbed his head and pulled close, “-my son. Can’t you see the resemnce?”


    “WAIT ISN’T THAT?”


    “No,” she gritted, “-no other words need be said. This here is my son. We’re heading to my apartment. Come by if you like, there should be an express train for Rosespire in thirty-minutes?”


    “I’ming.”


    “Call ended,” the disy vanished.


    “Impressive, isn’t it?” *cough.*


    “Yeah,” replied he clueless about what happened.


    The mist-filled road soon gave to Juei’s border. He fell asleep half-way along the journey. “Wake up,” said she gently tapping the freezing forehead.


    “Sorry,” the eyes opened to mist, “-where are we?”


    “Home,” the car leaned into the underground parking. The problem of water didn’t matter as the building had prepared measures in advance. “Come on.” The car rested in a closed section.


    “Why are there so many cars here?”


    “Oh, I bought them,” sheughed, “-see this yellow line?” it covered more than ten-spots, “-everything inside this border is mine. Let’s go take a shower first,” a lift came from the 70th floor, the climb went from underground to then the cloudy outside. The rain kept on assaulting the building. It took a few minutes to arrive.


    “Wee to my apartment,” the lift opened to the living-room, “-there’s a spare shower upstairs, go take a bath, I’ll be downstairs.”


    ‘This ce is awesome,’ thought he climbing the spiral-stairs adorned with decorative lights, ‘-holy shit. She’s so rich, what the hell?’ the upstairs divided into two rooms with each having its own showers. ‘Guess I’ll take this one.’