?


    Keith''s fist andugh came hurtling toward me. Look at this, the guy was holding back!


    I decided to let him punch me for old time''s sake and kicked him back just as his hand touched my cheeks. My cheek tickled while I lightly tapped the side of his stomach with my feet.


    "OMPH!" A grunt rang out, in the next moment, Keith wasn''t in front of me anymore. I turned to the side.


    —BAMM!


    A loud crash resounded in the air as Keith fell into one of the houses of the underground town andpletely crushed it. All the people out and about in the underground town stared at me with great suspicion.


    Keith got back up on his feet and spat out some blood.


    "Young Master, moderation?"


    "I was trying," I groaned.


    "As I thought, Eugy. You''ve gotten a little crazy."


    "I thought he was strong enough to handle that."


    "Stop judging people on crazy scales."


    I shrugged at Titania''s words. I would be able to figure things out soon enough anyway.


    I rushed in front of Keith who was still looking at where I previously stood and helped him stand up straight. My knight winced and held his sides.


    "What the fuck, I thought I had gained a sense of how strong people were, but you''re a little insane, young master."


    I was not even using Stage Zero yet, but in return he had not involved his Ki either. Keith was at least at a Stage two to Stage three level.


    The people of the town donned in all ck kept staring at Keith and I.


    But the crowd of watchers dispersed from the back as one man rushed over, practically running. His wheat hair fell to the sides as he adjusted what made him himself.


    "Keith! Who is this person?"


    "sses," Keith said. "Meet Mister Marizzio Martinazio."


    So we were going to pull a prank on sses now? I tipped my hat and bowed.


    "Hello Mister sses, I have heard a lot about you."


    "What is all this about?" sses asked, his eyes constantly flickering back. "Do you have any idea how busy we are? Is it some new vampire you have brought as a believer, have I not told you the orders of the Dark Moon are invible?"


    I wanted to punch him already. No matter how many years passed, sses had a strong talent.


    "Please, don''t be like that," I said with a heavy ent. "I would take just a few minutes of your time in private."


    "He probably knows a very big secret, sses. You wanna hear this out."


    sses was conflicted after hearing Keith''s words. Even though he seemed to hold immense power in this ce, he couldn''t just ignore Keith.


    "What is it about?"


    "About what we are worried."


    sses sighed.


    "Follow along," he said. "Mister…"


    "Marizzio," I said, following after him. "Marizzio Martinazio. I hold office in Daiban Camno."


    sses took on a hasty gait and gestured at the ones around to get back to what they were doing. Seeing his word as an order, they all got back to their routines of cursing out some andining about the workload to the others.


    "Down in Schwarz? You''re from our ce?" Asked sses. "Never heard of you."


    "I try my hardest to keep it that way."


    "By being useless?" He nced back.


    "Secretive, is what you''re looking for."


    "Nah," sses shook his head. "You don''t be secretive. Not when the Dark Moon is around. We know everything about everyone who is worth knowing. Those who we don''t know about, either don''t exist or don''t know about themselves yet."


    He guided me to the back of the underground settlement. The ce below was lit up in blue lights by the many many blue fireflies that flew around. Though it was underground, the ce seemed morevish and beautiful than thend above the ground.


    At the near back of the underground toward sat a giant building, the only one connected with the roof of this underground town.


    "In there," he said. "It better be worth it, Keith. I have a lot of work that I am doing for you in the first ce."


    "You''ve grown a big tongue," said Keith.


    "I am sorry, I was just trying to get into the role, sir."


    Man, I just thought people were changing, wasn''t I? All of them were still the same asses as before.


    "I see you are very powerful too, Mister… Martinio?"


    "Marizzio."


    "Marizzio, my apologies. I would ask you leave your hat and your hang outside. For just good measure."


    At his words, I quickly removed the white coat and hat and left them on a hangar at the front door.


    sses pushed the door to a room and gestured at us to go in first.


    Keith stepped inside, followed by me.


    sses came inst and took the seat at the head of the room. Just like always, this ce too was decorated in the dark. ck walls, ck furniture, a severeck of lights.


    This guy had a serious problem with his brain.


    "Right, let''s talk," said sses, crossing his legs. "Keith. This is about what we were worrying for, you said? You mean he might know who amongst…?"


    I leaned ahead and rapped the table.


    "See, Mister sses. I know not what it is that is concerning you so much, but the secret I hold is still unchanged."


    sses leaned ahead.


    "Name your price, if its useful I''ll pay it."


    "Nothing, I don''t need a price. I just have a simple word for you."


    "No price?"


    "Yes. It is a rather open secret, only you don''t know it. You can call this, a revtion even. We''re showing you a mirror."


    "What are you talking about."


    I reached ahead and tapped sses'' shoulder.


    "The secret, is that you are a bitch."


    "What?""


    I removed my sunsses next and grinned.


    "And that I am alive."


    sses'' jaw dropped. He leaned back, almost in disbelief. He then looked straight in my eyes and spoke with a trembling hand.


    "And who in the fuck are you?"