636 Return to the point of origin
âOne minute and twenty seconds remaining...â Vincent read. He looked at Kazumi and urgently said, âWe need to hurry. There is no time left to procrastinate anymore.â
[Leave Freerie to us. We will make Freerie remember us.] Kazumi looked at Wolfie, Bright, Watz, and Helle. [We together can overcome Freerieâs mind control.]
Vincent saw Kazumi showing a thumbs-up, Wolfie and Watz nod, and Helle nod all the shining feelers at the center of the flower.
Vincent chuckled while looking at Kazumi, acting smug and dependable.
âI trust all of you.â He said for the last time before turning around and running toward Vlad.
The view of Vlad surrounded by tiny particles of light entered Vincentâs sight. The closer Vincent approached, the more tiny particles he could see.
Vincent compared watching Vlad punching Egos and constantly exploding as if it was a fireworks show. Egosâs body of light was exploding and recovering. It became a loop.
âFath... Vlad. We have less than one minute remaining. We need to finish things now before we are forced to leave. If I can not take care of your punching bag, I do not know if I will be able or not be able to control my body. I do not want to think about having my body possessed by someone else.â
*Tsk* âThat wonât do. I need to kill the two of you.â Vlad complained before stopping. âSince it needs to die before you die. â *Tsk* â I will need him gone first. Then I can take care of you personally.â
.....
âSure. â Vincent said with a friendly smile, even if Vlad kept saying how he wanted to kill Vincent directly in his face.
*Tsk* âAny plans on how to kill this monster?â
âI do not have enough time to think...â
âHuh? No wonder you are a monster. I canât see you express worry even if you are about to cease to exist or die by my hands.â
âHaha. I can see that deep down. You are a good father. You didnât want your daughter to experience what you felt.â
*Slap* Vincent fell to the ground.
âI was forced to have her. I do not love her, and I do not care if she spends centuries crying. I do not need a monster like you to worry about the daughter who betrayed me.â
âHehe.â Vincent spat soul blood. He stood up and smirked at Vlad. âI have a feeling you like your daughter. Additionally, I somewhat know what you have passed through.â
Vlad was about to slap Vincent again. Egos formed his head. The hand kept moving, passed Vincentâs cheek, and smacked Egosâs head.
*Pop* Egos now needed more time to recover completely.
âDonât try to manipulate my emotions, you monster...â Vlad said before getting interrupted by watching Vincent extending his hand.
âI thought we had a temporary truce. A book with summaries of what the six heroes did before me brought me to this world. I have read what happened and how many have suffered.â
âThat means you know what kind of person you are. Or are you still going to deny being a monster?â Vlad questioned while punching Egosâs head again.
âYes. I do know who I am.â Vincent responded while nodding his head. âI want to live in peace. I will only fight to protect. Like I do not want others to harm my people, I do not want to harm others.â
Vincent looked at the particles accumulating and regrowing Egosâs head. His gaze became determined, and his conviction was said with a firm tone, âMy blood and body changed, but my mind and soul are still mine.â
Vincent lowered his gaze at his hand left hanging. âHelp me regain control of my blood and body. I am not the monster you believe I am.â
*Slap* Vlad slapped Vincentâs hand away.
*Tsk* âI decided to help you monster because I didnât want to spend a long time stuck in this place.â *Tsk* âI didnât want to suffer a lot of injuries while fighting against the wolf and butterfly. Thatâs the reason why I helped you.â
âHow about we make a powerful magic contract? You can give me reasonable terms that I canât break. Having your trust is better than being hunted by you all the time.â Vincent suggested out of the blue.
Vlad smirked. âHeh. So you want to be leashed?â
âThat depended on how long the rope will be. I hope the cond...â
*Tsk* âYou are already trying to make loopholes for you to act like the monster you are. â Vlad said before punching Egosâs head and exploding it again.
*Sigh* âHow about this? You and Mimi can make the conditions. Mimi is a vampire, and she knows how other vampires can track my scent. I will leave my future in her hands.â
Vincent extended his hand again. âI hope you are interested so that you can stop seeing me as a monster.â
Vlad frowned. He didnât know if killing Vincent or forcing him not to do villainous things were on the same scale. However, time was ticking, and a minute had passed.
âI will accept your suggestion since I can kill you any time.â Vlad accepted, yet he didnât shake Vincentâs hand. âHow can we kill this thing then?â
âI donât think we can kill Egos, and there is no time left to try other things.â Vincent pointed at the throne. âI believe the center of my Soul Domain is under the throne. We need to force Egos inside somehow.â
Vlad understood. He grabbed Egos by the neck and Vincent by the shirt. Their bodies blurred and vanished. They soon appeared in front of the throne.
âW-what are you doing!â Questioned Vincent while feeling nauseous to travel a couple of meters at incredible speed.
Vlad threw Vincent on the throne.
Vlad turned his gaze at Egos biting and scratching his arm like a wild animal trying the be set free. Egos gave the impression he had suffered so much pain that his soul lost its memories.
Vlad lifted Egos and asked loudly, âHow much time left?â
[Five seconds! Do what I think you are about to do.] Kazumi urgently responded while the emerald cage was deconstructing.
Freerie could be seen with a halo on its head and six rays of light behind its wings. It was highly likely that Freerie was free from the mutationâs control.
Vlad didnât waste any time. He swiftly and with all his might slammed Egos on Vincent. Egos exploded like a large firework, and the Soul Domain began to tremble.
*BZZT!, BZZT!, BZZT!, BZZT!, BZZT!, BZZT!* Watz was loudly buzzing. A hologram appeared in front of its display. It showed the time remaining, yet five seconds had already passed.
[:01?]
[Huh? Watz, are you trying to show me that one second remains? But by talking to you, one second has already passed.]
Kazumi was still determining what could be happening right now other than the time remaining of the Soul Domain bugged and stopped at the explosion of Egos.
Vincent didnât move a muscle, as if he was frozen in time. The particles of light previously forming Egos were moving towards Vincent.
Vlad frowned at the view of the particles entering Vincentâs chest. The more particles his body absorbed, the more the hole in his upper body recovered.
*Woof* *Buzz* Wolfie and Freerie started walking towards the throne. They didnât show any signs of hostility to Vlad. Instead, they moved as if they were moths to the flame.
Vlad moved to the side after noticing the halo on their heads. âHe is mine to kill. I will kill the two of you no matter what you attempt to kill him.â
[How kind of you.] Kazumi said while riding on top of Watz and Helle in the form of a small emerald golem snake version.
*ROAR!* Wolfie roared. Its large body shone so brightly that it became a body of light.
*BUZZ* Freerie buzzed loudly before its body also shone brightly and became a body of light.
Both bodies of light exploded. A little wolf fell on the ground while sixteen butterflies flew and landed beside the little wolf.
Vincentâs body began pulling and absorbing the large bodies Egos had given to Wolfie and Freerie. The more he absorbed, the more the throne shone.
Vincent was acting like the link connecting the mutated side of the Soul Domain to this current side of the Soul Domain. The mutation was being forced back into Vincent and the place from where this event all began.
However, if it was going to succeed or not. If Vincent was going to suffer any side effects or not. Only the future could tell.
Shortly, the last tiny particle of light entered Vincentâs shining body.
Vincent opened his eyes. His appearance was similar to Egos, yet not. The figure of light sitting on the throne had a warm smile on his face. The emotion was far different than what Egos had shown thus far.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Vincent lifted his arms from the armrest and swiftly smacked his hands against the armrest. The throne began absorbing the light encasing Vincentâs body. Soon Vincent returned to normal.
Bright stopped buffing everyone. It regained its small sun-like form and floated above Vincent.
Wolfie cutely barked and went to Vincent. It climbed on his lap and licked Vincentâs face happily.
Freerie, all the sixteen butterflies went to rest on the throne, surrounding Vincent with emerald butterflies.
A piece of emerald landed beside the throne as if it was thrown. On it was Watz showing (^w^)
Multiple emerald flowers bloomed beside the throne. They all moved their shining thread-like feelers in excitement. Helle appeared to control more than one flower at a time.