Queen Of Adis

"What would you like to do with this?" *Adis asked as soon as he was beside Elior and showed him his loot-- Eleazar's amber orb.

Elior squirmed in his seat and refused to look at the eye that brought too much suffering to his twin brother. "Keep it. It might be of help to you someday. Please make sure that it won't end up in the wrong hands again. But I suggest that once you're back in the future, have Aquarius or Zen purify and guard it. Your dark mana will only rot it away."

"Mn," was his only reply and placed Eleazar's eye back in his space ring. He then inquired, "How are you feeling? Can you still walk?"

Elior nodded and leaned his body on the dingy wall as he staggered to stand up. "Ugh! Y-yes, I can manage."

"Good. We'll use another exit. If the vixen, Anastasia, is really waiting for you on the other side, I won't be able to help you. I can't touch anything that belongs in this time and space, including her. But don't worry, my other self is on the way and will definitely take care of her," he explained while helping his wife to stand up from being seated on the ground and dusted off the invisible dirt on the hem of her long dress.

Haru gently touched his cheeks and his c.h.e.s.t to examine his face and body, making sure that he didn't have any injury. The act made his heart swell up in love and tenderness. He cupped her small face with his big, rough hands and kissed her forehead.

"I'm okay. Did you miss me?" he whispered against her lips.

She only chuckled as her response but a beautiful blush emerged on her smooth cheeks. 'How lovely!' was what he wanted to exclaim but he knew it wasn't the right time and place.

He pecked her lips before he said, "Let's make haste."

*Adis looked at his twin flames who were floating around Elior. "Ciel, Amira, we are leaving. Get back in your mother's embrace."

The usually mischievous twins quickly hid in their mother's cloak while their flames were trembling.

Then, their group finally moved to find a different way out.

After a brief moment, Ciel and Amira quivered in their hiding spot and cautiously peeked over their mother's shoulders. They decided to observe the 'scary man' who was walking right behind their mother and talking to their grandpa Elior.

The twins looked at each other and wondered why Mr. Scary looked and sounded exactly like their gentle father. But, their father did not have black stripes on his skin, scary fangs on his mouth and sharp claws on his hands unlike Mr. Scary behind them.

"Woo~ Waa~" They sobbed when they remembered that Mr. Scary even kissed their beautiful mother!

*Adis noticed his kids' squishy ball-like body were over his wife's shoulders but pretended that he did not see anything. They looked like they were on guard while watching his every move. He even heard their muffled babblings and cooings as if they were having a secret conversation. Their flames flickered and its colors changed vividly. It was so much like how Haru's eyes change its shade depending on her mood. How amusing!

He shortly understood the reason behind their distant attitude and his scarlet eyes couldn't help but twinkled in mischief.

He faced his twins with a serious expression then bared his fangs and claws as he playfully roared at them.

However, he failed to realize that his looks alone were enough to cause nightmares even to a.d.u.l.ts, more so to innocent children.

Loud baby cries instantly echoed throughout the maze-like sewer which caused Haru and the rest to jump and wince in surprise.

When Haru found out his husband's mischief, her delicate fingers darted to the big bad wolf's ear and pulled it with all her might. "You idiot father! How could you scare your own kids?"

"O-ow! I'm sorry, I'm just playing with them. I won't do it again. P-please have mercy to your idiot husband, my love!"

"Tsk! You and your twisted sense of humor," Elior remarked and shook his head at the demon king's behavior.

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the irony of the scene in front of him; a beautiful but weak-looking pregnant human was bullying a fearsome and ruthless demon king. The supposedly malevolent being looked pitiful while silently enduring his wife's scolding and beating with his invisible tail between his legs.

Elior's eyes were suddenly filled with warmth and comfort. He was grateful to be given another chance to enjoy life with his family. And this kind of moment was something he would forever treasure in his heart.

Subsequently, *Adis finally changed back to his human form and trying his best to pacify his twins while Haru was still boring holes on his body with her piercing glares.

"Look, look, it's me. It's just father. Hush now my little devils, don't you think father is quite powerful?" He reassured them while his mind was also wailing. 'Geez, please stop crying now or else your mother will kill me. I swear I already learned my lesson.'

When Ciel and Amira saw that Mr. Scary was just their father in disguise, they abruptly stopped crying and attacked him with their signature 'body slam' as their form of revenge.

He laughed when both of the golden flames just bounced back after hitting his hard body. When he heard them grumbled, he could imagine their cute pouts and puffy chubby cheeks the same way their mother does when she's upset. His big hands effortlessly caught them and squeezed them in his arms.

However, their simple happiness was suddenly cut short when they all heard a disturbing sound. It was as if three sharp objects were pierced through something.

When the couple turned around, *Adis' smile and body stiffened while Haru's eyes and lips trembled. Tears rapidly welled up in her eyes.

Before they could even move, an ear-deafening scream of Vesta filled the dark place. Her cat figure quickly transformed into her real form-- a seductive goddess with an eye-catching vermilion hair.

But, her once vibrant and warm aura was nowhere to be found. Her limbs went limp, making her body collapse on the muddy ground. Her eyes were clouded with tears and anguish as she blankly stared in front.

Still oblivious to his surroundings, Elior just stood stiffly as he watched the three most important people in his life look at him with a devastated expression. When he felt something painful, hot and itchy on his c.h.e.s.t, his eyebrows furrowed and he slowly looked down.

Ah, there he saw the reason why everyone was wearing a forlorn face. A thick lump of golden hair, but sharp as a newly sharpened blade, was pierced right through his heart, solar plexus, and abdomen. The blotched of blood on his clothes instantly spread and turned his dirty-white ensemble to crimson red.

When he returned his sight to the trio, instead of a painful groan, he let out a gentle, reassuring smile. His amber orbs glistened while tears unceremoniously fell to his cheeks. As he whispered, fresh blood trickled out from his mouth.

"I-it's okay. I-I... love you all," was his last words before his body dropped on the ground with a loud thud.

Everything happened like a slow-moving spectacle from a film.

And Haru, who seemed to have lost her voice and the will to breathe, thought that the scene played at that moment... would haunt her for a lifetime.