(September 28th, 2017)

Justin

As my watch beeped for me to wake up, I opened my eyes to find myself lying on my bed, completely naked, and without the girl that I slept with next to me. I looked around the room to see that there were no more clothes thrown haphazardly on the ground. Instead, the room was cleaned and organized as if I did not even enter the room. It did not take long to realize that this is Mia's work as the 'Do Not Disturb' thing was still on the door. I wiped my eyes and got off the bed to find my clothes neatly placed on an empty chair. I wore them and went to the bathroom, where I washed my face and brushed my teeth before exiting the room.

"That honor belongs to me. I stole a kiss from you when you were asleep!" Mia shouted at what could only be Alex. With their voices easily heard by someone like me, I kept listening in on their conversation. "Oh, but Justin was my first. I stole a kiss from him before anyone else. Justin was my first when it came to everything." It sounded like Alex and Mia arguing about Mia's problem with us. When Mia yelled at me and stormed out of the room last night, I went to thinking and placing all the pieces together. She was indeed acting strangely void of emotions, if not totally sad at times.

I noticed that out of all the time I spent with her, the past few days had the least amount of time I spent with her. She also pointed out the way Ethan was when training with us and hunting monsters. That knight seemed unusually serious, more serious than the times he sparred with me and taught me how to drive. His frivolity and lightheartedness seemed to have faded. I doubt Nova noticed it since she did not spend as much time with him as we did. I got too busy with everything he wanted me to do since he was my mentor and legal guardian. Mia, on the other hand, immediately took notice when we stopped having fun with everything we do. That girl notices stuff like this because she could not stand seeing me not happy with what I do and cannot live without me by her side. The time we spent with Ethan placed some distance between us, and I have not realized. Furthermore, letting Mia go alone and fight off the vampires like that was my fault. If I insisted on going with her, things might have been different. But, she did make friends along the way, so that's a plus.

I should also thank her for keeping my identity a secret from everyone. The only one who knew who I was is the evil archdemon who fell prey to my ruthless fists of righteous retribution. Zack, on the other hand, has been telling his identity to those he deemed worthy of knowing, like that kid's father, those demon hunters, and that vampire Mia made her servant. Speaking of which, he seemed really unhappy with my lack of attention towards Mia. She also tried to tease me by getting way too close to him. It was obviously an act since they both put their behavior to an abrupt end once I stated that Selena, the catgirl is eye-catching. Mia could not stand that I found another girl attractive, despite me catching her making out with that exact same catgirl in a locker room after stealing a kiss from me and before we became a thing. That night she kept shapeshifting into many girls while we fooled around in bed, some of which includes Selena, Zoe, Jessie, and some other random people.

After exiting my room, I walked to the room of Zack and Alex and noticed that the door was open and the voices have faded, so I invited myself in. The voice of Mia chuckling was the first to come to my ears as I entered and found both the young king and the golden cyborg sleeping with their faces buried on Mia's laps, much to my shock and confusion. She stared at me and giggled at the situation she was in. "What..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

She caressed their hair and replied: "They wanted to make it up for me and decided to sleep on my lap." Alex and Zack's voices fell silent, as both of them fell asleep. Mia told me that Zack used his Morpheus ability on both Alex and himself and that they would be asleep for a few hours. The demon girl had comfortably rested her back on a bunch of pillows that she placed behind her. I realized that she intended to stay like that for some time.

I sighed and nodded slowly, leaving her to do whatever she wants. I watched as both Zack and Alex slept idly like the dead, their bodies not moving in the slightest. Mia invited me to join them, but I refused. I told Mia that I wanted to stroll around town and get some fresh air. Before I left, I decided to tell her what was on my mind. I cannot blame her for being a demonic entity with a tendency to chase after men, but I cannot allow myself to watch her cheat on me. "You will cry and get heartbroken if I sleep with another woman, but you'd do it with as many people other than me, huh? Talk about double standards."

Taken aback by my remark, she replied. "I... I... did you just say that?"

"If my memory serves me after you kissed me, you went and made out with Selena a couple of times. You have tried to manipulate Alex and Zack a couple of times and even went to that vampire dude you've taken under your wing. I know you enough to know that you have probably considered cheating on me with him. I can't let this stand, can I. Don't blame me if I try to make it even at some point."

"Do you mean..." Her gaze drifted from me as she looked to the side and did not utter a word for a moment. When she finally spoke, she said: "Fine..."

"What?"

"If... If you wanna sleep with another girl, I'll allow it. Only once, alright?"

"If you promise not to go and chase other men."

"Deal. Oh, and if you find a girl who can keep up..." I knew immediately that she wanted me to be a generous soul. I sighed and nodded.

I informed her that will be out for a while before exiting the room. Exiting the building, I pulled my car out of my pocket and drove towards the closest dragon marker to obtain its power and get closer to achieve my goal. The quiet of the drive without the other crusaders is something new to me. I enjoyed it while trying to get used to the silence of the car. I played some music on while driving to entertain myself. As time passed, I noticed that none of my team tried to contact me, leaving me on my own. Not even Mia, who would not stand not being able to talk to me, has not called. 'How long will they be asleep for?' I thought to myself. While I am somewhat of a pervert, I am the least perverted one in the crusaders, and that makes me happy. Mia takes the cake as the most perverted one, making me anxious as to what she would be doing with Alex and Zack.

Finally making it to the destination, I exited the car and walked a little bit to the marker, but stopped in an open field where I found a bunch of mutated wolves fighting against a person wearing a white robe with stripes on them, signifying that they are a member of a church. I conjured my sword and approached them, helping the person finish off the animals. With only a few animals left, one wolf jumped on the individual, forcing me to stab it in the head. "Woo! It's dead..." I said before I looked at the person and offered my hand to them, wanting to help them up. I was not expecting to get my hand slapped away. The person got back on their feet and took off their hood to reveal silver wolf ears. When she turned around, she revealed her magnificent, alluring grey eyes that compliment her smooth white skin. Her face told me that she was somewhere around my age. I was too stricken by her beauty to realize the angry expression that looked cute on her. Her looks gave me the feeling that she is a tough gal, possessing a tough-going attitude.

She stared at me with her fangs slightly popping out of her mouth and fists clenched. "You took my kills!" She shouted at me with a voice that was as intimidating as it was beautiful, providing evidence to her strong personality.

"What?"

"I, Roxanna Lunargento, am a knight serving under the church of Xenoluvia! I was tasked with hunting these beasts myself to prove myself! How dare you steal my kills?!" The wolf lady shouted at me before she picked up her sword, threw it in the air, and grabbed it as it fell back down after spinning in the air.

"I, Justin Walker, knew nothing of this and wanted to save you," I responded.

"For your actions, you and I shall battle, Justin Walker! When I defeat you, my honor will be restored. Ready your sword!" She did not give me time to speak and charged at me with her weapon. I immediately started to dodge and block her swings while waiting for the right opportunity. When I saw a small window to act, I parried her attack and pushed her away with my hand.

"You're not gonna let me get a word in edgewise?" I asked as I parried her attack once more and countered with mine.

"You sullied my honor!"

"No one has to know of this! Take them and give them to your church, I don't care!"

"Tell that to my consciousness! I will never be able to forget this ridicule!"

As time passed, her sword swings got faster and harder. Her skill is nothing to scoff at, and her talents with the sword are something to marvel at. Her skill is complimented by her speed and the sheer altitude of her jumps. At one point during the fight, I barely managed to make it out of her attack range as she dove from the sky and struck the ground with her fist, creating a large impact crater. I watched as she dodged my attacks with ease and fired back at me with light-based magic that stems from her position as a member of the church. However, her magic proved ineffective against me, as I am a deity.

"H-How are you not hurt by my magic?!" She asked, clearly stunned by my immunity to light magic. As the fight went on, she started reaching the peak of her abilities. As soon as she realized that her attacks and magic were ineffective against me, she stopped and started praying to the gods.

Unbeknownst to her, I started feeling the power-up as well, making me cover my mouth to prevent the laughing. She stared at me, puzzled as to why I was grinning. Throughout the fight, I landed only a few hits, and that was the intention. I did not plan on injuring her or putting her life in danger, as I could easily take her down and defeat her, regardless of her immense strength and fighting prowess. The fight went on, and I kept dodging her attacks while lightly tapping her with my fists. That's when she got too tired to continue, and the pain from my attacks kicked in. Her breathing started to get heavier and more frequent. She stopped fighting and went on her knees to pray for none other than me.

"O lord of dragons! I beseech you! Lend me your strength!" She prayed, making me burst out laughing before approaching her, with my strength increasing as a result of her worship.

I planted my sword on the ground and offered her my hand once again, showing that I no longer had the intention of engaging her in battle. She stared at me angrily and kept praying to me, making me unable to hold my laughter. "Hello! I am literally offering you my hand. Stop praying, please."

"You wretched douche. You were not taking me seriously, were you?" She asked.

I sighed with a smile and replied, saying: "Quite the opposite, miss. You're so strong, but you're no match for me. Stop praying because that's only helping me at this point." I offered my hand once more, and she finally accepted and allowed me to help her off her knees.

"Helping you?" She asked. "How can my prayers to the dragon god help you, and not me?"

I pulled my sword out of the grass and handed it to her, sparing me the words and showing her the instant proof. She started examining it and taking in the detail of the golden blade with the black astral and golden dragon ornaments on it. Understandably, she did not figure out who I was but was impressed by the sword's design, and so she stared at me with a perplexed expression. "It's a cool sword, but why are you showing it to me?" She asked. I pointed at the dragon, insignias all over my sword without saying a word. Soon enough, she realized who I was, and her hands started shaking as she held my blade. I watched as the tears dripped down her face and onto my sword before she kneeled on the ground and presented my sword back to me. I took my weapon back and dematerialized it. Her utter shock and horror were all too apparent for me. She realized that she was in the presence of someone who far outclasses her and that her own strength that she takes pride in is obsolete. That realization shook her to the very core as her body started trembling in fear. In addition to that, the shame and guilt from attacking someone who she worships made her disgusted with herself.

"I have disgraced the church with my actions! My lord, please dispose of me, as I am a heretic who does not deserve to stand in your presence!" She exclaimed with her face looking down, awaiting me to strike her with my blade and slice her head off.

As a former human, first and foremost, I hated the way she spoke to me as if I was not a person, even if being shown respect as a deity is mandatory. I felt that as long as I have not ascended, I am a human, and I wanted to be treated as such. I lightly tapped her shoulder and asked her to raise her head. Her tearful eyes were enough to break my heart, so I pulled her in for a hug and caressed her silver hair. Her fierce expression changed into a sad and melancholic one. Rather than being intimidating, she was the one intimidated and scared.

She was taken aback by my behavior. "M-My lord! I am not deserving of such treatment!" She exclaimed, shocked by my warm and welcoming embrace. "I-I am a heretic! I dared to raise my sword against you!"

"Shut up for a sec, okay?" I replied while holding her close. "Shh. It's okay." Slowly, she mustered the courage to wrap her arms around me as well.

"My... my lord..."

After I broke the hug, I pulled her off the ground and watched as she wiped the tears off with her hand that wore a white glove, which seemed in sync with the robes. She wore one on each hand, and both extended to her biceps. The colors of the hood and the gloves matched the white on her black and white skin-tight outfit and her shoes. Her entire outfit was ornamented with insignias of the church she is devoted to and the goddess she follows. She could not muster the courage to stare at me and kept looking away after making eye contact for a split-second. Understandable behavior since I am a god, and she is a knight that worships me among other gods. I am not sure if I wouldn't have the same reaction when I meet all the other deities.

Wanting to know more about her, I asked: "Roxanna, was it? So, what are you doing here, exactly?"

She stood like a soldier, straightening her posture, and swallowed. "I am under the orders of the church to hunt down these beasts and deliver their heads as proof, my lord," She replied. "I-I am blessed by your presence, my lord!"

Unable to bear her calling me 'My Lord' over and over, I sighed and said: "Roxanna, stop calling me that. Can you address me by my name?"

"Y-Yes, Lord Juxtynoktrios!"

"Not that one! Call me Justin, Roxanna! Call me: Justin Walker!"

"I apologize!"

Her stomach started rumbling, much to her embarrassment. I watched as her cheeks turned red, and she turned away from me to hide her discomfort. I grabbed her by the hands and took her with me to my car, much to her shock. "Y-You're taking me with you?"

"I wanna eat, too. It's my treat."

I drove with Roxanna to a diner close by where she and I sat and ordered. I watched as she could not look me in the eyes, but mustered the courage to ask me if she can drive my car while I sit in the back like some wealthy aristocrat. The awkwardness around us was pretty evident, and that made me feel very uncomfortable. Seeing her shy side was cute and admirable, but I missed her outgoing personality and the intimidating stare she possessed. I much prefer her confidence over her awkwardness. "I regret telling you who I am, Rox."

"W-W-What? Why? Have I done something wrong?" It was at this point that she popped her tail out of her cloak and revealed it to me. Seeing as to how she was covering her face as well, I doubt hiding her tail has anything to do with shame and more to do with staying undercover. I have not heard of wolf people hiding their tails, so it was a safe bet. It could also be because having her tail exposed would not be beneficial in combat.

With my eyes locking with hers, I asked: "Is it really that hard for you to look at me? I mean, I am a god, but come on." Her face turned red as she faced me and did not know how to respond. I asked to see her phone and was surprised when she gave it to me immediately without refusing. I placed my contact details on her phone and put hers on my phone without her knowing of either. After a while of not saying anything, she finally managed to utter words.

"Besides the church, I don't really have much," She stated. "I grew up all alone. The church took me in after my mother fell ill. She... she's not gone, but I don't know if she'll get better." Despite the definite grief in her voice, her confidence to say it out loud has managed to show itself.

"And you're serving the church because you want them to help her?"

"I'm serving the church because I know nothing else." Her words struck a chord with me, as I am someone who has lost people before. Knowing that she has to carry the burden of her mother on her shoulder all alone made me feel disgusted with myself, being a privileged fool who had everything handed to him on a silver platter. Even though I yearn to experience what having a mother feels like, I still understand her pain and try to relate to her as much as I can. When the food arrived, I watched as she started devouring the food like a famished monster, not giving herself enough time to breathe and digest anything.

"I... I never had someone fill the role of a mother in my life. I have had some people try to do that, but I still did not know what having a mother feels like," I explained. "But, as someone who has lost his father figure, I can safely say that I can feel you."

"My lo- Justin... meeting you is the best moment of my life," She stated. With a glimmer in her eyes, her confidence returning in full force. "It's an honor."

I smiled at the knight and said: "The honor's all mine, Rox." Seeing her blush when hearing that nickname makes me feel happy. I could tell from the look in her eyes that she liked it. For a moment, it felt that she forgot that she was in the presence of a deity and showed me her true personality. No longer did she need to hide behind her strong persona, despite how real it may be. I could see that she feels safe and happy in my presence. I started to ask her about her life in the service of the gods, and she explained that she was taken from a young age. Rox had no one but her mother, who fell sick from a rare disease. She does not know anything about her father except for the last name she inherited, a feeling I share with her. She goes to a boarding school that belongs to the church and learned how to fight there. She states that she is not the best, but in my opinion, her power is nothing to scoff at. She explained to me that her rough but outgoing personality, accompanied by her fierce and intimidating attitude, is something she feels is a part of her because nothing can keep her safe except for herself. Despite all of that, she is admired and respected by everyone she knows. She has never gone out with any guys and focuses on bettering herself.

I did not want to leave her alone, so I decided to make a deal with her. "Say, Roxanna. How about you and I go on a mission." Her eyes burst with joy and started sparkling at the thought of joining me on a quest. "There's a forest nearby. It's pretty thick and has a lot of monsters in it. I want to reach the end of it and go find a dragon. How about you join me?"

"I will do whatever you wish, my lord! You just say the word!" I sighed and paid the bill before leaving, much to Rox's dismay. As she kept arguing with me and pleading to return the money, I walked to the car and entered with a smirk on my face. We drove back to where we first met and continued on that way towards the entrance to the thicket, which is a forested area known for its wild beasts and rare plants. The numerous fauna poses a lot of problems for researchers, and any journeying group there is expected to have a few skilled hunters on the team. I, however, pose a threat to the fauna. As I drove, I started to get the idea that Rox seems to feel inferior in my presence. She looked upset and did not talk the entire way. The only time she'd speak to me was when I'd start the conversation. The look on her face was not of timidity, but of sadness. Other than the battle against me, I have not seen her fight anything. Seeing as how I put little effort into fighting her and the fact that she is going to battle alongside me, it is safe to assume that her pride took a beating. Her gaze was off to the distance, and her expression was void, if not melancholic. I had a feeling that she wanted to say something but did not feel good about it. That made me afraid that I will negatively affect her combat skills by making her inferiority affect her courage and resolve. And so I decided to encourage her before we enter.

"I bet it will feel so awesome and empowering when you go to your church and tell everyone that you fought alongside the dragon god himself! I'm sure they will call you the greatest knight out there."

"Y-Yes. I believe it will benefit my standing as a member of the church. But to me, I feel honored to be with you. I... I do not want to be of any trouble to you or anything-" I cut her off by gently grabbing her hand. She looked at my eyes as her cheeks turned red and watched as I smiled at her, telling her that it is okay.

"I've seen how you fight. If I was not who I am, you would have killed me with ease. You're strong, Rox. I want you to stay strong and fight to become stronger. Me and my friends, we have come so far. We started pretty weak and without training. I sucked at using a sword so much and lost many sparring matches. Fighting you reminded me of all those times and brought me a feeling of nostalgia. I am definitely looking forward to seeing you fight, so keep your head up and be strong." Hearing these words made her finally open up to me and show me her true joy with a smile. Getting recognized by a deity you worship for your skills must have really moved her. Her eyes that beamed and twinkled with happiness started to feel like pouring tears, so I held her close and kissed her forehead.

"I... what have I done to deserve such kindness?" Her voice cracked as she spoke. "I... I prayed that you would come every night, hoping to save the world and my mother. But one day, I lost hope and thought that you were just a myth! To... to see you here in front of me, embracing me with your kindness..." Her words showed me that no matter how strong one can be, fear is not something easy to get rid of. I heard her talk about herself and showed me pictures of all her awards and victories to prove that she was not all talk before we came here. All of this goes to show that deep inside, she is scared.

"Shh... I'm here, aren't I? Now, go show me your skills and make all your peers feel jealous, alright?" I wiped the tears off of her face and cheered her up.

As soon as we saw monsters in the thicket, her personality immediately switched back to being the stoic and robust wolf-girl. She immediately took out her sword and grinned at the beasts before charging at the hunched humanoid monsters with roots sticking out of them. Rox jumped in the air and sliced the horn off of one of them while I conjured my crossbow and shot at it. The other skipped the wolf-girl and charged at me. With quick reflexes, I dodged and attempted to shoot it, only for Roxanna to jump in the way and slice its eye off. "How dare you approach him?!" She shouted before sticking her sword in the beasts head, killing it. Her enthusiasm has returned much stronger than I expected. I was surprised by her rage but also impressed by her skill. I aimed at the last monster and shot it in the head, but my bolts did not pierce all the way through. Rox slid between its legs and sliced her sword at them before using her light magic to propel the monster into the air, where I jumped and commenced my barrage of punches before kicking it back to Roxanna, who sliced it with her sword.

"Good job!" I exclaimed, giving her a thumbs up. She blushed and looked in the other direction, thanking me for the compliment. I walked to her, tapped her shoulder, saying: "See? You're pretty good. Our skills complement each other quite well, Rox. With some training, you can become the best knight. I'm sure of it. Now let us continue, shall we?"

As we continued walking, Rox took the initiative to look in every direction to find monsters to protect me from. She walked in front of me with her sword unsheathed and ready to slice at anything that might get in front of us. Any time a creature attacked, Rox would jump to attack it before it could land a hit on me. It got to the point where I'd slow time down and kill the monster before she'd have time to attack it, as I did not want to stand aside and do nothing. Eventually, we no longer encountered any beasts throughout the area. "So, what do you do when you're not out hunting?" I asked the knight to engage in a conversation while walking.

She looked at me and said: "We usually train, pray, and do whatever the church tells us to. Most of the time, we're out in the world, hunting demons and other monstrosities. My lo-... Justin, have you ever hunted demons before?"

"I'm dating one," I replied. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me with an intense glare as if I told her that I have beheaded hundreds of innocents. As a god, she took me seriously. I started to think to myself that I should not have told her about Mia, but if she had met her without knowing, she would have probably got into a fight with the she-devil that may or may not get one of them killed.

"Are you serious?" She asked. "A demon?!"

"An archdemon, actually, but you won't know it if you see it!" I placed my hands in front of her face to stop her from coming to conclusions. "She's a demon, sure, but she's not evil at all!"

Roxanna crossed her arms and shook her head before sighing. "What if she's manipulating you?" She asked. "How can you trust a demon?! They're supposed to be the enemies of everything on this blessed earth. And you're a god, Justin!"

"Exactly. That's the point, Rox. She and I were raised together. I knew her ever since I was seven or eight. I swear I have never met anyone, and I mean ANYONE, more human than her. She is so important to me that she was predicted to fight alongside me, the warrior of Orunos, and king Zachary against the harbinger of the darkness." I stated calmly and gently, letting my words enter Rox's ears and sync in without having to force anything on her. To prove what I said, I pulled out my phone, searched up the photo I took at the mountain temple and showed it to Rox. "See the red wings and all that? Yes, that's her." She started examining the photo's details. After accepting the fact that Mia is an essential member of the dragon crusaders, she moved on to look at the engravings of Alex and Zack. I stood silently and let her scroll through the photo with a rather curious look on her face. Her shock because of Mia vanished entirely and was replaced by a sudden interest in the pictures Ethan and I took at that place. As she looked at the images, she pointed out a few interesting details, stating that she has seen the same type of engravings in some sacred temples she visited while her duties and on of trips issued by her school. As she continued talking, her voice drowned in the back of my mind when I looked at her and noticed how enthusiastic she was at the topic. Her true personality shines through when she engages in topics she loves. She puts aside her fierce nature and embraces her inner love and passion, and that is what attracted me to her. Her beauty gleamed the brightest during this stage.

"Was I speaking too fast?" She asked, snapping me out of my trance. I corrected my posture and cleared my throat before taking my phone and showing her pictures of Mia and the crusaders. She stared at my demon girlfriend for a considerable amount of time, almost lost in the she-devil as I was lost in her. "She's beautiful."

I scratched the back of my head while looking to the side. "Y-Yes, she is. I bet you'll really like her. Don't sell yourself short, though. You're beautiful, too." Roxanna's cheeks turned red by my statement.

"You're pretty handsome yourself," She spoke under her breath, unaware that I could easily hear her. To change the topic, she pointed at Zack and asked who he was, and so I told her that he was the king, much to her shock. I then started getting enthusiastic myself and started showing her photos from our trip and all the monsters we hunted. To commemorate this moment, I opened the camera and took a selfie of the two of us, pulling her close to me. I saw that she did not have any problems with taking a photo, not even showing any sign of embarrassment or being shy about it. In fact, she got close to me and wrapped her arm around my back like the cooperative teammate she is. But our fun and joy were cut off when I noticed a monster creeping behind us after taking the selfie. I pushed Rox aside but did not have enough time to react. The beast, which was a mutated black leopard with demonic ears and red horns, slashed my face with its claws. Its raw strength was enough to throw me away and have me fall down a rock, sliding towards a lower part of the thicket. As I tried to get back to my feet, all I kept hearing was Rox screaming my name.

The demon leopard jumped after me and charged at me. It was three times larger than a regular leopard, faster, and scarier, to boot. I slowed time and dodged it while trying to punch it with my dragon fists, landing all of them successfully. The leopard got propelled away as I got back on my feet, healing my wounds, and focusing. I started to feel Roxanna's prayers reach me, powering me up and giving me the strength to continue. I clenched my fists and watched as the leopard got back on its paws and fired energy beams from its eyes and mouth. "Now, this is a beast that does not belong here!" I stated. I was quick on my feet and dodged the attack before running on the side of the big rock next to me and diving to crush its head under my boot. It evaded me and tried to slice me with its hardened tail that formed into an ax. I dodged to the side and started punching it again, only for it to get hit by one of the punches and retaliate by jumping on me. Before it could do anything else, however, Rox fired a beam of light energy towards it, injuring it. The beast jumped off of me and on the rock before leaping into the air and attacking the young knight. I slowed time and shot it with a bolt from my crossbow before getting up and following it. As the bolt that I fired was still traveling to the beast, I ran on the slope and reached it before it could attack Roxanna. I conjured the Storm Bringers and sliced at it a couple of times before the time limit for slowing time was over. The bolt hit the leopard in its rear, forcing it to retreat. Roxanna, however, pulled out a pair of guns and sprayed it with bullets. Some of them managed to land, while others were complete misses. The leopard ran away into the thicket, leaving me to be pulled in by Rox, who wanted to see my face.

I pointed at it and showed her that the scars were healing. The beast did considerable damage to my face, but nothing that my healing powers can't make quick work of. Roxanna was still shocked by the whole thing and demanded to examine my body for any other injuries. I sighed and took off my jacket and shirt, showing her my bare chest. I watched as she gawked at it, not because of any injuries, but because of the sheer beauty and ripped muscles that I possessed. Rox tried to touch my abs before coming to her senses and taking her hand back, only for me to grab it and place it gently on my chest, allowing her to take it all in. "Touch it all you want. I hope it's to your liking." The redness on her cheeks was even more apparent than the scars on my face. I slowly took my hand off and watched her gently move her hand up my body, feeling the toned physique. She gawked at my chest with a glimmer in her eyes. After touching my chest for a bit, she took her hand off my body. My scars completely healed while she was busy staring at me. I wore my clothes again and used my watch to try and determine the dragon's location more accurately.

While I searched again, Rox squatted on the ground and started tracking the beast. While observing its tracks, she inched closer to me and smelled my clothes. I stared at her in utter bewilderment as she grabbed my jacket and smelled it. She stopped to look at me before backing off and apologizing. I started thinking about how the leopard looked out of place in this strange forested area. This place is home to different kinds of creatures, but the leopard looked like it did not belong. The dark aura it emitted, and the strange demonic features looked different from those of the thicket monsters, which looked more interwoven with the spirit of the forest, rather than spawns of hell. The knight continued tracking the beast through its footsteps and its smell. I sighed and followed her. "Whatever floats your boat, Rox." I followed her as she tracked the beast throughout the area, eventually finding it in a pile of its own blood, licking its wounds and recovering from our attacks. Roxanna wanted to approach it, but I held her back. I grabbed her hand and whispered in her ear about the vulnerability of the beast since it did not detect us.

"I know that, but it attacked you. I can't let it go away," The beautiful wolf-girl whispered back. I told her to wait for me until I signaled her and descended down on the monster.

"Relax, Rox. Let me skulk my way to that sack of fur, and when I signal you, you attack it with magic, capisce?"

Slowing time, I managed to move quickly and silently. After reaching the beast's back, I conjured the crossbow and aimed at it. Roxanna took the signal I gave her and fired a blast of light magic at the creature, scaring it and hitting its leg. It roared at the wolf girl, who jumped down and readied her sword. I fired my crossbow at the beast, hitting it in the back. Unbeknownst to me, however, the beast started to grow in size, and its wounds started to heal. After that, it sprouted wings and charged at Rox, who evaded it with style and retaliated with a sword strike. The beast dodged the second time and leaped on the knight. As Rox struggled to kick off the monster, I shot it with my crossbow. My attempts were futile, however, as the beast remained unfazed by my attack, and so, I charged my spear with lightning magic and threw it at the creature, stabbing its side. I ran at the monster and knocked it away with a punch before helping Rox get back on her feet, giving her a potion to heal. The beast roared at me and blasted energy from its eyes and mouth. Rox and I evaded it with ease. The monster did not finish its attack and charged at me with its claws. I slowed time and avoided it, but did not anticipate it to move faster after the time slow has ended. It struck my back with its tail that morphed into a mace-like object and propelled me away. Rox charged at the beast and cut its tail, sending it wailing and roaring around before biting Roxanna's arm. I slowed time once again and used my built-up energy, firing in a straight horizontal beam. It hit the monster in its face, causing it to let go of the knight and retreat in pain.

I ran towards the injured Roxanna, who screamed in pain at the bite of the leopard. Her left arm was so wounded that it needed to be cut off, but I used a couple of enhanced elixirs that Zack gave me yesterday and poured them all into her wound. I pulled the injured girl to the side and gently placed her under a tree before readying myself to take down the beast. As the wounded wolf girl recovered, I began to think to myself what could the other crusaders have done if they were here. 'I guess I have my work cut out for me. That eyesore of a furball is grinding my gears, and now I'm gonna have to fight it alone. If Alex was here, he would have used his restore ability to heal Rox in an instant. He could have also used his powers to sense the presence of the animal. Mia could have given us an aerial advantage or tried to take over its mind. However, I doubt such a creature even has a mind. Zack could have tried to get it to sleep or blinded it with the grace of the sun. But noo! They decided to indulge in Mia's everloving bosom and let me do all the work!' However, I doubt calling them right now would make a difference. There is little cellphone coverage in this area, and even if they got the call, they would not be able to make it in time.

'The three of you can fly now, but can any of you make it in time, I doubt that. Then again, I don't need any of you. I will deal with this myself. If I can anticipate its next attack, victory will be mine.'

I sat on one knee and started observing my surroundings. The trail of blood was no longer visible to me, so attempting to see it would prove difficult. The smell of the blood, however, lingered. The only problem was that it roamed around so much and left blood everywhere, making it nearly impossible to discern its location from its injuries. With my enhanced senses, I started listening to any sudden movements and focused on the voice of the big kitty. I started looking at any bushes that might move suddenly, without the effects of the wind while also focusing on any growls, footsteps, or unexpected noise. I began listening to its breathing and examined my surroundings for any potential attacking spots. If it planned to attack me from above, its shadow would be visible on the ground, and the sounds of its wings flapping would give away its location. Attacking me from the back would be plausible, but the bushes behind me would make a sound. I threw my Storm Bringers behind me so that they electrocute it if it attempted a sneak attack from behind. Suddenly, I picked up its footsteps, locating it in front of me and behind a large tree. It started moving left, towards some other bushes that were near the tree while also hiding its location. Its footsteps were easily detectable as my ears adjusted to their sounds. As I expected, it moved the bushes enough for me to see it.

I conjured my crossbow and aimed at its general direction while carefully observing its movements and paying attention to any potential attacking spots. The steps started getting louder and louder, the closer it approached. I kept listening to its footsteps until they were completely gone. I discerned that it reached a point of attack and was readying itself to ambush me. And as expected, it leaped into the air and used its wings to gain additional altitude. I quickly aimed at it and fired my crossbow at an astronomical rate. When it nearly reached me, I slowed time and dodged it before summoning a doppelganger with my ax that sliced its leg off, temporarily making it fall. I took this opportunity to impale its neck with my sword, killing it immediately. I exhaled all the air I gathered in my lungs and wiped the sweat off my forehead as the monster drew its last breath. Then, I grabbed the beast and placed it inside my magic satchel, preserving it in its current condition so that Mia can absorb it and make a weapon out of it. My watch beeped after slaying the beast. I looked at it and saw the text on it.

New Skill Acquired: Presence.

"N-Nice going there, my lord..." Rox spoke, so I walked to her and sat next to her injured body. "I can see why... you were chosen to... be the god."

I grabbed her and gently rested her on me, tending to her wounds while she relaxed. I took out my potions and started applying them to her injuries. The peculiar thing that I noticed was that her injuries seemed to take longer to heal despite me using plenty of potions on her. "If my logic is sound, that monster must have been born from the darkness, and that's why your injuries are taking longer," I stated while gently applying my potions on her arm. I pulled her head to my chest and told her to close her eyes for a second. After finishing with the healing. I held her close and started speaking into her inner consciousness, putting her at ease. I felt bad for holding her so close to me as I do with my girlfriend, then I remembered that she immediately went and did it with the catgirl after kissing me and even tried to seduce the other crusaders and a vampire who was older than her. I picked up Rox like a bride and went with her to a more secluded location where I set the tent up and prepared us some noodles. I tried contacting the other crusaders but to no avail. There wasn't any signal from the thicket, and Mia would still be asleep with the two boys, much to my chagrin.

"She stole a kiss from you so that she can kiss another girl? No dignity. No dignity at all!" Rox stated after I talked about my relationship with Mia.

I cracked my neck as I sat and prepared the food. "Not necessarily. She just wants me to be her first when it comes to everything. Her first love, first kiss, first partner, you name it."

"Why just first, and not only one?" Rox brought up a good point, making me stop to reflect on it. "If she truly values you, why would she go to other men?"

Mia's case is something completely different from the ordinary girl. "As a demonic entity, her instincts sometimes manifest. I don't think she can control herself sometimes, as proven when she lost it after seeing my friend die, and once again, when an innocent girl got murdered. She'd lose all her sanity and unleash the unbridled demon within her. Although it is not as severe as that, her romantic desires stem from the same fact that she is an archdemon who possesses attributes from succubi, vampires, and other demonic entities. Her love for me, however, is something I cannot doubt. She has proven to me countless times that she would do anything for the people she loves."

Later on, as I cooked, I watched Rox sitting on a rock and staring off into the distance, daydreaming, or pondering over what had happened. She took off her cloak, revealing her full bodysuit that stuck so tightly and elegantly to her skin, showing off her gorgeous body. Her beautiful looks, complimented by her fighting prowess, make her someone hard not to admire. The size of her chest rivals that of Mia, only Mia can morph her body to her liking, which disqualifies her immediately. I finished the noodles and brought her a cup while holding mine in my hand. I sat in front of her, facing her on the other side of the table. "I-I apologize for being an inconvenience," She stated. "I should have been more careful and useful. I betrayed your trust and did not live up to your expectations."

"No, you didn't do any of that. You did greater than I expected, Rox. I'm impressed you were able to hold your own against that thing for as long as you did."

She sighed and looked at me. "My lord, you're just telling me that to boost my spirits, right? I didn't do much. I should have done more, but I failed." She stared at her noodles and got lost in her own reflection, seeing what a failure she was, at least in her mind. I, however, disagree. She was more than useful, and my words were not lies. I watched as she slowly ate her noodles as I did not utter a word. I started eating mine and watched her finish, placing the cup on the table in front of her.

"Rox, I, too, have many regrets. I regretted not being for my friends when they needed me the most. I regret not being strong enough. King LeoDivinus died in my hands, you know. I watched my father figure take his last breath in front of me." She stared at me with widened eyes, shocked at what I had just revealed. She covered her mouth and did not utter a word, giving me room to speak. "I... I'm still mostly human. I failed at many things and will continue to fail at many other things. I could not fight off roman generals, I got overwhelmed by imperial troops, I lost a fight to dragons, I nearly lost my teammates to a bunch of werewolves. Hell, I can't even summon my godly armor yet. You think you are a liability to me. I believe that meeting you is one of the best things I have ever done. You really did the best you could when it counted, and I am thankful for that, Roxanna."

I could feel her being moved by my words, despite me pointing out the flaws in the god she dreamt of seeing. She prayed for years that I ascend and save the world, only to hear me complain about my weakness to her. I continued eating my noodles as she stared at me. "No. You, out of billions of people, were chosen to become the new god. Why would the gods choose such an inadequate and weak human being to walk among them? You're wrong. I may not have been there with you when it all happened, but I know for a fact that you are a god. You may be weak now, but you will soon become stronger and vanquish the darkness. I believe in you, Justin."

Seeing her give me a pep talk put a smile on my face. I looked her in the eye and nodded, saying: "And I expect you to not feel so weak about yourself. That monster right there was a creation of the darkness. Anyone else would have died instantly." I continued my noodles. "You're stronger than tons of people I have met. Hell, you can give the king a run for his money." Rox laughed, entertained by my words. We bonded through our sense of weakness, giving each other the words of courage we needed. Talk about irony. "I, Lord Juxtynoktrios, am honored to have met you, Roxanna Lunargento."

"The honor is all mine, my lord."

"Call me Justin, please. It's not just because I don't like being formal, it's also because I don't want anyone to know who I am."

Roxanna did not get used to calling me by my name, and it was apparent. "I... I don't think I'll get used to it," She replied, looking to the side. "Y-You're a deity, and I'm a knight. It's not fair for me to call you by your name."

"Everyone close to me calls me by my name, so why shouldn't you?" Her eyes immediately got fixated on me, and her cheeks turned red in a blink of an eye.

"I-I-I cannot even dream of being this close to you! I-I don't deserve such an honor!"

"Are you sure?" I asked. "Come here."

Like the obedient knight she is, she obliged and sat next to me. I told her to close her eyes, stealing a kiss from her beautiful lips, much to her shock. She covered her mouth in her hands, unable to process what had just happened. Her eyes got fixated on mine with a stare of utter surprise and disbelief. I chuckled at her reaction, knowing that this was her first kiss. "My... My first kiss... was with... a god... no, the god..."

"Do you want another?" I asked, dropping another bombshell. I got off my seat and entered the tent, gesturing with my fingers for her to join me inside. She followed me without a word and stared in disbelief as I took off my shirt and lay shirtless on the tent floor. She crawled to me and rested on my chest, taking my lips into hers and kissing me passionately. Our tongues fought for dominance as I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer to me.

After a few hours of fooling around, another virginity was mine for the taking, and another warm body joined me in a nice nap. I woke up to find my face buried in the wolf girl's knockers as she held my head and pulled it even closer. I looked at her face and saw that she was in a deep slumber. If Mia was here, I doubt she would have gotten angry about it and instead would have jumped in bed with us. I'm also sure that Mia would get along with Rox immediately, as she is a people's person. Rox surprised me by how understanding she was of the situation, showing genuine interest in meeting Mia, despite her religious standing. She opened her eyes to see me in her embrace. Rather than freaking out and jumping away from me, apologizing for what she did, she smiled at me and said: "Good morning, Justin."

"Good morning. How are you feeling today?" I asked the pretty lady.

"A lot better, thanks to you," Said the wolf girl, pulling me back towards her and kissing me on the lips. "How was last night? This was my first time, but I tried my best. I'll admit to watching a few naughty videos and taking notes."

I chuckled at her statement. "Oh, it was heavenly. I can see that you know your way around. I suppose you did more than taking notes?" Her face turned red as she looked away.

"I... I might."

We got up after lying together for a while and prepared to find the dragon camp. I prepared a light breakfast of cereals and milk before washing my face and fixing my clothes. I was also lucky enough to watch Rox wear her outfit in front of me. After getting ready, I checked the location before going and found a large open area with only a few trees on each side, signifying the end of the thicket. The place was littered with rocks that added to the scenery and the open view to the outside. I realized that this place is of a higher altitude compared to the place where we camped. Despite climbing for a fair amount of time with Rox, I was surprised by the view and the altitude. We walked further to find a large dome structure with two doors that bore dragon insignia on them. The doors did not have any locks on them but did not open when Rox attempted to access what was behind them. With this information, I realized that it wanted my touch, as I am the god who is meant to access this sacred location. I placed my hand on the doors and watched in astonishment as the dragon insignias lit up with an ethereal glow. The doors swung open, allowing us to cross. Rox's eyes gazed at the inner beauty of the dome, staring at the illustrations of the four mythical dragons that adorned the ceiling. The four dragons were pointed towards the center of the ceiling, where an illustration of a humanoid figure inside a star glowed and illuminated the room.

At the center of the floor was a dragon insignia where Rox and I stepped. The ground started shaking before it opened, and the dragon symbol began to descend to the underground with the two of us on it. Rox could not contain her excitement as she jumped around and gawked in every direction. Understandable, considering her situation. When we reached the bottom, we found ourselves on a large circular platform with no light source. I did not struggle with the darkness, but Rox had a problem adjusting to it. Suddenly, two massive eyes blasted their red light onto us, gazing down on us like the tiny creatures we are. I looked at Rox's hand and noticed the shaking.

"O Lord of the skies. You have finally graced me with your presence." The dragon spoke. With my enhanced vision, I saw that the dragon was more metallic in nature. His red eyes glowed like that of an ethereal being that could crush the world under its feet. Rox's eyes stared in utter fear, nearly fainting upon hearing the deep, enormous voice of the legendary creature. "My name is Ketavoroth. I can see that the light has chosen well. Your true strength is still dormant. Your potential is exceptional. With my power in your possession, you shall achieve greatness and ascend to the stars."

The dragon started to emit a blinding light before disappearing with a glowing weapon floating towards me. At first, I could not make out the glow, but when it landed in my hands, I felt its heaviness. The light fainted, and I nearly fainted with it at the sight of the unbelievable weapon in my hands. In addition to its futuristic dragon designs, the weapon itself looked as if it was developed decades from now. Its sights alone are too cutting edge, and cannot have been developed by any organization in this current time. The weapon is tall and is too heavy for any human to carry. It emitted a red glow from multiple areas around it, including the grip, some internal components even the two conducting rails of it glowed in the area where the projectile shoots from.

"A railgun!" I shouted out loud. "A freaking railgun!"

Rox and I returned to the surface and exited the dome. The knight was still trying to comprehend what she has witnessed inside that place. Her mind was still unable to register the sheer awesomeness of that experience. As we got out of the dome, she held her head in her hands while keeping a petrified stare that displayed both fear and astonishment. "I-I-I met a dragon!" She exclaimed. "I was in the presence of a dragon! By the gods, this is so unbelievable! All of this is way bigger than me! I-I'm just a knight that serves under a church! Should I have experienced what I just did?!"

Our joy was cut off when I stopped Rox, who did not see the dreaded man that stood in front of us, wearing his dark armor that conveyed nothing but evil. When her eyes saw him, the bright smile on her face vanished and was replaced with a stare of utter horror. The light of the sun cast his dark shadow in my direction, making me take two steps back to not step on it. The sun's light and the blue skies were no match to the dark aura emanating from his accursed presence. Rather than towering over me and being twice or more the size of the citadel gates, he was the size of a normal man, reaching six feet in height. The plants around his feet withered, and the air felt poisoned. Roxanna, the fearless knight, took a few steps backward and took shelter behind me. She was so scared that she was rooted to the spot. As I stared into his glowing red eyes, I felt my blood start to boil. Even with all my power, his presence sent chills down my spine. My rage towards him was not enough to overpower my fear. My hands shook, so I clenched my fists and breathed in without breaking my stare.

"Is it time to end this?" I asked the harbinger of the darkness.

"I see you have been taking your time, acquiring dragons, and becoming more powerful. However, you are still nothing. Your powers cannot even begin to measure against mine. You haven't conjured your god armor yet, have you?" The dreaded evil taken form asked. His voice was deep and sinister. He stood idle and did not move a muscle, but he did not need to. Why would he bother moving if his presence is dark and frightening enough on its own?

"Oh, I'll get there. I will not stop until I've gathered enough power to wipe the floor with you," I replied to my arch-nemesis.

I could feel the evil emanating from him, his overwhelming presence was enough to instill fear and give me an idea of the power he possesses, but that is still nothing compared to what he can do. His lifeless glare of contempt was enough to grind my gears. The image of my father figure popped into my head. But, the bombshell he brought next made my heart drop. "That's not a way to talk to your flesh and blood."

I stared at him, unable to grasp what he just said. Perplexed, I asked: "What? What are you talking about?" Roxanna held the back of my jacket tightly. I felt her hands shaking as she hid behind me.

"You, little boy, are a member of my family. I am your ancient ancestor. The blood that courses through our veins is the very same. Do you want me to hand you a sample?"

"Of your blood?!"

"To do a DNA test."

"Are you messing with me?!" I yelled at evil incarnate.

"I am not." Something within me made me feel inclined to believe him. Despite the two of us being polar opposites, I felt that he spoke the truth. "I, alongside many who walk this earth, am related to you, Justin Walker. But out of the only two who know, I, the Astral Overlord, am the one who came out and told you."

"What... do you... want?" I spoke between pauses.

"I, unlike many people in your life, have been honest with you. I have spoken nothing but the truth. Can you say the same about one of your crusaders?" The evil personified asked. I clenched my fist and tried to stay calm, knowing that I will not be strong enough to punch him. His words resonated with me. Everything he said up until this point was nothing short of a bombshell. Everything he spoke was so overwhelming that I had to try hard not to collapse on the ground and punch it with my fists. The harbinger of the darkness conjured his black angelic wings, each of them taller than their user. "I advise you to cherish the time you spend with them because they will be gone before you know it."

The dark crusader took flight, disappearing from the premises in the blink of an eye. Roxanna did not utter a single word, She did not even dare to stare the harbinger of the darkness in the face. It reminded me of the first time when Mia and I were afraid and powerless in his presence. After he killed king LeoDivinus, I started to feel more enraged than scared whenever I saw him. However, fear lingered. My breathing intensified, and my fists were clenched as hard as possible. Even with all the power in my hands, I still felt afraid and did nothing. The feeling of uselessness was a stark reminder that I am still weak and unable to stop the darkness. Tears fell down my cheeks as the memory of my dying father haunted me once more. "Dammit..." Roxanna placed her hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. I stared at the ground beneath me and pondered about my own weakness. "I'm still weak. Weak and useless..."

"We have to go, Justin," Roxanna stated. "We can't stay here. Let's... Let's leave this place."

Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke through my watch, taking both of us by surprise. "O Lord of dragons! Are you there?" It was the dragon who gave me the gauntlets and boots. "It is I, Myzoroth."

"Oh, hey! Didn't know you can call me!" I replied, feeling better upon hearing his voice. "How can you speak to me?"

The watch's interface displayed a call screen as if I was calling someone using the device. "You have gained enough power, and the device on your wrist has evolved with you. I and the other dragons can now communicate with you whenever you feel like it." The wise dragon sounded ecstatic to finally be able to speak to me. "I see that you've met with the harbinger of the darkness."

"Is it true? Are the two of us related?" I asked the mythical dragon.

The dragon did not hesitate to respond. "Yes. He is your ancestor. I have seen him fighting the forces of good throughout my time living on the surface alongside humans. Saying he's a calamity is a great understatement. At the peak of his power, he murdered the former dragon god. However, the battle left him too weak, and so he disappeared, never to be heard from again. It took him a decade to recover some of his strength. Enough to walk the surface and spread the seeds of evil throughout the many eras. He began to regain his power throughout the millennia, and it is clear that he aims to consume yours as well. You should put an end to his terror posthaste."

Rox and I ventured out of the thicket and went back to the diner where she and I sat and began to talk about what had happened. "I took a photo of him," She stated, much to my surprise. She showed me a photo of the harbinger that she took on her phone while hiding behind my back. The image was clear as day, showing all the features of his armor and sending a chill down my spine. "I'm not gonna show it to anyone, but I want to keep it to remind myself of the danger that he presents to the world."

"He swatted me away like a fly the first time we met. I'm not sure if he can still swat me or needs to put more effort into it. I still have more things to do, but not much time to do it. I can't fly for more than thirty seconds, I can't slow time for more than ten. I don't think any dragons are close by. I think we need to travel far to get to the closest one." I sighed, knowing that the situation got more complicated and frustrating.

"Justin, you're strong enough that you're a threat to the harbinger. If you can get enough power to summon your divine armor, then it will be smooth sailing from there," Rox said while holding my hand as she sat in front of me, eating fries.

Myzoroth entered the conversation, saying: "Dragon Lord, or Justin if you so prefer. The powers you took from the volcano I resided in were all meant for you. You were generous enough to distribute them around with your friends." I shifted my focus from the knight to the smartwatch. "You understand the value of friendship and camaraderie. They are there for you as much as you are there for them. Remember to share the burden."

Rox took out her phone once more to answer a call. After she was done, she placed her phone away and looked at me in a way that means it's time. We got out of the diner where Rox expected a taxi. She looked at me and tried her hardest to smile at me. She learned to treat me as an equal, not as a deity. As a human, not a god. And most importantly, as a friend. It was hard for us to say our goodbyes, but we both have duties that we need to perform. Even if I was a god, her loyalty still remains to her church. If there is anything that I learned, it is that there are people who hide behind their toughness because they are afraid of the world more than anyone. Sometimes, these people need someone by their side to share their burdens and help them see the true beauty of the world. Roxanna might be a knight, but she is also a scared child, wanting nothing more than to be safe. I gave her a large sum of money to spend on her mother to help her recover faster. When the taxi arrived, Rox wrapped her arms around me and kissed me on the cheek. "Keep your head up, pretty boy. I'll be praying for you." She went inside the taxi, waving her arms and smiling as she left. "I hope to see you again someday."

After she left, I took out my phone and texted her, saying that she may call me whenever she feels like it. I drove out of the diner and back to the hotel, ready for the group to pack and leave. Arriving at the parking lot, I parked my vehicle and waited outside. Mia came flying from the hotel balcony. She immediately pulled me closer to her, hugging me tightly. "I kept calling you since yesterday! Where were you?!" The demon girl had a worried look on her face, unaware of my whereabouts. I took out the monster and placed it on the ground. Mia's eyes widened at the sight of such a creature. "What in the world?!"

"Make use of it," I spoke. "It wasn't an easy kill, after all." Mia sighed and used her magic to transform the beast. Rather than a weapon, however, the monster's flesh penetrated Mia's chest. I stood like an idle statue, looking at my girlfriend with a horrified stare. The next second, multiple red glowing vines covered with thorns emerged from her hands and wrapped themselves around the hands and forearms. I quickly conjured my sword and raised it against her thorns, but she told me to stop, telling me that this is her new weapon. Mia immediately started to control the vines and move them around before absorbing them back into her arms. She looked at me with a pleased smile and kissed me on the cheek.

"Thanks for the gift, Justin. I'm sure with this, we can hunt down the dragon that's close by." I blinked a few times while trying to comprehend what she said. Placing a hand on her shoulder, I stared at her with a pitiful look. She did not understand why I did that. "Why are you looking at me as if I said something stupid? You always look at me this way when I say something stupid." I did not answer her and walked back to the hotel after placing my car away.

"Justin? Yo, Justin!"