Life Hunter

Chapter 207: ''Interesting.''

"Since I must protect Melumnia, I have to say something at least; is your magic dangerous for my people?" Ambrogio questioned Arima with a solemn expression.

"It isn't," Arima shrugged. "As long as I don't want it to be."

"I see," the vampire nodded. "Allow to me ask something else then. If I kill you, will those crosses disappear?" He uttered and Raylein shuddered. Arima's companions immediately tensed but he just smiled.

"They will indeed go away," he answered and Ambrogio scowled. "But I dare you to try," he added and Shiva's expression contorted.

"Don't be arrogant. Anyone among the Guardians could easily kill you."

"That's not what I meant," Arima retorted and Shiva fell silent. "I'm just warning you," he looked back at Ambrogio and reiterated: "I dare you to try."

The vampire's eyes glowed for a second as he lifted his chin. He observed Arima for a few seconds and turned around.

"I do not want to kill someone with such a copious death aura. We can never know what would happen. I would even speculate that you have set up a booby trap directly inside your body," he said. "In any case, you are here to become one of us, correct? Follow me, I will call the rest and we will be able to proceed when everyone is present."

Ambrogio told and walked away. He waved his hand and a mirror appeared in front of him. His figure was not being reflected on it. He reached for it and went through the glass. Shiva clicked his tongue and went after him along with Shakti. Raylein went next.

"See you in a moment," he said before leaving.

"Did you actually do it?" Ganesha asked Arima just after. "That booby trap thing."

Arima shrugged. "Kinda," he gave an ambiguous answer and Ganesha snorted in amusement before going through the glass as well. Arima sighed and cracked his neck.

"I'll be honest, I think this whole thing's gonna be a hassle," he grumbled then turned back. "So? What the hell are you doing?" He asked both Karma and Layla who were orbiting around Gilgamesh as if he was some sort of pet.

That 'pet' in question was not even struggling and let himself be hugged and petted. It was sure that Gilgamesh was a really old entity but at the moment, he was just acting like a timid child.

"Ahem," Layla cleared her throat when she heard Arima and straightened her back. "It's nothing."

Arima deadpanned as she said that while holding Gilgamesh like a baby.

"W-What? He's cute," she stuttered and Arima sighed.

He stood up and stamped the cross below him. The whole structure trembled and the chains expanded before burying themselves. As they did so, the cross slowly started sinking underground. This was happening for every cross on Melumnia.

After a minute or so, all of them had left the surface of the planet. Arima sensed some of the residents looking at him and saluted them with a smile.

"You can go back to your daily lives," he declared and beckoned his group to follow him.

Gilgamesh couldn't even say something and he was almost forced to go with them. "You could hide them Why didn't you do it before?" But that didn't prevent him from questioning Arima.

"Intimidation factor, Gilga," Arima stopped in front of the mirror and responded.

"Gilga?" Gilgamesh mumbled and blinked several times.

"Since I think you're a pretty quiet kid, I'll tell you a secret," Arima grinned. "This magic I used is not only made to support me with the souls around it. It has a second purpose; alter the psyche of the people around it over time."

"In other words, if no one kills me in time, this whole planet will soon know about me and trust me as if I was their godfather. But in compensation for that, I need to do something too. First of all, I can only have one sanctuary active. If I cast this Art again on another planet, this one will disappear. That's one thing, but the most crucial aspect is that I have to protect this planet".

"Because of the theory I used, I am forced to defend it and its inhabitants. Otherwise, the magic will dispel by itself and I will suffer a rebound. But at same the time, if I die, these crosses will explode and bring everyone else with me to the tomb."

Gilgamesh was making a really strange face. "Why are you telling me this?"

Arima laughed. "Basic psychology. Let's say that you're my hidden card."

Gilgamesh's confusion peaked. He couldn't understand what was going on at all. But he wasn't the only one, even Layla, and the rest were a bit perplexed.

"{Hey, what are you doing?}" Night asked through telepathy.

"{Nothing much. I thought I'd get him on my side on the way. Just in case.}"

Night frowned. "{Aren't you being too cautious about this? You even used the First Black Art. I don't think it was necessary. This magic indeed gives you power in proportion to the number of people in range, so Melumnia is a good choice, but it's also a gamble to keep it active.}"

"{I know. Don't worry. I have my reasons to do this,}" Arima replied and told Layla to put Gilgamesh down. He crouched to match the latter's height. "The reason I'm telling you this is simple. I realized that you're most likely the person I can trust the most in this bunch. Proof of that is that you're the first one who noticed that I was blind."

"You couldn't have done that if you weren't looking at me with real curiosity and care. You even approached me and asked me about it, instead of keeping it for yourself. That's incredibly innocent. That's why I know I can trust you," Arima declared and went through the mirror afterward.

'It's been a long time since I used psychology to deal with something' He remarked inwardly.

Arima's companions looked at each other then went through the mirror too. Gilgamesh stayed in a daze for a moment and was the last one to go.

"I can't understand what you just did at all," Night uttered when they had arrived inside a giant decorated hall.

"Me too," Karma and Layla agreed at the same time and Arima chuckled.

"Basically, when you want to manipulate someone, convince him, or lead him to do something, you have to either be confusing or extremely logical," he said. "I don't want to control the Guardians; just influence them a little. So, I chose confusion, which is a lot easier for me. I just wanted Gilga to feel a bit hesitant."

"With a bit of luck, he'll protect us if the Guardians ever decide to harm us. Because my death would mean the death of everyone on Melumnia, at least that's what I told him. Of course, this particular method only works because he seems to have an innocent and compassionate personality, and won't tell anything to his comrades since I affirmed right in front of him that I trusted him. The guilt of betrayal, even one-sided, is quite heavy."

"So, you made a backdoor if they ever turn against you," Layla commented. "But isn't it a bit roundabout? Why don't you just tell them all that if you are killed, Melumnia will follow too?"

"Because that would be useless. What I want is to see if they take the initiative to kill me while they don't know about it," Arima replied and Night rubbed his temples.

"I still don't get why you're taking so many precautions all of sudden. The fact that Ambrogio saw through your soul bomb also nullifies the utility of that."

Arima sighed. "It's because of the Original God," he said and started walking toward the giant door at the back of the hall. "The Plane Guardians represent the direct power that the Original God has in this reality. I don't know what will happen when I meet him. That's why I want to get some kind of insurance to avoid being stabbed in the back by the Guardians."

When he finished talking, Gilgamesh arrived in the hall too. Night looked back and realized that they had come out of a giant mirror hung above the main entrance.

"Anyway, let's go in there," Arima said and stepped inside the giant room which was right beside the hall. He still didn't know what kind of building he was in, but Arima assumed they were in some sort of large castle or mansion.

The room they entered next was a very spacious conference room. The entire furniture was black with carpeting of the same color. The place was dimly illuminated by red lights placed here and there; they looked like jars of glowing blood.

There was a calm and serious atmosphere in this room. Ambrogio had already sat down on the main seat and the three other guardians found their place on the multiple sofas. Gilgamesh silently went to his seat too. Ambrogio was talking with Raylein when his eyes widened and he signaled Arima's group to take a seat anywhere they wanted.

"I called the rest, they should be arriving soon," he told and waved his hand, four human-sized mirrors appeared in the room out of nowhere.

Arima walked toward one of them in curiosity. He couldn't see them so he directly touched them.

"Interesting. You're a vampire but you're using a magic which uses reflection as its theory. A reverse theory is kind hard to use. You're also a blood mage but seem to be able to use completely different things"

"You are incredibly perceptive," Ambrogio praised. "Sit down, please. I heard it from Raylein; you found out that Afriose is alive apparently, as well as a few other things. I would wish to talk with you about it if you agree."

"Sure," Arima nodded. He sat down on a sofa and Raylein took a seat near him. At the same time, the four mirrors made some noise and four figures emerged from them.