The black square, the phone, spun midair for a few seconds before landing on the marble stones with a clatter. Picking it up, the surface had cracks on it as though it were made of glass.
"Sorry about that," Samuel said while scratching his head, as the wounds on his body healed. "Your phone screen cracked."
"Don't worry," Rahemo's voice came from the rubble and smoke of the hatch steps. "I'll get it fixed the right way. But you surprised me." Her voice sounded amused. "But you should thank Ceres, for I was already disappointed in you for stagnant growth."
"This was Lord Ceres' idea." Samuel's face turned furious red. "They still remember me," he said as he tried covering his face.
"Oh boy, when are you going to grow. How about this," she rose to her feet. "How about I set a date for you two?"
A smile appeared on his face but he tried to hide it, "No I… I… I can't do that."
"Who said it's you?" She stretched her arm forward, and immediately space shattered.
Samuel had already drifted into a daydream. He barely registered the space shattering before Rahemo's hand emerged and closed around the phone. But in doing so, she made contact with Samuel. Then something changed.
The atmosphere became suffocating. If the previous display of anger was just a play. This time, Samuel had made Rahemo actually angry.
"Samuel," all the creatures who were watching or doing what they wanted, stood in their tracks. Rahemo never calls Samuel Samuel, unless it is serious. "You Don't Learn, Do You?"
Samuel lost in his fantasy didn't notice the change in atmosphere, "What do you mean?" Those words just rolled off his tongue without realising it.
"HOW IS ERIL?"
That question immediately snapped him out, that was when he noticed the change in the atmosphere. Cold sweat ran along his back. His mind went into overdrive trying to figure out something.
Rahemo said nothing, she just slowly withdrew her arm. Samuel just stared in terror.
The moment her hand withdrew from the tear in space, Rahemo didn't even look at the black square. She just tossed the phone into the hatch.
"I've tried and tried, even being requested. And yet you stick to the same way of thinking.
I'd first blamed it on you being born in the fourth era, after all those born within those eras are reliant on the windows.
However, Samuel, it has been Epochs. You've lived a very long life.
Why then do you still need an extended device?"
Her face darkened, "If you can't deal without it, then I'll strip it away."
"No, no, no, please don't. I'll change, I promise. "
"Too late. Citvolque," she called out. A red light flew out of Rahemo. From it emerged a man of fiery red hair and eyes, dressed in a butler's uniform.
"Master, you called for?" He knelt before Rahemo.
The moment Citvolque emerged, Samuel's mind was blurred with notifications,
'⚠️WARNING WARNING ⚠️, the system has detected danger to its existence.
⚠️WARNING WARNING ⚠️, the system has detected danger to its existence.'
"See that," she pointed at Citvolque. "This calls me Master. That," she pointed at Samuel, "calls you host."
Samuel was frozen in place. Rahemo had called for her system, one thing she only does when she wants one to see how reliant they've been. Even if he tries to escape, there will be no chance.
Turning back Citvolque, Rahemo gave a command, "Strip Eril from him temporarily."
"As you command, Master." He just turned his head to Samuel and uttered a word, "USERP."
Immediately, Samuel's mind was blurred with more notifications.
'⚠️DANGER DANGER⚠️, THE SYSTEM EXISTENCE IS BEING CORRUPTED, HOST PLEASE FLEE.
⚠️DANGER DANGER⚠️, THE SYSTEM EXISTENCE IS BEING CORRUPTED, HOST PLEASE FLEE.
⚠️DANGER DANGER⚠️, THE SYSTEM EXISTENCE IS BEING CORRUPTED, HOST PLEASE FLEE.…'
The message kept repeating, and then something broke through. 'Samuel, run, please run. I don't want to die!' Eirl's voice faded away, as those were the last words Samuel heard.
"Why did you do that?" He was furious. "It was developing a personality." Samuel clenched his chest, feeling as though a part of him had been taken.
"A personality you say, Eril had been with over Epochs. Why hasn't it already developed one?" Samuel couldn't answer, "Your slowness is your own doing. Citvolque, retrieve."
Samuel wanted to say something to Citvolque, but he very well knew that Citvolque wouldn't respond or give him a second glance. But he tried anyway, "Citvolque, please return Eirl, I promise I'll improve. I'll stop procrastinating, so please."
Citvolque didn't even give him a side eye, only focused on his master's words.
"Very well," Citvolque responded to Rahemo's command, turning back into a red speck of light and flew back into Rahemo.
"Now then," Rahemo cracked her neck, "what are you going to do about this?" She then cracked knuckles. Samuel said, only adjusting his stance. "Why so silent, don't you have some backbone?" She said as she stretched her body. Samuel still said nothing, only murmuring.
"If you ain't doing anything, then Here I Come?" Instantly, Rahemo vanished from where she stood, appearing inches before Samuel mid-air with a full fist strike. But Samuel was prepared, for he knew, Rehemo's first-ever attack was always a punch. Readying his fist and taking on the best stance, Samuel met Rahemo fist for fist.
Just the impact of their collision sent out shockwaves across the compound. Cracking the ground beneath Samuel's feet and forming a massive crater. All the creatures that weren't able to flee in time were all blown away, and trees without strong roots were all uprooted.
The strike was devastating, shaking the immediate domain.
Channelling more strength into his arm, Samuel was able to fling Rahemo away. But he knew they were just in the opening act.
Rahemo landed right before hatch, stopping inches from the destroyed steps. "The old tricks don't change, isn't it?" She looked at Samuel with a menacing but slightly amused gaze. "Only this time there's a buff."
VOOM
She dashed forward in a moment, appearing again before Samuel. But he was prepared for the next strike. After the punch comes a kick to the torso. He had readied his arms in a cross, and Rahemo delivered in the exact same, sending a strong breeze of air.
'Something is off.' The strike Samuel had experienced countless times had always carried force behind it. A breeze or even a strong one wasn't even a consideration for an aftereffect.
"You've gotten too used to it, haven't you?" The moment those words landed, the force behind the kick immediately spiked. Samuel didn't even get a chance to up his guard. Before he even realised it, he was already spinning mid-air having lost consciousness for a moment.
"She's serious." Samuel managed to say, as his body kept flipping mid-air. 'I won't be able to stop instantly. But this is also good.' His gaze was focused on the boundary of the immediate domain, the compound. 'If I fly out like this, I don't know where I'll end up, but it's better than being here.'
"No can do." With a snap of her finger, space expanded to an infinitude. Samuel immediately stopped himself mid-air. His arms were busted and crushed, his chest had caved in. Blood was oozing out of him. "I thought you said you'd improved. Why the escape plan then?"
"Cough… cough…" blood dribbled out of his mouth. "That was cough… cough… a strategic escape."
"Oh, is that so, I thought…" Rahemo's words were cut, when droplets of Samuel's blood fell on her face. Cleaning it she noticed something wrong and infuriating.
"Samuel, why is your BLOOD RED?" Samuel couldn't say anything. "Not only have you stagnated, but you've also nerfed yourself? Bloody Tresix, you're way off than I thought."